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Show 274 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [ ETH. ANN. W way. I think I'll try that." When he started home he invited the Bear to come and take dinner with him four days later. When the Bear came the Rabbit said, " I have beans for dinner, too. Now I'll get the grease for them." So he took a knife and drove it into his side, but instead of oil, a stream of blood gushed out and he fell over nearly dead. The Bear picked him up and had hard work to tie up the wound and stop the bleeding. Then he scolded him, " You little fool, I'm large and strong and lined with fat all over; the knife don't hurt me; but you're small and lean, and you can't do such things." 24. THE RABBIT ESCAPES FROM THE WOLVES Some Wolves once caught the Rabbit and were going to eat him when he asked leave to show them a new dance he was practicing. They knew that the Rabbit was a great song leader, and they wanted to learn the latest dance, so they agreed and made a ring about him while he got ready. He patted his feet and began to dance around in a circle, singing: Tldge'sittiil' g& U'sgi'aidd'hd- Ha'nia tU! til! Ha'nia IU! til! On the edge of the field I dance about- Ha'nia 111! Ill! Ha'nia 111! Ill! " Now," said the Rabbit, " when I sing 4on the edge of the field,' 1 dance that way"- and he danced over in that direction-" and when I sing ' Ittf UIP you must all stamp your feet hard." The Wolves thought it fine. He began another round singing the same song, and danced a little nearer to the field, while the Wolves all stamped their feet. He sang louder and louder and danced nearer and nearer to the field until at the fourth song, when the Wolves were stamping as hard as they could and thinking only of the song, he made one jump and was off through the long grass. They were after him at once, but he ran for a hollow stump and climbed up on the inside. When the the Wolves got there one of them put his head inside to look up, but the Rabbit spit into his eye, so that he had to pull his head out again. The others were afraid to try, and they went away, with the Rabbit still in the stump. 25. FLINT VISITS THE RABBIT In the old days T& wi'sk& lft ( Flint) lived up in the mountains, and all the animals hated him because he had helped to kill so many of them. They used to get together to talk over means to put him out of the way, but everybody was afraid to venture near his house until the Rabbit, who was the boldest leader among them, offered to go after Flint and try to kill him. They told him where to find him, and the Rabbit set out and at last came to Flint's house. |