Tales from Temagami - Land of Deep Water

The Origin of Snakes A man was one time walking along and came to a lake which he wanted to cross. But he had no canoe, and so he walked along the shore until he saw a big Snake lying in the water with his head on the shore. "Will you carry me across? asked the hunter. "Yes," answered the Snake. "But it looks cloudy and I am afraid of the lightning, so you must tell me if it thunders while we are crossing." The hunter got on the Snake's back and they started to swim across the lake. As they went along, thunder began rumbling. "kaz, kaz," and the lightning flashed. "Mah, mah, listen!" said the Snake in fear, "I hear something." Just as they reached the shore, when the hunter could leap to safety, a stroke of lightning hit the Snake and broke him into numberless pieces, which began swimming about and finally came to land. The Great Snake was not killed, but his pieces turned into small snakes which we see all about to-day.