Mishi Peshu
Deep in the heart of the lake there lives beast such as you’ve never seen.
It keeps quiet, it keeps hidden; it keeps score.
It watches everything we do in the water and everything we’ve done to the land.
Stealth and ferocity are but a few of its weapons. Wild copper spikes along its spine lead to horns of such majesty they can summon and wield the power of both thunder and lightning.
You can consider it balance, you can consider it justice, just don’t consider it alone.
They called him the Fabulous Night Panther, the Great Lynx, and Tyrant of the Inland Sea. We just call him Ole’ Mitch. He is the Mishipeshu and is summoned when our need is most dire.
We haven’t seen this creature for a long, long time; near 80 years on my count.
Probably slinking about the crags on Michipicoten Island. Ahh, Mitch, wonder when we’ll get to see those peepers again? Eyes of sulfur with slits black as hate, they are a storm all their own.
They say his tail is longer than the Minnesota winter. They say he stood five warriors high. They say he could even change his size when he needed…
Electromagnetic Dynamo, Colossus of the North, Lynx of the Lake; he is fleet in the water and faster on land.
Thanks Mitch, for protecting the riches up north so well. Keep that silver hidden, keep the copper covered up; and for gosh sakes don’t tell anyone about the gold.
You must mind your manners to stay on his good-side, those on his bad-side have terrible endings. Mitch has no patience for rule breakers, test that and you'll end up the way of the Lamprey.
You can say ‘hi’ to him anytime; you can leave him a gift. Find a rock-preferably an agate-and toss it in the water. He likes to chew on them and spit them at boat captains!
If you’re ever in Duluth or Superior be sure to say, ‘hullo’. They say he stops by Fitger’s for a pint on the hottest summer days. I’ve seen him myself enjoying a ceilidh at Sir Ben’s, but mostly he is sunning on Wisconsin Point.