Reading Notes: Native American, Reading A
1. Cherokee Myths: The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting by James Mooney.
There was once a Rabbit that was so prideful that he claimed to be able to do whatever anyone else could do, and he was so clever that he could usually play it off to where everyone believed him! One time, he went up against the Otter in a challenge to swim in water and eat fish, and was able to deceive him. The Otter came up to the Rabbit another time and challenged him to hunt ducks, so of course the Rabbit agreed.
The Otter and the Rabbit came up to a group of ducks on the water and was able to get near enough to them without being noticed. The Rabbit told the Otter to go first, which he went for without hesitation. The Otter dived from the bank and swam underwater until he was right under the ducks, and pulled one of them down with him without being seen.
While the Otter was carrying out his challenge, the Rabbit peeled back some bark and from sapling to make a noose. He took this noose with him as he went underwater towards the ducks. The Rabbit had to make frequent stop for the surface of the water in order to take breaths, although he tried to hold it until he was nearly choking for air. When he approached the ducks, he threw his noose over one of the ducks' heads. This startled the duck, causing it to struggle and fly, dragging the Rabbit hanging along the noose with it.
As it kept flying, the Rabbit grew tired of holding on and let go of the noose. He fell into a hollow sycamore stump without any hole to get out. He stayed there for so long, he resorted to eating his own fur out of hunger. After several days of starvation, the Rabbit heard children playing outside the trees. He sang to the children a song telling them to cut a hole in the stump to see him, for he was the prettiest thing they would ever see.
The children ran home to tell their father, who came back with the children and started to chop away at the stump. As he was chopping, the Rabbit kept singing to cut the hole larger and larger, so that they could get a good look at him. However, once the hole was large enough, the Rabbit took his chance to escape and darted out.
Bibliography:
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
There was once a Rabbit that was so prideful that he claimed to be able to do whatever anyone else could do, and he was so clever that he could usually play it off to where everyone believed him! One time, he went up against the Otter in a challenge to swim in water and eat fish, and was able to deceive him. The Otter came up to the Rabbit another time and challenged him to hunt ducks, so of course the Rabbit agreed.
The Otter and the Rabbit came up to a group of ducks on the water and was able to get near enough to them without being noticed. The Rabbit told the Otter to go first, which he went for without hesitation. The Otter dived from the bank and swam underwater until he was right under the ducks, and pulled one of them down with him without being seen.
While the Otter was carrying out his challenge, the Rabbit peeled back some bark and from sapling to make a noose. He took this noose with him as he went underwater towards the ducks. The Rabbit had to make frequent stop for the surface of the water in order to take breaths, although he tried to hold it until he was nearly choking for air. When he approached the ducks, he threw his noose over one of the ducks' heads. This startled the duck, causing it to struggle and fly, dragging the Rabbit hanging along the noose with it.
As it kept flying, the Rabbit grew tired of holding on and let go of the noose. He fell into a hollow sycamore stump without any hole to get out. He stayed there for so long, he resorted to eating his own fur out of hunger. After several days of starvation, the Rabbit heard children playing outside the trees. He sang to the children a song telling them to cut a hole in the stump to see him, for he was the prettiest thing they would ever see.
The children ran home to tell their father, who came back with the children and started to chop away at the stump. As he was chopping, the Rabbit kept singing to cut the hole larger and larger, so that they could get a good look at him. However, once the hole was large enough, the Rabbit took his chance to escape and darted out.
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| Rabbit. Source: Wikimedia. |
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
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