Gluscabi and The Game Bag (An Abenaki tale)
Retold by Susan Selk (Fairfield Public Schools permission to copy)
Gluscabi went into the forest to do some hunting. He walked quietly, carrying his bow and arrow, ready to shoot a rabbit or other small animal to eat. His shoes made no sound, but the animals still knew he was coming and hid from him. Gluscabi looked everywhere, but he could not find any animals.
Gluscabi was not happy. He ran straight to Grandmother Woodchuck’s birch bark wigwam near the big water.
“Grandmother” he called out. “Make me a game bag.”
Grandmother Woodchuck used caribou hair to tightly weave Gluscabi a bag that he could use to keep his food in. When she was done, she gave it to him. But Gluscabi was not satisfied. He threw it to the ground.
“Grandmother,” he called again. “Make me a game bag.”
So, Grandmother Woodchuck took moose hair and wove it into a larger bag. When she was done, she gave it to him. But Gluscabi was not satisfied. He threw it to the ground.
“Grandmother?” he asked. “This is not good enough. Make me a game bag.”
Finally, Grandmother Woodchuck plucked all the hair from her own belly and made a bag. To this day you will see that woodchucks still have no hair on their bellies. When she was done, this bag was different from the others, it was magic. A game bag that would keep on stretching larger and larger.
Gluscabi was very happy with this bag, he thanked Grandmother, and went back to the forest once more. When he reached a clearing in the trees, Gluscabi shouted, “Animals everywhere! Listen to me. Something terrible is going to happen. The world is going to be destroyed. I have come to help you all!”
When the animals heard this, they came into the clearing. “How will you help us?” they all asked.
Gluscabi held up his game bag and announced, “Climb into my magic bag and you will be safe when the world comes to an end.”
One by one all the animals climbed in the magic bag. Gluscabi held it open for all the animals. When the rabbits and squirrels climbed in, the bag stretched. When the porcupines and raccoons climbed in, the bag stretched. When the deer, bears, and moose all climbed in, the bag stretched. Soon all the animals in the world were inside the magic game bag. Gluscabi closed the bag, tied it, and ran home as fast as he could.
“Look” he said excitedly to Grandmother, “we will never have to go out into the woods to look for food again. All we must do is reach into my game bag. We will never be hungry again!”
Grandmother Woodchuck looked into the bag and saw what Gluscabi had done. All the animals in the world were in the magic bag.
“Oh, no Gluscabi,” Grandmother said, “Why do you do these things? These animals cannot live in this bag. They have no food or water, or air to breathe. Soon they will die, and there will be no animals left on the earth. There will be nothing to leave those who come after you. It is also right that we hunt for our food. It makes us stronger trying to find the animals. And it makes the animals stronger as they try to hide from us. In this way the world will keep its balance.”
Gluscabi thought for a bit about what Grandmother Woodchuck had said. Then he picked up the game bag, “I do not want my children’s children to live in a place with no animals.” He took the magic bag back to the forest and let the animals out. All the animals went back into the woods, and they are still there today because of what Grandmother Woodchuck had said.
Gluscabi was not happy. He ran straight to Grandmother Woodchuck’s birch bark wigwam near the big water.
“Grandmother” he called out. “Make me a game bag.”
Grandmother Woodchuck used caribou hair to tightly weave Gluscabi a bag that he could use to keep his food in. When she was done, she gave it to him. But Gluscabi was not satisfied. He threw it to the ground.
“Grandmother,” he called again. “Make me a game bag.”
So, Grandmother Woodchuck took moose hair and wove it into a larger bag. When she was done, she gave it to him. But Gluscabi was not satisfied. He threw it to the ground.
“Grandmother?” he asked. “This is not good enough. Make me a game bag.”
Finally, Grandmother Woodchuck plucked all the hair from her own belly and made a bag. To this day you will see that woodchucks still have no hair on their bellies. When she was done, this bag was different from the others, it was magic. A game bag that would keep on stretching larger and larger.
Gluscabi was very happy with this bag, he thanked Grandmother, and went back to the forest once more. When he reached a clearing in the trees, Gluscabi shouted, “Animals everywhere! Listen to me. Something terrible is going to happen. The world is going to be destroyed. I have come to help you all!”
When the animals heard this, they came into the clearing. “How will you help us?” they all asked.
Gluscabi held up his game bag and announced, “Climb into my magic bag and you will be safe when the world comes to an end.”
One by one all the animals climbed in the magic bag. Gluscabi held it open for all the animals. When the rabbits and squirrels climbed in, the bag stretched. When the porcupines and raccoons climbed in, the bag stretched. When the deer, bears, and moose all climbed in, the bag stretched. Soon all the animals in the world were inside the magic game bag. Gluscabi closed the bag, tied it, and ran home as fast as he could.
“Look” he said excitedly to Grandmother, “we will never have to go out into the woods to look for food again. All we must do is reach into my game bag. We will never be hungry again!”
Grandmother Woodchuck looked into the bag and saw what Gluscabi had done. All the animals in the world were in the magic bag.
“Oh, no Gluscabi,” Grandmother said, “Why do you do these things? These animals cannot live in this bag. They have no food or water, or air to breathe. Soon they will die, and there will be no animals left on the earth. There will be nothing to leave those who come after you. It is also right that we hunt for our food. It makes us stronger trying to find the animals. And it makes the animals stronger as they try to hide from us. In this way the world will keep its balance.”
Gluscabi thought for a bit about what Grandmother Woodchuck had said. Then he picked up the game bag, “I do not want my children’s children to live in a place with no animals.” He took the magic bag back to the forest and let the animals out. All the animals went back into the woods, and they are still there today because of what Grandmother Woodchuck had said.