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The people thought the settlement was
unsafe, as the settlement was exposed to the attack of enemies, and feared
the blind men might easily be captured and killed.
So the relations of the old men got a canoe, some food, a kettle, and a
bowl and started across the lake, where they built for them a wigwam in a
grove some distance from the water. A line was stretched from the door of
the wigwam to a post in the water, so that they would have no difficulty
in helping themselves.
The food and vessels were put into the wigwam, and after the relations of
the old men promised them that they would call often and keep them
provided with everything that was needful, they returned to their
settlement.
The two old blind men now began to take care of themselves. On one day one
of them would do the cooking while the other went for water, and on the
next day they would change about in their work, so that their labors were
evenly divided. As they knew just how much food they required for each
meal, the quantity prepared was equally divided, but was eaten out of the
one bowl which they had.
Here they lived in contentment for several years; but one day a Raccoon,
which was following the water's edge looking for crawfish, came to the
line which had been stretched from the lake to the wigwam. The Raccoon
thought it rather curious to find a cord where he had not before observed
one, and wondered to himself, "What is this_ I think I shall follow this
cord to see where it leads."
So he followed the path along which the cord was stretched until he came
to the wigwam. Approaching very cautiously, he went up to the entrance,
where he saw the two old men asleep on the ground, their heads at the door
and their feet directed toward the heap of hot coals within. The Raccoon
sniffed about and soon found there was something good to eat within the
wigwam; but he decided not to enter at once for fear of waking the old
men; so he retired a short distance to hide himself and to see what they
would do.
Presently the old men awoke, and one said to the other, "My friend, I am
getting hungry; let us prepare some food." "Very well," replied his
companion, "you go down to the lake and fetch some water while I get the
fire started."
The Raccoon heard this conversation, and, wishing to deceive the old man,
immediately ran to the water, untied the cord from the post, and carried
it to a clump of bushes, where he tied it. When the old man came along
with his kettle to get water, he stumbled around the brush until he found
the end of the cord; then he began to dip his kettle down upon the ground
for water. Not finding any, he slowly returned and said to his companion,
"We shall surely die, because the lake is dried up and the brush is grown
where we used to get water. What shall we do_"
"That can not be," responded his companion, "for we have not been asleep
long enough for the brush to grow upon the lake bed. Let me go out to try
if I can not get some water." So taking the kettle from his friend he
started off.
So soon as the first old man had returned to the wigwam, the Raccoon took
the cord back and tied it where he had found it, then waited to see the
result.
The second old man now came along, entered the lake, and getting his
kettle full of water returned to the wigwam, saying as he entered, "My
friend, you told me what was not true. There is water enough; for here,
you see, I have our kettle full." The other could not understand this at
all, and wondered what had caused the deception.
The Raccoon approached the wigwam and entered to await the cooking of the
food. When it was ready, the pieces of meat, for there were eight of them,
were put into the bowl and the old men sat down on the ground facing each
other, with the bowl between them. Each took a piece of meat, and they
began to talk of various things and were enjoying themselves.
The Raccoon now quietly removed four pieces of meat from the bowl and
began to eat them, enjoying the feast even more than the old blind men.
Presently one of them reached into the bowl to get another piece of meat,
and finding that only two pieces remained, said, "My friend, you must be
very hungry to eat so rapidly; I have had but one piece, and there are but
two pieces left."
The other replied, "I have not taken them, but suspect you have eaten them
yourself"; whereupon the other replied more angrily than before. Thus they
argued, and the Raccoon, desiring to have more sport, tapped each of them
on the face. The old men, each believing the other had struck him, began
to fight, rolling over the floor of the wigwam, upsetting the bowl and the
kettle, and causing the fire to be scattered.
The Raccoon then took the two remaining pieces of meat and made his exit
from the wigwam, laughing ha, ha, ha, ha; whereupon the old men instantly
ceased their strife, for they now knew they had been deceived.
The Raccoon then remarked to them, "I have played a nice trick on you; you
should not find fault with each other so easily." Then the Raccoon
continued his crawfish-hunting along the lake shore.
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