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Mr. Henry had traveled several days with the Ojibwa Indians going to Fort Niagara to make peace. One day the wind was blowing so hard that they could not go on. So they camped on a point in Lake Huron.

While the Ojibwas were building a hut, Mr. Henry was lighting a fire. He went off a little way to get dry wood, and while he was picking up sticks he heard a strange sound. It lasted only a little while; but, when Mr. Henry went a little farther, it began again. He looked up into the air to see where it came from. Then he looked down on the ground, and saw a large rattlesnake coiled close to his naked leg. If he had taken one step more, he would have stepped on it, and it would have bitten him.

He now ran back to the canoe to get his gun to kill the snake.

"What are you doing?" asked the Ojibwas.

"I am going to kill a rattlesnake," he said.

"Oh, no! don't do that," they said.

The Ojibwas all got their tobacco bags and pipes, and went to the place where the snake had been seen. It was still lying in a coil.

The Ojibwas now stood round the snake, and one after another spoke to it. They called it their grandfather. But they took care not to go too close to their grandfather. They stood oft and filled their pipes with tobacco. Each one in turn blew tobacco smoke at the snake. The snake seemed to like it. For half an hour it lay there in a coil, and breathed the smoke. Then it slowly stretched itself out at full length, and seemed in a very good humor. It was more than four feet long.

After having more smoke blown at it, it slowly crept away. The Ojibwa Indians followed, begging their grandfather, as they called it, to take care of their families while they were gone. They also asked that the snake would open the heart of the English general so that he would give them a great deal of rum. One of the chiefs begged the snake to take no notice of the insult offered to him by the European, who would have killed it if the Indians had not stopped him. They also begged that it would remain and live in their country.

The Ojibwas thought that the snake was a spirit or god in this form. They thought that it had been sent to stop them on their way. They were almost ready to turn back, but Mr. Henry persuaded them to go on.

The next morning was calm. The Ojibwas took a short course by sailing straight to an island out in the lake. But after they had got far out, the wind began to blow very hard. They expected every moment that their canoe would be swallowed up by the waves. They began to pray to the rattlesnake to help them. But the wind continued to grow higher, and so some tobacco was thrown into the water. The chief told Grandfather Snake that the man who wanted to kill him was really a European, and no kin to the snake or to the Indians.

Some of the Ojibwas began to think of throwing Mr. Henry in after the tobacco to satisfy the snake spirit; but the wind went down, and they soon got to the island. Some days afterward the party came to the fort. The English general was very glad to see Mr. Henry, and his long captivity was over, in spite of the anger of the rattlesnake god of the Indians.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Read the synopsis.
  • Review the vocabulary terms.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Mr. Alexander Henry, who was captured by the Ojibwa Indians near Lake Superior, was traveling with the Ojibwas to Fort Niagara to meet with the general of the English army, to make peace with them, and to trade with them. On the journey, Mr. Henry encountered a rattlesnake and grabbed his gun to shoot it. The Ojibwas stopped Mr. Henry, called the snake 'Grandfather,' blew tobacco smoke on the rattlesnake, and asked for its forgiveness for Mr. Henry's insulting behavior. Later, as they crossed Lake Huron, the wind and waves picked up and the Ojibwas feared for their lives. They prayed to Grandfather Rattlesnake and threw tobacco in the water to appease him. The Ojibwas even debated whether to throw Mr. Henry in the water after the tobacco. But they made it through the storm to Fort Niagara, and the English general was very happy to see Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry was free at last.

Vocabulary

Fort: A fortified building or strategic position.
Rattlesnake: A heavy-bodied American pit viper with a series of horny rings on the tail that, when vibrated, produce a characteristic rattling sound as a warning.
Tobacco: A preparation of the nicotine-rich leaves of an American plant, which are cured by a process of drying and fermentation for smoking or chewing.
Captivity: The condition of being imprisoned or confined.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After you read the lesson, narrate it aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Map the Lesson

  • Mr. Alexander Henry and the Ojibwa Indians encountered a storm on Lake Huron.
  • Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. List the names of the other Great Lakes shown on the map.

Activity 3: Complete Coloring Pages, Copywork, and Writing   

  • Click the crayon above. Complete pages 41-42 of 'Second Grade American History Coloring Pages, Copywork, and Writing.'

Activity 4: Listen to the Warning of Grandfather Rattlesnake

Review

Question 1

Why did Mr. Henry wish to shoot the rattlesnake?
1 / 5

Answer 1

The bite of the rattlesnake is poisonous. Mr. Henry thought of the rattlesnake as a dangerous threat.
1 / 5

Question 2

Why didn't the Ojibwa Indians want Mr. Henry to shoot the rattlesnake?
2 / 5

Answer 2

The Ojibwa Indians believed the rattlesnake was a spirit or god with power over them.
2 / 5

Question 3

Why did the Ojibwa Indians throw tobacco into Lake Huron?
3 / 5

Answer 3

The Ojibwa Indians believed Grandfather Rattlesnake was punishing them with a storm and gave him the tobacco as an offering to appease him.
3 / 5

Question 4

Why did the Ojibwa Indians think about throwing Mr. Henry into the lake after the tobacco?
4 / 5

Answer 4

The storm did not abate after the offering of tobacco, and the Indians believed Mr. Henry insulted Grandfather Rattlesnake.
4 / 5

Question 5

What happened to Mr. Henry after he reached Fort Niagara with the Ojibwas?
5 / 5

Answer 5

The English general was very happy to see Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry was free at last.
5 / 5

  1. Why did Mr. Henry wish to shoot the rattlesnake? The bite of the rattlesnake is poisonous. Mr. Henry thought of the rattlesnake as a dangerous threat.
  2. Why didn't the Ojibwa Indians want Mr. Henry to shoot the rattlesnake? The Ojibwa Indians believed the rattlesnake was a spirit or god with power over them.
  3. Why did the Ojibwa Indians throw tobacco into Lake Huron? The Ojibwa Indians believed Grandfather Rattlesnake was punishing them with a storm and gave him the tobacco as an offering to appease him.
  4. Why did the Ojibwa Indians think about throwing Mr. Henry into the lake after the tobacco? The storm did not abate after the offering of tobacco, and the Indians believed Mr. Henry insulted Grandfather Rattlesnake.
  5. What happened to Mr. Henry after he reached Fort Niagara with the Ojibwas? The English general was very happy to see Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry was free at last.

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