The little assiniboin Indian boys had a great deal of snow in winter, and, as they have no sleds as white boys have, they took buffalo ribs and slid down hill on them.

A little boy was walking over the snow one day, on his snow-shoes, when he thought what fun it would be, if the boys would all go over on the hill and slide. He walked through the village, playing he was the town crier, and called all the little boys out on the hill to slide.

They all took their buffalo ribs and went out, and the little girls—some who had babies on their backs, and some who were only playing—and even the mothers and grandmothers went along to see how much fun the boys were going to have.

Some of the boys fastened the buffalo ribs on their feet, while others made little sleds by fastening the ribs together and making cross pieces of wood. Then they started at the top of the hill and came down, one after the other, shouting and laughing while other boys threw snow at them.

Several times they went down the hill without any accident, and they were beginning to think nothing could throw them. They all ran up the hill for another long slide, the first one up was to be the first to start. One started right after the other, and as the first one was nearly at the bottom of the hill he lost his balance and over he went. The other boys were close behind him, and as each one came he went over, and the boys and girls, who were watching thought that was more fun for them than the sliding had been. Even the three companions who had been throwing sticks over the snow to see which could make them slide farthest, stopped their game to see how the boys were piled on top of one another.