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Source: Myths and Tales of the
Southeastern Indians, By John R. Swanton, 1929
A Rabbit was overtaken by a Wildcat, who threatened to kill and eat him.
The Rabbit said: "Do not kill me; I will bring you a turkey."
The Wildcat consented to let Rabbit try, so he ran into the woods to find
the turkey, first telling the Wildcat to lie down and pretend he was dead.
Rabbit soon found some Turkeys and told them the Wildcat was dead find
proposed that they all go and dance and sing around his body.
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The Turkeys agreed and went with Rabbit and when
they saw the
Wildcat's body stretched on the ground and his mouth and eyes looking
white as if he were flyblown (for Rabbit had rubbed rotten wood on the
edges of his eyes and mouth) they were satisfied that he was really dead.
Rabbit took his place at the head of the Wildcat and began to beat his
drum and to sing while the Turkeys danced around him.
After the song and dance had continued a while they heard Rabbit sing:
"Jump up and catch the red leg, Jump up and catch the red leg."
"Why, he is dead and cannot jump," they said, but they objected, so he
promised not to say that any more.
So Chaffee [Tcufi] sang and drummed away and the Turkeys again danced
around their enemy's body; but soon Chaffee sang in a low tone: "Jump up
and catch the biggest, Jump up and catch the biggest."
The Turkeys stopped their dance, but too late, for the Wildcat jumped up
and caught the biggest gobbler. Rabbit ran away to the woods and the
Turkeys pursued him, threatening to kill him for his trickery.
They chased him round and round the trees till at last one of the Turkeys
bit at his long tail and bit it off, and ever since that time all rabbits
have had short tails.
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