Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
While traveling about a Terrapin met a Wolf and they talked together. And the Wolf said, "Let's race." "All right," said the Terrapin. "You can't beat me," said the Wolf. The Terrapin said, "The one who first reaches the fourth hill and stands upon it wins. On the fourth day we will race."
Then the Terrapin hunted up four of his friends. He had said, "I will put on a headdress of white feathers." And he placed one of his friends on each of the hills. On the fourth day the contestants met. Then they said, "Go!" They ran and the Wolf went ahead and disappeared. Then he reached the Terrapin at the first hill. The Wolf caught and passed it. When he came to the next hill the Terrapin [seemed to] have gotten there ahead of him. When the Wolf came toward the fourth hill he was almost exhausted and held his mouth open. When he got to the last one the first Terrapin had reached it. When the Wolf reached it after him, the Terrapin said, "Aha! now I have beaten you." He laughed at him. As he kept on laughing at him, the Wolf became angry, bit him, and threw him away.