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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."
Next: The Faithful Lovers
Previous: The Rabbit And The Elk
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