Cottontail Shoots the Sun (Saline Valley, California. Shoshoni)

COTTONTAIL SHOOTS THE SUN

(Saline Valley, California. Shoshoni)

Cottontail (Rabbit) and his old mother lived in a house in Saline Valley. One day Cottontail went out to kill Sun. He took all the arrows he could carry. He started off toward the east and slept on a hillside that night. When Sun came up next morning, it poked Cottontail on his back to tease him. That is why Cottontail's back is yellow.

Cottontail saw that Sun had come up on a mountain farther to the east. He went over there. Next day he saw that Sun had come up on a mountain still farther to the east. He went over there. In this way Cottontail continued to go toward the east until he came to the edge of the ocean. He saw that Sun came up from the ocean and jumped up into a tree.

Cottontail went to the tree, and stayed under it to watch for Sun. He looked around for wood that would not burn (presumably to make his arrows). He was afraid that he would get burned and made a hole to hide in. Then he killed Sun with his bow and arrow, and jumped into his hole. When Sun fell to the earth, everything was burned.

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After awhile, Cottontail reached out and felt the ground. It was still hot. He said, "tcuwa, tcuwa" and went back into his hole. He stayed there a long time.

When the ground was cool, Cottontail came out. He killed Sun, took its gall out, and threw it high up in the air. As Cottontail traveled home, people would tease him and say, "Look at Cottontail. He is a big man. He has killed Sun." They laughed at him. This made Cottontail so angry that he killed everyone he met.

Cottontail walked for many days and finally arrived home in Saline Valley where his mother was waiting for him. They lived in a big brown rock which today is called "Cottontail's house."