NO^SOr* ^^^' EASTERN CHEROKEE FOLKTALES — KILPATRICK 399 



As the Possum was getting ready to throw the persimmons down, 

 the Terrapin said, "We'll see who gets them first. The one who is 

 quicker will get the fruit." 



Three times the Possum threw persimmons down, and the Wolf 

 got them every time. The Wolf said, "Well! I didn't know these 

 persimmons were so good to eat!" 



The fourth time that the Possum threw something down, he threw 

 the piece of flint that he carried about with him. The Wolf rushed 

 up, thinking it was a persimmon, and swallowed it. It stuck in his 

 throat, and he could not get his breath. That's how he died. 



The Terrapin and the Possum were very pleased. The Possum 

 climbed down from the tree. But before leaving, the two friends 

 said, "Let's make dippers out of his ears to eat beans with." So 

 they cut the Wolf's ears off and went on. 



When they came to where some people were living, the people 

 were just getting ready to eat. They said, "Come in!" and when 

 the Possum and the Terrapin came into the house, the people said, 

 "Sit down!" 



The head of the family got up to get each of the animals a spoon, 

 but they said, "We don't want spoons. We have our own spoons." 

 So each took out his Wolf's ear and began to dip beans with it. 



When the people saw this, they said, "Why, those are the Wolf's 

 ears! They must have killed the Wolf!" 



At that time it was against the law for animals to kill each other, 

 so the people in the settlement assembled and decided that the 

 Possum and the Terrapin were to be punished. They were arrested 

 and brought to trial. 



At the trial the Possum did not say a thing in his defense. He 

 was quite willing to die, he said. But he had a trick — that's why he 

 didn't care. 



"Now! How are we going to kill this Terrapin?" the people said. 

 Then they reached a decision: "We'll put him in the fire," they said. 



"I don't care," the Terrapin said. "The fire won't harm me. 

 I'll urinate on it and put it out!" 



Then the people said, "We'll throw him down from a steep hiU. 

 That wUl kill him." 



"I wouldn't mind that," said the Terrapin. "My shell wiU save 

 me. I often jump oft' steep hills." 



Then the people said, "We'U boil him in a pot, in water just as 

 hot as we can get it to boil." 



"I'll kick the pot to pieces," said the Terrapin. 



Then the people said, "We'll throw him in the deepest hole of 

 water that we can find. He will go to the bottom and certainly die." 



