The Fur Animals of, Louisiana 41 



How the Opossum Lost the Hair on His Tail 



In the Biloxi tale of "The Wolf and the Opossum" we 

 learn how the sly 'possum lost all the hairs on his tail. The 

 opossum, known to these savages as Kcixka yoka, which 

 meant "Swamp hog," in its deified form as "Ancient of 

 Opossums" is set down as a very sly and resourceful animal. 

 The legend runs : 



"The Ancient of Opossums killed a Wolf, and, after 

 stringing the Wolf's teeth as a necklace for himself, he 

 walked along singing a song : 



'Hama yuxku — Hama yuxku. 

 Insu-na hi wa-ye! 

 Anixanixye.' 



"While he was singing, the Ancient of Wolves came in 

 sight close to him. 'What are you singing?' said he to the 

 Ancient of Opossums. 'Nothing,' replied the latter. 'I was 

 saying, "What very pretty flowers are here".' After this 

 conversation the Ancient of Wolves disappeared, and he 

 and his people went some distance ahead and hid from the 

 Ancient of Opossums. 



"Meanwhile the latter walked along singing: 



'Xaye pixti-l Xaye pixti- 

 Hinawa-ye! Hinwa-ye! 

 Anixanixye!' 



"He sang this for some time until he thought that he 

 had gone very far from the Ancient of Wolves. Then he 

 sang about the wolf teeth as he was walking. Just then 

 the Wolf people were coming out of the undergrowth, and 

 appearing before him. When they appeared near him they 

 said, 'This one must be he who has killed some of us.' So 

 they tied the Ancient of Opossums and laid him down; 

 whereupon they searched him and found the necklace of 

 wolf teeth. Then they wished to kill him, but the Ancient 

 of Opossums said, 'If you hit me with any sort of stick I 

 shall not die, but if some persons go to a dead tree which 

 has the bark peeled off and dig it up by the roots and bring 

 a stick from that and hit me but once with it I shall die 

 at once and shall not revive.' 



