57. Rabbit Plays Pranks On Big Man-eater

57. RABBIT PLAYS PRANKS ON BIG MAN-EATER (65)

Big Man-eater (supposed now to be the elephant) was working in the field. Rabbit went to the place where he was and said, "What are you doing?" And Big Man-eater answered, "I am going to plant beans." Then Rabbit went to Big Man-eater's wife and said, "Cook some beans for me," but Big Man-eater's wife replied, "He said, 'I am going to plant those beans.'" But Rabbit answered, "He said 'Let her cook them for you.'" The wife did not believe him. Then Rabbit said, "Well, wherever he is he will say it is all right." So Rabbit stood out and shouted, "Did you not say so?" upon which Big Man-eater answered "Yes."

By and by the Big Man-eater came and said, "You a have eaten my seed beans." "Are you angry with me?" said Rabbit. "Then I will lie down upon a big box and you can chop me in two." When he lay down, Big Man-eater chopped, but Rabbit jumped so that he hit upon the box and broke it. Then Rabbit said, "Well, I will lie down upon a big rock and let you chop me in two." So Rabbit lay down

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on the rock and when he began chopping Rabbit jumped so that he struck the rock and broke his ax. "Nobody can kill me," he said, "unless he puts me in a house and sets it on fire; then I shall die. When I die you will hear a popping noise."

But inside of the house he dug a hole underneath, which came out some distance away. After that they shut him up in the house and burned it. Then he ran out the other way and shouted to them "Hulloa! Nothing can kill me; let us make friends!" So Big Main-eater made friends with him.

After that they went traveling and Rabbit said, "Let us sleep at Tree-falling-on place." And when they got there he said, "Let us hunt for lots of wood and go to sleep." And a dead tree standing but ready to fall he shook as it stood. Close to it they made a fire and lay down. It was a big fire. When Big Man-eater was asleep Rabbit threw a lot of hot coals on him. He put on himself some that were cooled. Big Man-eater woke up and stayed awake.

Next day they traveled on again and Rabbit said, "We will go to the river they call "Jumping-back-and-forth-across." When they got there they found it was a very little gully. Rabbit jumped back and forth across it and then said, "Now you do the same." So Big Man-eater jumped across and stood on the other side. Then Rabbit jumped back. He cut the river in two along its bed with Big Main-eater standing on the other side where he remained for good. He was left far across on the other side of the ocean.