Great Serpent and the Great Flood
Chippewa

One day when Nanabozho returned to his lodge after a long journey, he
missed his young cousin who lived with him. He called the cousin's name
but heard no answer. Looking around on the sand for tracks, Nanabozho
was startled by the trail of the Great Serpent. He then knew that his cousin
had been seized by his enemy. 

Nanabozho picked up his bow and arrows and followed the track of the
serpent. He passed the great river, climbed mountains, and crossed over
valleys until he came to the shores of a deep and gloomy lake. It is now
called Manitou Lake, Spirit Lake, and also the Lake of Devils. The trail of
the Great Serpent led to the edge of the water. 

Nanabozho could see, at the bottom of the lake, the house of the Great
Serpent. It was filled with evil spirits, who were his servants and his
companions. Their forms were monstrous and terrible. Most of them, like
their master, resembled spirits. In the centre of this horrible group was the
Great Serpent himself, coiling his terrifying length around the cousin of
Nanabozho. 

The head of the Serpent was red as blood. His fierce eyes glowed like
fire. His entire body was armed with hard and glistening scales of every
color and shade. 

Looking down on these twisting spirits of evil, Nanabozho made up his
mind that he would get revenge on them for the death of his cousin. 

He said to the clouds, "Disappear!" 

And the clouds went out of sight. 

"Winds, be still at once!" And the winds became still. 

When the air over the lake of evil spirits had become stagnant,
Nanabozho said to the sun, "Shine over the lake with all the fierceness you
can. Make the water boil." 

In these ways, thought Nanabozho, he would force the Great Serpent to
seek the cool shade of the trees growing on the shores of the lake. There
he would seize the enemy and get revenge. 

After giving his orders, Nanabozho took his bow and arrows and
placed himself near the spot where he thought the serpents would come to
enjoy the shade. Then he changed himself into the broken stump of a
withered tree. 

The winds became still, the air stagnant, and the sun shot hot rays from
a cloudless sky. In time, the water of the lake became troubled, and
bubbles rose to the surface. The rays of the sun had penetrated to the home
of the serpents. As the water bubbled and foamed, a serpent lifted his head
above the centre of the lake and gazed around the shores. Soon another
serpent came to the surface. Both listened for the footsteps of Nanabozho,
but they heard him nowhere. 

"Nanabozho is sleeping," they said to one another. 

And then they plunged beneath the waters, which seemed to hiss as they
closed over the evil spirits. 

Not long after, the lake became more troubled. Its water boiled from its
very depths, and the hot waves dashed wildly against the rocks on its
banks. Soon the Great Serpent came slowly to the surface of the water and
moved toward the shore. His blood-red crest glowed. The reflection from
his scales was blinding--as blinding as the glitter of a sleet-covered forest
beneath the winter sun. He was followed by all the evil spirits. So great
was their number that they soon covered the shores of the lake. 

When they saw the broken stump of the withered tree, they suspected
that it might be one of the disguises of Nanabozho. They knew his cunning.
One of the serpents approached the stump, wound his tail around it, and
tried to drag it down into the lake. Nanabozho could hardly keep from
crying aloud, for the tail of the monster prickled his sides. But he stood
firm and was silent. 

The evil spirits moved on. The Great Serpent glided into the forest and
wound his many coils around the trees. His companions also found
shade--all but one. One remained near the shore to listen for the footsteps
of Nanabozho. 

From the stump, Nanabozho watched until all the serpents were asleep
and the guard was intently looking in another direction. Then he silently
drew an arrow from his quiver, placed it in his bow, and aimed it at the
heart of the Great Serpent. It reached its mark. With a howl that shook the
mountains and startled the wild beasts in their caves, the monster awoke.
Followed by its terrified companions, which also were howling with rage
and terror, the Great Serpent plunged into the water. 

At the bottom of the lake there still lay the body of Nanabozho's cousin.
In their fury the serpents tore it into a thousand pieces. His shredded lungs
rose to the surface and covered the lake with whiteness. 

The Great Serpent soon knew that he would die from his wound, but he
and his companions were determined to destroy Nanabozho. They caused
the water of the lake to swell upward and to pound against the shore with
the sound of many thunders. Madly the flood rolled over the land, over the
tracks of Nanabozho, carrying with it rocks and trees. High on the crest of
the highest wave floated the wounded Great Serpent. His eyes glared
around him, and his hot breath mingled with the hot breath of his many
companions. 

Nanabozho, fleeing before the angry waters, thought of his Indian
children. He ran through their villages, shouting, "Run to the mountaintops!
The Great Serpent is angry and is flooding the earth! Run! Run!" 

The people caught up their children and found safety on the mountains.
Nanabozho continued his flight along the base of the western hills and then
up a high mountain beyond Lake Superior, far to the north. There he found
many men and animals that had escaped from the flood that was already
covering the valleys and plains and even the highest hills. Still the waters
continued to rise. Soon all the mountains were under the flood, except the
high one on which stood Nanabozho. 

There he gathered together timber and made a raft. Upon it the men and
women and animals with him placed themselves. Almost immediately the
mountaintop disappeared from their view, and they floated along on the
face of the waters. For many days they floated. At long last, the flood
began to subside. Soon the people on the raft saw the trees on the tops of
the mountains. Then they saw the mountains and hills, then the plains and
the valleys. 

When the water disappeared from the land, the people who survived
learned that the Great Serpent was dead and that his companions had
returned to the bottom of the lake of spirits. There they remain to this day.
For fear of Nanabozho, they have never dared to come forth again.