62. How Rabbit Won His Wife's Sister For His Second Wife

p. 57

62. HOW RABBIT WON HIS WIFE'S SISTER FOR HIS SECOND WIFE

(Tuggle collection)

Rabbit was lying down with his head in his wife's lap and she was gently rubbing it. Presently her sister, who lived with them, a beautiful girl, rose and said, "I must go after the water," and went out.

Then Rabbit jumped up and said to his wife, "I must go and attend to my business." He ran across the stream and hid in some low bushes.

Then the girl came to the stream and began to get water. Rabbit in a disguised voice asked her from his concealment:

"Is Par-soak-ly-ah (Pasikola, his own name) at home?"

"Yes," she replied, looking in the direction of the voice, but not seeing Rabbit.

"Tell Par-soak-ly-ah that all the people have agreed to undertake a big bear hunt, and they have sent me to tell him to be sure to come. He must go ahead and select a camp and build a fire. No man is to carry his wife, but every man must take his wife's sister."

The girl ran to the house, and Rabbit ran around a different way, and, when the girl came in, he was lying with his head in his wife's lap.

The girl related what she had heard, except the point about every man carrying his wife's sister. Then Rabbit waited a while and said "Is that all?" She then told it all. Rabbit's wife said:

"I will stay at home. You must go, my sister, on the bear hunt. Both of you must go. Then Rabbit's wife made all things ready for them, and Rabbit and the girl went to the appointed place, reaching it just before the sun went down.

Rabbit built a fire and swept the ground. He expressed great wonder that the other hunters did not come.

"I am disappointed," said he, and running to a log, he jumped on it, and looked in every direction to see if the hunters could be seen.

The sun went down and Rabbit complained bitterly that the hunters had not come.

As it grew dark he said, "Let us go to sleep. You make your bed on that side of the fire and I will make mine on this side."

He had selected a place for the girl where there was an anthill, and when she lay down she could not sleep. She tossed and scratched but could not sleep. Then Rabbit began his wooing, and succeeded in winning his second bride.