15. The Orphan Boy And Rabbit

15. THE ORPHAN BOY AND RABBIT (6, 62)

Two Indian towns stood on opposite sides of a river, and an Indian of one town went over to the other, found an orphan child sitting down defecating outside of a house and carried him across on his back. He carried him along to his house and set him down on the ground and they fed him. The man made arrows for him and gave them to him, saying, "Kill some birds." So he went around killing birds. They said to him, "If turkeys come do not chase them away but drive them close to this place." White turkeys came and ran off, but before they had gone far they stopped and came back. When they came again he chased them a short distance but soon stopped. When they came again and ran off he went with them and wanted to keep on running. So he went on after them to the edge of a cliff under which they flew. They kept, going until they came to a white town, into which they disappeared. The Indian stood there looking and then lay down for a few minutes. Then he rose and went on back. Looking down he walked on (or he walked heedlessly), and lay down upon a corncrib. Presently his foster father called to him, "Did you see what I told you about? That is your village." Then he took a little blood from some food that was cooking and hitting him with it, said, "Have monthly periods like women." ¹ Then he said, "Kill some birds and bring them here." He went out and killed some blue jays and some Carolina parrakeets. He also killed two rattlesnakes and brought them to him. Then he dressed the feathers, stringing them together, and made a crown for him. And he made leggings for him, moccasins, and a bag, into which he put rocks. When he made the garters, he ornamented them with rattles of the rattlesnake, and he showed him a trail and sent him along it. When he set out and blew upon a flute all of the birds and rattlesnakes made noises. "When you start along, you will meet some

p. 179

women each of whom will say, 'Kill for me that bird perched on the tree.' Kill it for her, but do not pick up your arrow again. Leave it and go on."

Then he started on and a woman met him who said, "Kill that bird perched on the tree for me." He killed it for her but left the arrow. "Take your arrow standing up here," she said, but he left it and went on. As he was traveling along another one met him find said, "Kill the bird perched on that tree for me." He killed it for her and went on. Another met him, asking the same service. He killed the bird for her and went on. Quum quartae mulieri obvenisset, lapidem quem secum portaverat in vaginam ejus intrudebat atque dentes qui ibi erant diffringebat.

Going on from this place he met Rabbit. They stood talking to each other for a while, and Rabbit, who had a white deerskin and cords made of slippery elm bark, said, "I am going to tie up the legs of turtles and take them out of the water." He teased the orphan so much to accompany him that he finally consented to go. So they traveled on together. When they got to the water the fine clothes were laid down flat on the ground with the dressed deerskin over them. Then both started into the water together. "When I say 'Now' we will dive," they said, and when they said "Now" they dived. Then Rabbit came out quickly and looked about. Not seeing his companion he got out of the water, tied all of the clothing up in a bundle and ran off with it. The other, however, stayed in the water and kept tying up terrapin, and when he came out he had no clothing. He was very sad. Then he took the terrapins and went on. As he was traveling along late in the evening he found a persimmon tree, shook it, and ate of the fruit. After he had eaten enough he shook it again, picked up some persimmons, mashed them, and rubbed them over his entire body. It made the surface of his body rough. Then he took the terrapin and went on. Coming near a house he put the terrapin down in a clay hole and stood looking at the house. Presently a girl came out and stood for some minutes regarding him. Then she went back and said to her mother, "There is a man standing out there." "Oh! you have a person. Go and bring him here," she said, and the girl went out and brought him in. When he got to the bed she said, "Sit down here." But he replied, "I am too dirty. I will sit here," and he moved the bed a little and sat down on the floor. He remained there until night, when they washed him and made him lie down. ¹ So he remained there and at the end of four days he said, "Let us go to bathe." They set out. They went down to a big creek near by and as soon as they got there he dived out of sight under water. After the

p. 180

woman had sat waiting for a few minutes he came out on the other side of the creek. He dived again and came out close by her. After he had done this four times; he said, "All right." The woman stayed to wash her hair. Then both came out and returned to the house.

"Tell all of your people to go to the water and look," he said to her. So his wife told all of her people. They went and looked and the water was white with the multitudes of fish. They gathered them and put them into baskets, and, when they had roasted them, they ate.

Not long afterwards the man took his gun and started off. Walking along close to the creek, he discharged his gun from time to time and presently returned. "Let all of your people follow my trail," he said. So they went along where he had been and found dead deer split open hanging on trees all about. Gathering these, they brought them home, cooked them, and had lots of venison to eat.

And then he combed his wife's hair and parted it and made a line of red paint down the middle. He took a war club, stood facing her, and struck her so that he split her into two women.

After that Rabbit said to his wife in the same way, "Let us go to bathe in the creek." So they went. When they got to the creek Rabbit dived into the water and after remaining there a while came out, and they returned home. When they got there he said to his wife, "Tell all of your people to go to the creek and look into it." All went down and looked into the water but there was nothing there except a single minnow floating upon the surface. They went back without anything.

The day after all had gotten home Rabbit took his gun and went out and killed a small deer with unbranched horns. He walked on with it, and, instead of discharging his gun again, he cut the meat up and walked about hanging it up on trees, after which he came home, "Let them follow my trail," he said, and his wife told all of her people. On following his trail about they found one small piece of meat hanging up. They did not want to hunt longer and went home. "That is a foolish, lying man," all said.

Next Rabbit made his wife sit down, combed her hair, and parted it. He stood facing her, seized something like a war club, struck her, and killed her.

Then Rabbit ran off and was pursued by dogs. He got inside of a hollow tree and the people seized sticks and hit about in it for a while but did not know how to get him out. Then they went to get an ax, saying to Blue Crane, "You have a good voice. Stay and keep watch of him and call for us if it is necessary." They made him stay there and went off to hunt for an ax.

p. 181

After Crane had stood on guard for a while, Rabbit said, "Look in and see what I have here." When he tried to look inside, Rabbit said, "Give me some small, strong twine." He gave it to him. Then he tied up Crane's neck. He tied him up inside, came out, broke a switch off, and whipped him. After he had whipped him for a while Crane called loudly. Then the people came running, but before they got there Rabbit ran off and disappeared. He had whipped Crane very severely.

Footnotes

178:1 Some element is missing in this part of the story. The boy is made to visit the town of the white turkeys and is afterwards told that it was the one to which he belonged. Why a feminine organic function was afterwards bestowed upon him is not explained.

179:1 The story teller forgot to mention the terrapins again, though they played a part in the hero's cordial reception.