288 MYTHS OF THK CHEROKKE • |kth.ann.1U 



scalp don't look riyht on you. Yuiir neck is too short and low down 

 to wear it that way. Let me show you." 



The Terrapin agreed and gave the scalp to the Turkey, who fastened 

 it around his neck. "Now,''' said the Turkey, "V\\ walk a little way 

 and you can see how it looks." So he walked ahead a short distance 

 and then turned and asked the Terrapni how he liked it. 8aid the 

 Terrapin, "It looks very nice; it becomes you." 



"Now I'Utix it in a different wa}' and let you see how it looks." said 

 the Turkey. So he gave the string another pull and walked ahead again. 

 " Q. that looks very nice," said the Terrapin. But the Turkey kept on 

 walking, and when the Terrapin called to him to t)ring back the scalp 

 he only walked faster and broke into a run. Then the Terrapin got 

 out his bow and by his conjuring art shot a number of cane .splints into 

 the Turkey's leg to cripple him so that he could not run. which accounts 

 for all the many small bones in the Turkey's leg, that are of no uae 

 whatever; but the Terrapin never caught the Turkey, who .still wears 

 the scalp from his neck. 



38. WHY THE TURKEY GOBBLES 



The Grouse used to have a line voice and a good halloo in the ball- 

 play. All the animals and birds used to play ))all in those days and 

 were just as proud of a loud halloo as the ball players of to-day. The 

 Turkej' had not a good voice, .so he asked the (irouse to give him les- 

 sons. The Grouse agreed to teach him, but wanted pay for his trouble, 

 and the Turkey promised to give him some feather.s to make himself a 

 t'ollar. That is how the Grouse got his collar of turkey feathers. They 

 began the lessons and the Turkey learned very fast until the Grou.se 

 thought it was time to try his voice. "Now," said the Grouse, " I'll 

 stand on this hollow log, and when I give the signal by tapping on it, 

 you must halloo as loudly as you can." So he got upon the log ready 

 to tap on it, as a Grouse does, but when he gave the signal the Turkey 

 was so eager and excited that he could not raise his voice for a shout, 

 but only gobbled, and ever since then he gobbles whenever he hears a 

 noise. 



39. HOW THE KINGFISHER GOT HIS BILL 



Some old men say that the Kingfisher was meant in the beginning to 

 be a water l)ird, but as he had not been given either wel> feet or a good 

 bill he could not make a living. The animals held a council over it 

 and decided to make him a bill like a long sharp awl for a tish-gig(tish- 

 spear). So they made him a fish-gig and fastened it on m front of his 

 mouth. He flew to the top of a tree, sailed out and darted down into 

 the water, and came up with u tish on his gig. And he has been the 

 best gigger ever since. 



Some others say it was this way: A Blacksnake found a Yellowham- 



