[.ca] Moose Meat & Wild Rice (ISBN 0771044445)

A treasure-trove of hilarity...:
Basil Johnston is a Canadian National Treasure, he really is. The man is a master story-teller, even in printed form. "Moose Meat and Wild Rice" is a collection of true stories taken from the recollections of the Moose Meat Point Indian Reserve. The stories are fresh, good-natured and full of wonderful insight into the life and living of the Natives' collective soul. The adventure in humour abounds in this tome - from errant and misguided honey-gathering friends, to a young brave out to prove his bravery by taking on the dark forces of an abandoned house, to some memories of Johnston's very own. One of my favourite stories, apart from the honey-gathering fiasco, was that of the war-vet friends, Meegis and Konauss, looking to wet their palates. But then there's also the wedding tale, and the bologna=meat/sawdust=wood account. Oh wait, there's the on-ice privys, and the head-light bashing Yellow Cloud. Well, suffice to say, there are a number of wonderful recountings that will have you laughing out loud. As Mr. Johnston himself said of the stories, "If the accounts sometimes appear to be far-fetched and even implausible, it is simply because human beings very often act and conduct their affairs and those of others in absurd manner." Amen to that, Mr. Johnston. And it's a good thing, too, because if we humans didn't act so absurdly we'd be robbed of your incredible story-telling gift. A big bravo to this title. Grab a copy, settle in, and enjoy the story-teller at his finest.