Long ago all the animals lived like humans, it is said. Wolverine was going around hunting, it seems, and a man' met him, so it is said. Wolverine called all creatures "brother-in-law." "My brother-in-law, where is he walking now?"
"I have been going around on my children's behalf, but in vain."
"Spend the night with me," I say. "Camp with me for the night," so he said.
All night the man was on the lookout for him and really didn't sleep well. In the morning, when it was still dark, Wolverine got up barefoot. The man peeked at him, and what did Wolverine do but exchange his own moccasins for the man's moccasins. As soon as Wolverine fell sound asleep, the man got up and put the moccasins back in their former places. After just a little while, up got Wolverine again, and after stirring up the fire, he took his own moccasins (which he thought were the man's) and put them into the fire.
The man arose and began to put on his own new moccasins, and what did Wolverine say but "My brother-in-law, what are you doing with my moccasins? Those are the only moccasins I have. They are all ragged, but I still make do with them." The man had put on new moccasins that morning, and though he kept showing them to him, Wolverine kept arguing. Ignoring him, the man quickly finished putting on the moccasins. The man started to leave him, and Wolverine said, so they say: "My brother-in-law, it looks like I'll starve. Send someone to me quickly." Paying no attention to him, the man departed on his snowshoes while Wolverine stood in front of the smoldering fire in the cold. Not long after that, the man went back to see him, but he was gone, and only his tracks were to be seen. Apparently he had tied spruce boughs under his feet and walked away by that means, so they say. From that time on, the track of the wolverine has looked as if someone has tied something under his feet and is walking around that way, so they say.