Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
Bear was once traveling along when he met Rabbit. Stopping to talk to him, he said, "Come and smoke tobacco with me." The other replied, "Come and smoke tobacco with me."
So Rabbit went to Bear's house. Bear cooked some peas, took out some of his leaf lard, and cooked the peas in it. Rabbit ate and started home, saying: "Come to smoke tobacco with me." So Bear started out. He came to Rabbit's house. Then Rabbit cooked some peas and opened his belly in order to take out some leaf lard, but he injured himself.
When he cried out Bear went to see what the matter was and opened his own belly. "Oh, you have hurt yourself," he said. "Get a doctor for me," answered Rabbit. So Bear went to see several buzzards who were sitting in the trees. "Do you know how to doctor?" he asked one of them. "No, indeed," he answered. He asked one sitting on another tree, who said, "I do not know how." Then he said to the last one, "Do you know how to doctor?" and he answered, "When I doctor, the house in which I treat the patient is shut up tight." They wanted this one, so he came along and shut himself up with Rabbit. Rabbit cried out and they said, "What is the matter with him?" "I am pouring medicine on him." He cried again, and when they asked "What is the matter with him
now?" Buzzard said, as before, "I am pouring medicine over him." This happened four times. When his cries ceased, Buzzard came out and flew away. And when someone looked into the house he saw nothing lying there but bones.