THE RABBIT AND THE GROUSE GIRLS

 

The rabbit once went out on the prairie in winter time. On the

side of a hill away from the wind he found a great company of girls

all with grey and speckled blankets over their backs. They were

the grouse girls and they were coasting down hill on a board. When

the rabbit saw them, he called out:

"Oh, maidens, that is not a good way to coast down hill. Let me

get you a fine skin with bangles on it that tinkle as you slide."

And away he ran to the tepee and brought a skin bag. It had red

stripes on it and bangles that tinkled. "Come and get inside," he

said to the grouse girls. "Oh, no, we are afraid," they answered.

"Don't be afraid, I can't hurt you. Come, one of you," said the

rabbit. Then as each hung back he added coaxingly: "If each is

afraid alone, come all together. I can't hurt you all."

And so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag. This done, the

rabbit closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over his back and came

home. "Grandmother," said he, as he came to the tepee, "here is a

bag full of game. Watch it while I go for willow sticks to make

spits."

But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent, the grouse

girls began to cry out:

"Grandmother, let us out."

"Who are you?" asked the old woman.

"Your dear grandchildren," they answered.

"But how came you in the bag?" asked the old woman.

"Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed us in the bag for

a joke. Please let us out."

"Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out," said the old

woman as she untied the bag: and lo, the grouse flock with

achuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up, knocking over the old grandmother

and flew out of the square smoke opening of the winter lodge. The

old woman caught only one grouse as it flew up and held it,

grasping a leg with each hand.

When the rabbit came home with the spits she called out to him:

"Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have caught two."

When he saw what had happened he was quite angry, yet could not

keep from laughing.

"Grandmother, you have but one grouse," he cried, and it is a very

skinny one at that."