36. Rabbit Is Sent With Medicine

36. RABBIT IS SENT WITH MEDICINE

A man and his wife were living together in a certain place and the man fell sick. His wife nursed him by herself. Then she thought she would have medicine made for him and went to get a doctor. She took a can along into which to put the medicine. While she was on the way she met Rabbit coming toward her, and Rabbit said, "Go back home and I will take the can and have the medicine prepared, and bring it to you."

So Rabbit took the can and started on. He reached the doctor's with it, the doctor prepared medicine, and Rabbit started back. But when he had gotten half way he was dying for want of sleep. He attempted to drag himself along but gave it up, and hung the medicine on a fallen tree, thinking, "I shall die for lack of sleep." When he hung it up, however, he really hung it upon a recumbent elk which he had thought was a fallen tree, and the elk jumped up and ran off. Rabbit said, "I am sending the medicine by you." Then he stopped shouting after him.

Then Rabbit went on and lay down, using a fallen tree for a pillow, and he went to sleep. This was not a tree but a person. A white man was what he used for a pillow. While Rabbit still lay there asleep that white man got up and went away.

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When Rabbit awoke he did not go to the man who was sick abed, but while he was walking along he met the woman and said, "I sent the medicine to you. I sent it by an old man." "You are only lying," said the Woman. She gave Rabbit a scolding.

This is the way they relate it.