THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT HUNT

BUFFALO

Once upon a time there lived as neighbors, a bear and a rabbit.

The rabbit was a good shot, and the bear being very clumsy could

not use the arrow to good advantage. The bear was very unkind to

the rabbit. Every morning, the bear would call over to the rabbit

and say: "Take your bow and arrows and come with me to the other

side of the hill. A large herd of buffalo are grazing there, and

I want you to shoot some of them for me, as my children

are crying for meat."

The rabbit, fearing to arouse the bear's anger by refusing,

consented, and went with the bear, and shot enough buffalo to

satisfy the hungry family. Indeed, he shot and killed so many that

there was lots of meat left after the bear and his family had

loaded themselves, and packed all they could carry home. The bear

being very gluttonous, and not wanting the rabbit to get any of the

meat, said: "Rabbit, you come along home with us and we will return

and get the remainder of the meat."

The poor rabbit could not even taste the blood from the butchering,

as the bear would throw earth on the blood and dry it up. Poor

Rabbit would have to go home hungry after his hard day's work.

The bear was the father of five children. The youngest boy was

very kind to the rabbit. The mother bear, knowing that her

youngest was a very hearty eater, always gave him an extra large

piece of meat. What the baby bear did not eat, he would take

outside with him and pretend to play ball with it, kicking it

toward the rabbit's house, and when he got close to the door he

would give the meat such a great kick, that it would fly into the

rabbit's house, and in this way poor Rabbit would get his meal

unknown to the papa bear.

Baby bear never forgot his friend Rabbit. Papa bear often wondered

why his baby would go outside after each meal. He grew suspicious

and asked the baby where he had been. "Oh, I always play ball

outside, around the house, and when I get tired playing I eat up my

meat ball and then come in."

The baby bear was too cunning to let papa bear know that he was

keeping his friend rabbit from starving to death. Nevertheless,

papa bear suspected baby and said: "Baby, I think you go over to

the rabbit's after every meal."

The four older brothers were very handsome, but baby bear was a

little puny fellow, whose coat couldn't keep out much cold, as it

was short and shaggy, and of a dirty brown color. The three older

brothers were very unkind to baby bear, but the fourth one always

took baby's part, and was always kind to his baby brother.

Rabbit was getting tired of being ordered and bullied around by

papa bear. He puzzled his brain to scheme some way of getting even

with Mr. Bear for abusing him so much. He studied all night long,

but no scheme worth trying presented itself. Early one morning Mr.

Bear presented himself at Rabbit's door.

"Say, Rabbit, my meat is all used up, and there is a fine herd of

buffalo grazing on the hillside. Get your bow and arrows and come

with me. I want you to shoot some of them for me."

"Very well," said Rabbit, and he went and killed six buffalo for

Bear. Bear got busy butchering and poor Rabbit, thinking he would

get a chance to lick up one mouthful of blood, stayed very close to

the bear while he was cutting up the meat. The bear was very

watchful lest the rabbit get something to eat. Despite bear's

watchfulness, a small clot of blood rolled past and behind the

bear's feet. At once Rabbit seized the clot and hid it in his

bosom. By the time Rabbit got home, the blood clot was hardened

from the warmth of his body, so, being hungry, it put Mr. Rabbit

out of sorts to think that after all his trouble he could not eat

the blood.

Very badly disappointed, he lay down on his floor and gazed up into

the chimney hole. Disgusted with the way things had turned out, he

grabbed up the blood clot and threw it up through the hole.

Scarcely had it hit the ground when he heard the voice of a baby

crying, "Ate! Ate!" (father, father). He went outside and there

he found a big baby boy. He took the baby into his house and threw

him out through the hole again. This time the boy was large enough

to say "Ate, Ate, he-cun-sin-lo." (Father, father, don't do that).

But nevertheless, he threw him up and out again. On going out the

third time, there stood a handsome youth smiling at him. Rabbit at

once adopted the youth and took him into his house, seating him in

the seat of honor (which is directly opposite the entrance), and

saying: "My son, I want you to be a good, honest, straightforward

man. Now, I have in my possession a fine outfit, and you, my son,

shall wear it."

Suiting his action to his words, he drew out a bag from a hollow

tree and on opening it, drew out a fine buckskin shirt (tanned

white as snow), worked with porcupine quills. Also a pair of red

leggings worked with beads. Moccasins worked with colored hair.

A fine otter skin robe. White weasel skins to intertwine

with his beautiful long black locks. A magnificent center eagle

feather. A rawhide covered bow, accompanied by a quiver full of

flint arrowheads.

The rabbit, having dressed his son in all the latest finery, sat

back and gazed long and lovingly at his handsome son.

Instinctively Rabbit felt that his son had been sent him for the

purpose of being instrumental in the downfall of Mr. Bear. Events

will show.

The morning following the arrival of Rabbit's son, Mr. Bear again

presents himself at the door, crying out: "You lazy, ugly rabbit,

get up and come out here. I want you to shoot some more buffalo

for me."

"Who is this, who speaks so insultingly to you, father?" asked the

son.

"It is a bear who lives near here, and makes me kill buffalo for

his family, and he won't let me take even one little drop of blood

from the killing, and consequently, my son, I have nothing in my

house for you to eat."

The young man was anxious to meet Mr. Bear but Rabbit advised him

to wait a little until he and Bear had gone to the hunt. So the

son obeyed, and when he thought it time that the killing was done,

he started out and arrived on the scene just as Mr. Bear was about

to proceed with his butchering.

Seeing a strange shadow on the ground beside him, Mr. Bear looked

up and gazed into the fearless eyes of rabbit's handsome son.

"Who is this?" asked Mr. Bear of poor little Rabbit.

"I don't know," answered Rabbit.

"Who are you?" asked the bear of Rabbit's son. "Where did you come

from?"

The rabbit's son not replying, the bear spoke thus to him: "Get out

of here, and get out quick, too."

At this speech the rabbit's son became angered, and fastened an

arrow to his bow and drove the arrow through the bear's heart.

Then he turned on Mrs. Bear and served her likewise. During the

melee, Rabbit shouted: "My son, my son, don't kill the two

youngest. The baby has kept me from starving and the other one is

good and kind to his baby brother."

So the three older brothers who were unkind to their baby brother

met a similar fate to that of their selfish parents.

This (the story goes) is the reason that bears travel only in

pairs.