The Turtle and His Bride

There was once a turtle who lived among a great many people of different kinds, in a large camp near a big river which was born right up amongst the snows, and flowed straight away south till it reached a sea where the water was always hot.

There were many other turtles in the camp, and this turtle was kind and pleasant to them all, but he did not care for any of them very much, and felt rather lonely.

At last he built himself a hut, and filled it with skins for seats, and made it as comfortable as any hut for miles round; and when it was quite finished he looked about among the young women to see which of them he should ask to be his wife.

It took him some time to make up his mind, for no turtle likes being hurried, but at length he found one girl who seemed prettier and more industrious than the rest, and one day he entered her home, and said: 'Will you marry me?'

The young woman was so surprised at this question that she dropped the beaded slipper she was making, and stared at the turtle. She felt inclined to laugh--the idea was so absurd; but she was kind-hearted and polite, so she looked as grave as she could, and answered:

'But how are you going to provide for a family? Why, when the camp moves, you will not even be able to keep up with the rest!'

'I can keep up with the best of them,' replied the turtle, tossing his head. But though he was very much offended he did not let the girl see it, and begged and, prayed her so hard to marry him that, at last, she consented, very unwillingly.

'You will have to wait till the spring, though,' she said; 'I must make a great many slippers and dresses for myself, as I shall not have much time afterwards.'

This did not please the turtle; but he knew it was no use talking, so all he answered was:

'I shall go to war and take some captives, and I shall be away several months. And when I return I shall expect you to be ready to marry me.'

So he went back to his hut, and at once set about his preparations. The first thing he did was to call all his relations together, and ask them if they would come with him and make war on the people of a neighbouring village. The turtles, who were tired of doing nothing, agreed at once, and next day the whole tribe left the camp. The girl was standing at the door of her hut as they passed, and laughed out loud--they moved so slowly. Her lover, who was marching at the head, grew very angry at this, and cried out:

'In four days from now you will be weeping instead of laughing, because there will be hundreds of miles between you and me.'

'In four days,' replied the girl--who only promised to marry him in order to get rid of him--'in four days you will hardly be out of sight.'

'Oh, I did not mean four days, but four years,' answered the turtle, hastily; 'whatever happens I shall be back by then.'

The army marched on, till one