Myths and Legends of the Great Plains Part 20

Rabbit began singing the same song, dancing nearer to the field, while all the Wolves stamped their feet. He sang the song again, dancing still nearer the edge of the field. The fourth time he sang it, while the Wolves were stamping their feet as hard as they could. Rabbit made one jump off and leaped through the long gra.s.s. The Wolves raced after him, but Rabbit ran for a hollow stump and climbed inside. When the Wolves got there, one of them put his head inside, but Rabbit hit him on the eye and he pulled his head out. The others were afraid to try, so they went away and left Rabbit in the stump.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLAINS INDIANS DRAGGING BRUSH FOR A MEDICINE LODGE

_By permission of Sumner W. Matteson, the photographer_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN EARTH LODGE

_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Inst.i.tution_]

HOW RABBIT LOST HIS FAT

_Omaha_

At first all the four-footed animals were fat. The one who made them wished to know if they looked well so fat. So he called all the four-footed animals together. He seized by the head each one who did not look handsome with the fat, and sc.r.a.ped it all off.

At length someone took Rabbit to him.

"Fat makes me handsome," said Rabbit "I will be the one."

"Let me see! Come here!" said the one who made the animals. Then he made Rabbit fat. Then he looked at him. "Fat makes you ugly beyond measure."

So he seized Rabbit by the head and sc.r.a.ped off the fat from the base of his neck. But he pulled suddenly at the flesh in the s.p.a.ce between the shoulders. Therefore, ever since then Rabbit has had a hollow s.p.a.ce between his shoulders, and only in that place is there a piece of fat.

At length the person who made the animals saw that Racc.o.o.n was the only person who looked well when fat. So he made the whole body of Racc.o.o.n fat.

HOW FLINT VISITED RABBIT

_Cherokee_

Long ago, in the old days, Flint lived up in the mountains, and all the animals hated him because he had helped to kill so many of them.

All the arrowheads were made of flint. They used to have councils.

They tried to think of some means of killing him. But everybody was afraid to go near to his house, until at last Rabbit, who was the boldest, offered to try to kill Flint.

So Rabbit asked the trail to Flint's house. At last he reached the house.

Flint was standing at the door of his lodge when Rabbit reached there.

He said, "_Siyu!_ h.e.l.lo! Are you the fellow they call Flint?"

"Yes; that's what they call me," said Flint.

"Is this where you live?"

"Yes; this is where I live."

All the time Rabbit was looking at the lodge and all about him. He was trying to think how to kill Flint. Rabbit had expected Flint to invite him into his lodge. But Flint only stood in the door.

Rabbit said, "My name is Rabbit. I've heard a good deal about you, so I came to see you."

Flint said, "Where is your lodge?"

"Down in the broom-gra.s.s field near the river," said Rabbit.

Flint said, "I will come and visit you after a while."

Rabbit said, "Come now and have supper with me."

So Rabbit coaxed Flint until he said yes, and the two started down the mountain side together.

When they came near Rabbit's hole, Rabbit said, "There is my lodge, but in summer I stay outside here, where it is cooler."

So he made a fire and they had their supper on the gra.s.s. When supper was over, Flint stretched out on the gra.s.s to rest. Rabbit picked up some heavy sticks and his knife, and cut a mallet and wedge.

Flint looked up and said, "What is that for?"

"Oh," said Rabbit, "I like to be doing something and they may come in handy."

Flint lay down again and soon he was sound asleep. Rabbit spoke to him once or twice, but he did not answer. Then Rabbit came over to Flint and with one blow of the mallet drove the stake through Flint. Then he ran with all his might for his own hole. But before he reached it, there was a loud explosion, and pieces of flint flew all about. That is why we find flint in so many places now. One piece struck Rabbit and cut him just as he dived into his hole. He sat listening until everything was quiet again. Then he put his head out to look around, just as another piece fell. It cut his lip, just as we see it now.

HOW RABBIT CAUGHT THE SUN IN A TRAP

_Omaha_

Once upon a time Rabbit dwelt in a lodge with no one but his grandmother. It was his custom to go hunting very early in the morning. But no matter how early in the morning he went, a person with a very long foot had been along, leaving a trail. Rabbit wished to know him.

"Now," he thought, "I will go in advance of that person." Having risen very early in the morning, he departed, but again it happened that the person had been along, leaving a trail. Then Rabbit went home.

"Grandmother," he said, "though I arrange for myself to go first, a person goes ahead of me every time. Grandmother, I will make a snare and I will catch him."

"Why should you do it?" she asked.

"I hate the person," he said.

Again Rabbit departed. And again had the footprints gone along. So Rabbit lay waiting for night to come. Then he made a noose of a bowstring, setting it where the footprints were commonly seen.