The Fur Animals of Louisiana 43 



celebrated fable of the Fox and the Crane, the "brant" 

 being - , in all probability, the blue goose as we know the 

 species today. 



"Once upon a time the Ancient of Brants and the An- 

 cient of Otters were living as friends. One day the Ancient 

 of Otters said to the Ancient of Brants, 'Come to see me to- 

 morrow,' and departed. When the Ancient of Brants 

 reached the abode of the Ancient of Otters, the latter being 

 exclaimed, 'Halloo! I have nothing at all to give you to eat! 

 Sit down!' Then the Ancient of Otters went fishing, using 

 a 'leather vine,' which he jerked now and then in order to 

 straighten it. Many fish were caught, and when he reached 

 home he cooked them. When the fish were done, the An- 

 cient of Otters put some into a very flat dish, from which 

 the Ancient of Brants could not eat. So the Ancient of 

 Brants hit his bill against the dish 'Ta !' and raised his head 

 often as if swallowing something. But the Ancient of Ot- 

 ters was the only one that swallowed the cooked fish. Then 

 said he to the Ancient of Brants, 'Have you eaten enough ?' 

 To which his guest replied, 'Yes I am satisfied.' 'No, you 

 are not satisfied,' rejoined the Ancient of Otters, taking 

 up more of the fish, which he set down in the flat dish 

 before his guest, and then he, the host, devoured it rap- 

 idly. 



"When the Ancient of Brants was departing, he said to 

 his host, 'Come to see me tomorrow.' When the Ancient of 

 Otters reached the abode of the Ancient of Brants, the 

 latter being exclaimed, 'Halloo! I have nothing at all to 

 give you to eat! Sit down!' Then the Ancient of Brants 

 went fishing, using a 'leather vine,' which he jerked now 

 and then in order to straighten it. Many fish were killed, 

 and when he reached home with them he cooked them. When 

 the fish were done the Ancient of Brants put some into a 

 small round dish into which the Ancient of Otters could not 

 get his mouth. So the Ancient of Otters had to satisfy his 

 hunger with what dripped from the mouth of the Ancient 

 of Brants. This the former licked up. Again did the 

 Ancient of Brants swallow the cooked fish. Finally he said 

 to his guest, 'Have you eaten enough?' To which the Ancient 



