274 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.ij 



way. I think I'll try that." When he started home he invited the 

 Bear to come and take dinner witli him four days later. 



When the Bear came the Rabbit said, "I have beans for dinner, too. 

 Now 111 get the grease for them." So he took a knife and drove it into 

 his .side, but instead of oil, a stream of blood gushed out and he fell 

 over nearly dead. The Bear picked him up and had hard work to tie 

 up the wound and stop the bleeding. Then he scolded him, "You 

 little fool, I'm large and strong and lined with fat all over; the knife 

 don't hurt me; but you're small and lean, and you can't do such 

 things." 



24. THE RABBIT ESCAPES FROM THE WOLVES 



Some Wolves once caught the Rab))it and were going to eat him 

 when he asked leave to show them a new diince he was practicing. 

 They knew that the Rabbit was a great song leader, and they wanted to 

 learn the latest dance, so they agreed and made a ring al)()ut him 

 while he got ready. He patted his feet and began to dance around in 

 a circle, singing: 



Tldge'sitiin' gdli'g(ji'sUiiVha — 

 Ha'nia III! ItU Ha'nia HI! tiH 



On the edge of the field I dance abcuit — 

 Ha'nia HI! 111! Ha'nia HI! HI! 



"Now," said the Rabbit, "when I sing 'on the edge of the field,' 1 

 dance that way" — and he danced over in that direction — "and when I 

 sing "M/ liir you must all stamp your feet hard." The Wolves thought 

 it line. He began another round singing the same song, and danced 

 a little nearer to the field, while the Wolves all stamped their feet. 

 He sang louder aud louder and danced nearer and nearer to the field 

 until at the fourth song, when the Wolves were stamping as hard as 

 they could and thinking only of the song, he made one jump and 

 was off through the long grass. They were after him at once, but he 

 ran for a hollow stump and climbed up on the inside. When the 

 the Wolves got there one of them put his head inside to look up, but 

 the Rabbit spit into his eye, so that he had to pull his head out again. 

 The others were afraid to try, and they went away, with the Rabbit 

 still in the stump. 



25. FLINT VISITS THE RABBIT 



In the old days Tawi'skala (Flint) lived up in the mountains, and all 

 the animals hated him because he had helped to kill so manj- of them. 

 They used to get together to talk over means to put him out of the 

 way, but everybody was afraid to venture near his house until the 

 Ral)bit. who was the boldest leader among them, offered to go after 

 Flint aTid try to kill him. They told him where to find him, and the 

 Rabbit set out and at last came to Flint's house. 



