410 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



8— THE RABBIT GOES DUCK HUNTING 



Once the Rabbit was caught by the Otter. The Rabbit wanted to 

 preserve his Ufe, and he said, "Don't kill me because you and I are 

 the best of friends. I'll show you something good to eat." 



There were some ducks in the vicinity. "I'll catch one of those 

 ducks, and that will show you that you and I are kinsfolk," the Rabbit 

 said to the Otter. 



The Rabbit got some hickory bark and took it with him as he dived 

 under the water. He had to surface soon to stick his nose up out of 

 the water in order to breathe. After doing this a few times, swimming 

 underwater and then surfacing in order to get his breath, he got near 

 a duck; then diving underwater one last time, he swam under the 

 duck, grasped its leg, and quickly tied his hickory bark around it. 

 When the duck felt this, it flew up into the air, carrying the Rabbit 

 with it. 



While he was being pulled through the air, the Rabbit could hold 

 onto the hickory bark no longer. He feU into the hollow stump of a 

 tree. He could not get out of it and get anything to eat. He ate 

 decayed wood and his own fur, just as rabbits still do, you know, when 

 they cannot get food. 



The Rabbit heard two turkeys talking near the stump. The 

 turkeys had been his enemies since he had played the trick upon them. 

 The Rabbit said, "Cut a hole in this tree. I am the prettiest girl 

 that you have ever seen." 



The turkeys cut a hole, but the Rabbit said, "Make it a bit bigger. 

 I am a pretty good size." 



Then they cut it bigger, and the Rabbit said, "Now stand aside! 

 I am coming out!" 



When the turkeys got out of his way, he suddenly jumped out 

 through the hole, all naked as he was, and disappeared.*^ 



9.— THE RABBIT DESTROYS STONECLAD 



The Rabbit and Stoneclad (the one who was burnt) met up with 

 each other. Stoneclad tried to kiU the Rabbit, but the Rabbit said, 

 "You and I are the best of friends!" 



Stoneclad believed him. 



"We'll stay together overnight," the Rabbit said. They built a 

 fire. 



The Rabbit made a hammer of stone. 



"Why did you make that hammer?" Stoneclad asked. 



« There exist other Cherokee versions of this story (Mooney, 1900, pp. 266-267; E^lpatrlck and Kllpatrlck, 

 1964, pp. 24-25), and Koasatl (p. 208) and Natchez (p. 241) accounts in Swanton (1929) bear some slight 

 resemblance to it. 



