52. Opossum

52. OPOSSUM (49)

Opossum was walking along and killed a wolf. He skinned it and roasted the meat. He put this into a basket and was carrying it along when he met other Wolves, who said, "What have you got?" "Nothing at all. My grandmother said, 'If you get some clay I will make an earthen pot for you,' and that is what I have." "All right," they answered.

A one-eyed Wolf followed hint, however, saying, "I will not stop until I see what it is." So the one-eyed Wolf went around in front and met him again, saying, "What have you there?" "Nothing at all. My grandmother said, 'If you get some clay I will make an earthen pot for you.'" "Well! I want to see it," he said, and running forward he pulled down the basket and looked into it. He saw something roasted inside and shouted, "Look here, something roasted is in it," upon which those who had gone ahead ran back and ate it.

After Opossum had waited a while, he said, "He has eaten himself." And when he said, "He has eaten himself," they said to one another, "Do you know he is saying that, 'He has eaten himself,' about us? Let us kill him." But when they tried to kill him he ran away and got into a hole in the ground. While they were scratching to get him out a Skunk came along. "What have you there?" he said. "An Opossum has gotten in here," they answered. "Well, I will pull him out for you and you can kill him." So he went in out of sight. But before he did so he s aid to them, "When I say 'i' i' i''' it is because I am bringing him out. Watch for him closely." When he said "i' i' i'" they stood around looking closely. Then he threw his ordure right into their noses and it knocked them over, while the Opossum came out and escaped.