Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
(Tuggle collection)
The Rabbit was traveling from west to east and met the Lion going from east to west. The Rabbit was very fond of the ladies and felt jealous of the Lion and wanted to get rid of him.
"What," said he to the Lion, "do you eat as you travel?"
"I eat a variety of things," said the Lion, "I eat everything as I go. What do you eat?"
"Oh, I eat a variety too, just like you. Suppose we travel together." They turned and went along in company. "We will camp to-night," said the Rabbit as they journeyed along, "at a creek called 'Throwing-hot-ashes-on-one. "' As night came they reached the creek. A fire was made and they sat and talked for some time. When they grew sleepy the Rabbit said:
"What sort of noise do you make when you sleep?" The Lion imitated a coarse heavy snore, and asked the same question of the Rabbit. "Oh, I just say n-o-ch, n-o-ch, n-o-ch" (the first syllable of the Muskogee word meaning "sleep").
Each took one side of the fire and the Lion soon heard the Rabbit saying n-o-ch, n-o-ch (sounding "nutz, nutz"). He thought the Rabbit was asleep and before long he fell asleep and began to snore loudly.
Meanwhile the Rabbit peeped at him constantly and finally jumped up. He threw some cold ashes all over himself. Then, taking a broad piece of bark, he threw a mass of hot ashes and coals on the Lion, who rose with a roar, exclaiming: "What's the matter?"
"Oh, I told you this creek was called 'Throwing-hot-ashes-on-one.' Look at me. Let's jump across the creek," and away he jumped across the stream, followed by the Lion. "Now back again," and across they went again. "Now again," and the Lion jumped again, but the Rabbit stood on the west bank. Suddenly the banks separated and the stream widened into an ocean. The Lion wandered along the bank, trying to cross. At last he met a Crane and said to him:
"How can I cross to the other bank?" "Just climb on my back and I will stick my bill in the other bank so that you can walk over," replied the Crane. The Lion jumped on the Crane's back, but when he walked out on his neck the Crane cried out in pain:
"Oh, you are breaking my neck." After several similar attempts the Lion returned to the eastern bank and never was able to cross the big water to the western side. So the Rabbit got rid of his rival.