Wootihu almost forgot to ask his question as he looked at Nanabozhu. He looked like the quintessential Anishinabe. He was handsome, and he had thick, jet black Raven hair; the kind with the purple highlights. He was tall, about five feet ten inches; tall enough that most women looked up to him but not so tall so as to intimidate naive or foolish men. He had bright but dark brown eyes that glinted like a raptor. And a nose that had just enough of a suggestion of a hook to it to make him interesting.
Now Wootihu was an honest if somewhat innocent Red Laker, so he told Nanabozhu; “I would really like to meet a Bagwajiwinini–one of the little people. But I am afraid you will play some kind of trick and leave a permanent mark on me and the rest of the Anishinabeg to show you did it.”
“Hmmm”, said Nanabozhu eyeing Wootihu speculatively. “I promise I will not lie to you, and I will not leave any physical mark on you. And concerning the Bagwajiwininiwug, they are all over the reservation, if you know what to look for.” Nanabozhu smiled that little boy smile of his. “For your part, it will probably take us all day to find one and you’ll have to invest a lot of effort. In which time you will not be able to use any modern conveniences such as a car, or your cell-phone, and I will tell you just enough about them so you can know one when you see one. “How about that?” said Nanabozhu with a smirk on his face.
“Deal” said Wootihu. And they spat on their hands and shook them.
There may be some Bagwajiwininiwug at Mud River,” said Nanabozhu. “Let’s look there.”
**** To be continued ****
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