Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
The Humming Bird and Crane lived on the shore of the ocean in the east, and the Humming Bird came to the Crane to ask him for a race. The Crane answered, "I can't race. I can't do anything." The Humming Bird kept at him, however, and finally they agreed to race to the ocean in the west. So they placed themselves at the edge of the water and the Humming Bird said, "Well! let's go." The Crane had no more than raised his wings when the Humming Bird was out of sight. Finally the Crane rose and began working his wings slowly up and down. When darkness came on the Humming Bird stopped for the night, and toward daylight, as he was sitting on a tree, the Crane came flying by. When daylight came the Crane had gotten on a long distance, and the sun was well up before the Humming Bird passed him. That night the Humming Bird again stopped for the night, and this time the Crane overtook him at midnight, getting so far ahead that the Humming Bird did not catch up with him until noon of the next day. The third night the Crane passed the Humming Bird fast asleep on a tree before midnight and the Humming Bird did not overtake him until late in the evening of the fourth day. He had not gone far beyond before he had to stop and the Crane passed him very soon. So the Crane got to the western ocean far ahead, and going into the water he began catching fish, for he was hungry. It was morning when he finished flying and the Humming Bird did not arrive until noon. Then the Humming Bird said to the Crane, "I had no idea you could get here first. If I were able I would whip you. I could pass around you, under you, under your wings and everywhere else."