A Chippewa Indian Legend
From Betty Sodders, Woods-N-Water news
Ancient American Indian lore relates: A spirit Manitou named Man-a-boz-o, brought the gift of sugar to the Great Lakes Region. Legend states that he tapped a maple tree from which directly flowed the finest maple syrup. He offered a taste to his old grandmother, who declared it a delicious treat. In turn, she suggested he pass this secret on to man. Man-a-boz-o deemed man to be lazy and in due course decided to thin the sap so man would have to work to produce syrup. The Manitou proceeded to climb the tallest pine tree in the forest, from which he cast water over all the maples in the north country. The water caused a thinning of the sap and from that day forward, the "sweetwater" required boiling to evaporate the water content.
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