56. Rabbit and Big Man-eater Swap

56. RABBIT AND BIG MAN-EATER SWAP (64)

Rabbit on his travels met Big Man-eater and they became friends. They shook hands and Rabbit said, "My shoes are very good indeed." Then Big Man-eater said, "Let's swap." But Rabbit was very fond of (or stingy with) his shoes. He said, "No; cold can not get through my shoes. When I run along in them among briers, the briers can not stick into my feet." Big Man-eater coveted them. Then Rabbit said, "When I have my shoes on, the girls look at my feet." Then Big Man-eater said, "Let us swap. Will you exchange them for a woman?" But Rabbit said, "Let me see the woman first." Big Man-eater said, "Well! I will bring her to you tomorrow." But Rabbit answered, "No, I will go to see her myself." "To-morrow night I will have a dance, and you come there and see the young girl," said. Big Man-eater. So Rabbit cleaned his shoes and remained where he was. Next day Rabbit was very happy, and that night he set out to the dance, shouting as he went. When he arrived he found Big Man-eater had invited everyone to be present.

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[paragraph continues] Rabbit went in and sat down. He wanted to deceive Big Man-eater. Then Big Man-eater came and talked to him. He said he wanted to swap shoes. Rabbit had put on wide rotten moccasins with which he sat down in the dark. Then Rabbit said, "Where is the woman?" Big Main-eater answered, "I will give you that one coming in the middle if you will let me have your shoes in exchange." Rabbit wanted a woman, so he said, "Bring in the woman in the dark and I will pull my shoes off and give them to you and start off. But do not put on the shoes I give you to-night. Take a big handkerchief with you and wrap them up and put them out of sight, and to-morrow invite the people. When you are going to play ball and are getting ready, go and get the shoes in the sight of all and put them on." So Big Man-eater went and got his daughter and brought her in in the dark. Rabbit wanted very much to deceive him. Then Rabbit said, "Now we will swap." "All right," said Big Man-eater. "That is your wife; take her with you!" And Rabbit said, "All right." Giving the wide moccasins to him, he took the woman and went off with her.

Rabbit loved this woman so much that he kept looking at her, his eyes grew big and he kept winking them. They became hard and his ears became long and they remained that way, and are still so.

Big Man-eater invited the people to a dance because he wanted very much to have them see his shoes. He said to the people, "I beat Rabbit in getting some shoes which are soft and good, but I will not put them on just now. To-morrow, when it is time to play ball, I will put them on. All the women will look at them." He did so, but when he saw the trick that had been played on him he was very much ashamed.