Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
It was desired that there should be no sickness in this world, so all sickness was collected and put into a bottle and shut up. "Who will take it far up into the sky and leave it?" they said, and they searched for all sorts of creatures to do this. They brought all kinds of winged creatures, but to no purpose. Then Snipe said, "Here am I. I can go far up, to the very zenith," and he was gone. When he came back he said, "I have been there." Then they believed him and gave him the bottle. He went straight up with it and disappeared. However, in a little while he came back still carrying it. While he was holding it he dropped it, it burst, and everything that causes sickness scattered about. Sickness came to be everywhere.