27. Tie-Snake and Rabbit

27. TIE-SNAKE AND RABBIT (70)

Rabbit said to Tie-snake, "I am a strong man. I think I am stronger than you." When Rabbit said that to Tie-snake, Tie-snake said in his turn, "I also am strong. You Rabbit can not beat me in a contest of strength." Rabbit said, "Well then, let us set a day on which to test our strength, to see which is the stronger." Tie-snake answered, "All right."

Rabbit started off, came to a place near by where another Tie-Snake lived and said, "I am a strong man." Rabbit said that to the other Tie-snake. "I also am strong," said the Tie-snake. "Well

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then," said Rabbit again, "We must set a day on which to contest to see which is stronger." "All right," said the Tie-snake. So Rabbit agreed upon the same day as that on which he was to meet the other snake. "We will contest on the fourth day," he said.

So Rabbit started off and at the time appointed he got a long grapevine and carried it to the place where the first Tie-snake lived. "Catch the end of this," he said, "and I will stay in the bend of the creek holding the other." He went off and came to the other snake. "Seize this grapevine and stay at that end," said Rabbit to the other Tie-snake. When he was going to leave each snake he said, "When I whoop, I am ready; then pull with all your might." Then he went to a place between the Tie-snakes, sat down and whooped.

One Tie-snake pulled and tried to drag him away, but the other Tie-snake did not want to be dragged off and pulled against the first Tie-snake with all his might. Rabbit whooped and said, "You can't drag me away." He acted as though he were pulling at the other end. He made the Tie-snakes pull against each other. When Rabbit said, "It is enough," the Tie-snakes stopped. Then Rabbit went to one of the Tie-snakes and said, "Am I not strong?" "You are very strong," the Tie-snake answered. Afterwards Rabbit went to the other and said to him, "I said 'I am strong' but you did not believe me at first. Now you know." And the Tie-snake said to Rabbit, "I didn't know you were strong, but now I have found it out."

Rabbit went off and not long afterwards the Tie-snakes met. When they talked together one of them said, "Rabbit and I tried our strength against each other." And the other said, "He also contested with me." "Well then, Rabbit lied to us and made us contest against each other," they said. They were angry with Rabbit and forbade him to drink the water. They said to each other, "If Rabbit does not drink water he will die," and indeed after they had forbidden him the water Rabbit was nearly dying of thirst. While going about he met a Fawn. "My friend," he said to it, "lend me your coat. I have heard that they will not allow me to drink water." So the Fawn loaned him his coat and Rabbit got into it and started off. He went down to the creek wearing the Fawn's coat. Unrecognized, he got to the water and said to one of the Tie-snakes, "I hear that water is forbidden and I am perishing of thirst."

The Tie-snake did not know this was Rabbit; he thought it was a fawn, so he said, "We mean Rabbit. We have forbidden water to him, but you are allowed to have it. Drink all you want." Then Rabbit drank and went on his way. Afterwards the Tie-snakes found out that it was Rabbit and said, "We can't do anything with him. Let him drink the water." So they permitted him to do it,

This is how they tell it.