7. How the Water Was Lost and Recovered

7. HOW THE WATER WAS LOST AND RECOVERED (13)

Some Indians were gambling and continued to gamble for some time. One Indian kept the water and after he had wagered all of his things and lost them he wagered the water. Then the water was won from him and shut up, ¹ so that there was none to be had. All creatures needed water badly and went about hunting for it, but they could not find it. At the end of four days a Tososohka (a small woodpecker) while traveling about heard it. He went and told the people where the water was and all went and chopped to get it. Some men chopped with sharp axes and some with dull ones. While they were doing so the Tososohka chopped and cut through to it. Then it gushed out and all of the creeks were full to overflowing. Upon this all of the animals were very happy.

Footnotes

168:1 In a cane probably. See Alabama story No. 8, p. 123.