Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
One summer seven men set out on a hunting expedition. It was hot and they became very thirsty before they reached their camping place. While they were traveling along, longing more and more for water all the time, they came upon a monster bull turtle (lû' dja låko). They said to one another, "This is a creature certain to make for water," so they followed him. After a while one of the hunters said, "Lot us get on his back," and he proceeded to do so. Five of the others followed him, but the seventh said, "It might not be good to do that," so he walked along behind.
Presently they came in sight of a big lake and when the turtle reached its shore the men on his back wanted to get off, but they found that they had stuck to him and could not get away. So they remained standing on the turtle with their guns by their sides and were carried into the lake. The man on foot watched the turtle until it got out into the middle of the lake, but there it disappeared, leaving only numerous bubbles. He remained looking at the lake for some time and then returned home.
When the man who had escaped reached town he told the people that in spite of his warning his companions had climbed upon the
back of a turtle and had been carried by him straight into the water, so that he had to return to town without them. The men who had been carried away had numerous relatives, who quickly assembled at the square ground. There they sang a song to the accompaniment of a kettle drum (ā'lgåswånā'ga) and a gourd rattle (saoga) and then made one step toward the lake. They did the same thing the next night and made another step toward the lake. In this way they approached the lake a step at a time until they reached it, and on the edge of the water they continued their song with the same accompaniment. Finally there was a disturbance in the middle of the waters and a snake came out. He approached them and laid his head very humbly in front of them, but they told him he was not the one they wanted and he went back. They continued their singing, and presently another snake came out. "You are not the one," they said, and he went back. By and by a third snake came out, which they also sent back under water.
The fourth time, however, there was a great swashing of the water and out came the monster turtle, which also laid his head humbly before them. Then they debated what he might be good for. "He might be good for some purpose," they said, and they divided him up, entrails and all, leaving only the shell. The other parts they took to use as medicine and all returned with them to the town rejoicing. "The medicine they thus got was used with the song of the waters as a kind of revenge."