In
times long ago, beavers were huge animals that Wabanuwok
feared. One beaver lived in a great lodge on an
island in a smaller river joining the Wolastoq.
Where
the mouth of the Wolastoq foamed into rapids, the
beaver decided to build a dam.
The
people of the Wolastoq watched angrily as their
beautiful camping grounds farther up the river valley
were gradually flooded. Soon the grounds would disappear
under the water, then the whole country. They took
their protests to Koluskap, who saw that this must
not happen to his people. With one blow of his mighty
club, he smashed the dam, and the river rushed out
once again to the bay. The water carried a piece
of the dam along with it right past the shore, where
it finally came to rest as an island.
Other
results came from that tremendous blow. Some of
the flood water farther up above the rapids did
not drain out, but remained as broad and shining
lakes for ever after. Also, the force of the blow
broke off a piece of split rock beside the rapids.
But
best of all, Koluskap, determined that beavers should
never again have the power to endanger his people's
lives, made the beavers for ever after animals of
small size.
