70. How Rabbit Got the Widow's Daughter (Second Version)

70. HOW RABBIT GOT THE WIDOW'S DAUGHTER

(SECOND VERSION)

(Tuggle collection)

Once there was a widow who had a very beautiful daughter. She had many lovers but still remained single.

The Rabbit, an old bachelor, lived near by and fell in love with the widow's daughter. He thought he stood no chance, as he was so small and insignificant, especially as he knew more likely beaus had been rejected, but he determined to see what cunning could accomplish. So with this end in view he made a new blowgun of a cane, and, seizing his opportunity, he slipped up to the chimney of the widow's house, made a hole in the back of the chimney near the ground, penetrating the fireplace on the inner side, and then inserted his blowgun in this opening. The night after he had completed his device he ran up and put his ear to the other end of the blowgun and listened to what the widow and her daughter were saying.

"My daughter, why do you not marry? I am getting old and you ought not to reject all your lovers."

"But mother, none of them suits me."

"You are too particular, my daughter."

Soon he heard the widow tell her daughter to run to the spring for water. Then he ran through the weeds to the spring and lay concealed near by in the grass.

The pretty girl came singing down the trail and, while she was getting the water, the Rabbit sang out in a low, deep, monotonous tone: "Hok-te mar-pe hum-ke ehe-sekart elun, elun, elun-n-n-n." ¹ (The girl who remains single will die, die, die.)

She was alarmed, and looked in vain to see who spoke the awful words. She drew a long breath and soon in a quick frightened manner

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began dipping up the water again. Forthwith the Rabbit slipped through the grass to the other side of the spring and sang out in the same voice: "Hok-te mar-pe hum-ke ehe-sekart elun, elun, elun."

In alarm the pretty girl ran to the house and cried to her mother: "Oh, mother there was an awful noise at the spring and I could see nobody."

"What was it, and what did it say?" she asked. The Rabbit was at his blowgun listening.

"It said in a low deep voice "Hok-te mar-pe hum-ke ehe-sekart elun, elun, elun!'"

"I told you so," exclaimed her mother.

"And then I heard it on the other side of the spring, and I ran here." "Yes, I told you to marry and you wouldn't do so."

Suddenly the Rabbit sang through the blowgun in the fireplace: "Hok-te mar-pe hum-ke ehe-sekart elun, elun, elun."

"That is it."

"Oh, I hear it," the widow screamed in terror; "you will die. You must marry and shall marry the very first one who asks."

"Yes, yes I will," said the daughter.

Rabbit had carried his point and so away he ran in glee to his home and summoned his aunt, saying to her:

"I wish to marry the widow's daughter and you must go at once and make the offer of my hand."

The old lady went to the widow's home and no sooner had she entered than the widow told her of the strange occurrence. When the story was finished the widow added:

"I have told my daughter that girls ought to marry and I am determined she shall accept the first offer."

"I have come to propose my nephew, the Rabbit," said the visitor.

The widow hesitated. The silence was broken by a sound from the ashes in the fireplace: "Hok-te mar-pe hum-ke ehe-sekart elun, elun, elun."

"Yes, he shall have her. Take her, take her for the Rabbit's bride," the widow cried.

So they were married, and thus the Rabbit won the widow's beautiful daughter.

Footnotes

62:1 Hokti, woman; maniti, young; hamki, one; illsikat, without a husband; ilan, shall die.