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Ojibwe Oral Story

One day two fishermen were paddling home along the shore when a violent wind came up and blew them far out to sea. At last they reached the opposite shore.

There they found the footprints of some enormous creature. The two men were terrified.

They carried their canoe into the forest, turned it upside down, and hid under it. While they lay there shivering with fear and wondering what to do, they heard a crash and felt the earth tremble.

Peering out from their canoe, they saw a huge arrow embedded in the soil not far from them. At the same moment they felt the earth quiver once more.

Then they heard a deep voice saying, “Neekaunssidog (brothers), don’t be afraid. I am Giant. I will not harm you.”

Still very frightened, the fishermen crawled out from the canoe. There before their eyes was Giant, with a caribou hanging from his belt. The two men guessed he had been hunting.  How Dog Came to Be, An Ojibwe oral story »»