Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
There was once but one deer, kept in a certain place, and Beemartin 1 went about with him to watch him. While they were traveling around the bird slept and the deer disappeared. Then he went to ask the deer's whereabouts of Flying Squirrel, who went in all directions and then said, "He is on a forested island toward the south in the middle of the ocean." By and by they called him from a distance, and when the deer came near a man, a pygmy, a Panther, a Dog, a Wolf, and a Wildcat stood together to meet him. When the deer came near he made a noise, and the Wildcat when he heard it was very much afraid and cried out, "Ahē'+ya hiya'." When it got very near he said, "I want very much to defecate," and ran off. When the deer arrived the pygmy shot first. The human being shot next. The Dog was too slow, and the Wolf was first to jump upon him. Next the Panther jumped upon him and threw him down, and they killed him. The Wildcat came and chewed him and stayed by him. After the deer had been killed they gave only the horns to the Flying Squirrel. They kept pulling out his hair and throwing it about, and his tail, which was very white, was made to go around. From that time there came to be lots of deer, and they came to have hair. Because they gave the Flying Squirrel only the horns he likes nothing but horns to-day.
186:1 The identity of this bird is somewhat uncertain.