Why The Possum's Tail Is Bare
: CHEROKEE TALES: Indian Legends Retold
A long time ago, the Possum had a fine bushy tail of which he was very
proud, so much so that he would even sing of it at the dance. As the
Rabbit's tail is short and stubby, he had no patience with such absurd
vanity, and at last he thought of a way to put a stop to it.
There was to be a large council and dance to which all the animals
were invited, and Rabbit stopped in on his way home to inquire whether
"I shall not attend unless I can be assured of a good seat," declared
Possum with much dignity, "for I think my tail entitles me to so much,
at least."
"Certainly, I will arrange that," replied Rabbit, with a great show of
deference, "and I shall be glad if you will allow me to send a barber
to comb and dress your beautiful tail so that it may appear to the
best advantage."
On these conditions Possum agreed to attend the dance, and the
Cricket, who was an expert barber, was sent to him with private
instructions. As fast as he combed and brushed the tail, he wrapped it
around with red string to keep it smooth, and no sooner had he
finished his work than Possum hurried away in good spirits.
He found the council house crowded, but all made room for him at once,
and when his turn came he quickly unwrapped his long tail and took the
center of the floor, waving it proudly as he danced. He was greatly
surprised to be greeted with loud peals of laughter. He ventured to
speak of his tail in the accompanying song, and the people laughed
louder than ever. At last, looking down, he discovered that the
Cricket, according to the secret orders he had received, had shaved
that splendid tail to the very roots, and it has remained entirely
bare ever since.
In his great mortification, Possum rolled over on his back helpless,
and this he still does whenever he is taken by surprise.
More
-
Why All Men Love The Moon
Thunder and Lightning were going to give a feast. It was to be a most delightful banquet, for all the good things that could be imagined were to be brought from every corner of the world. For many days before the feast these good things were com... Why Dogs Cannot Speak
Formerly dogs could speak. Now they cannot. The reason is that a dog, belonging to a certain man a long time ago, inveigled his master into the forest under the pretext of showing him game, and there caused him to be devoured by a bear. Then the dog... Why Has Jackal A Long Black Stripe On His Back?
The Sun, it is said, was one day on earth, and the men who were travelling saw him sitting by the wayside, but passed him without notice. Jackal, however, who came after them, and saw him also sitting, went to him and said, "Such a fine little chi... Why King Congo Was Late
As in all the Spanish Americas, there were churchly feasts and celebrations in Cuba whose origin has been forgot. Why did the slaves serenade their masters on New Year morning, jingling huge tambourines, and in the villages how came it to be thoug... Why Odin Was Given Antenor's Place As Leader Of The Trojan Emigration
So long as the Franks were the only ones of the Teutons who claimed Trojan descent, it was sufficient that the Teutonic-Trojan immigration had the father of a Frankish chief as its leader. But in the same degree as the belief in a Trojan descent spr... Why Possum Has A Large Mouth
There had been a long dry season, and the Deer had grown very thin. Meeting Possum one day, he could not help noticing how well-fed and contented the other appeared. "How is it that you are so fat in a time of drouth and famine?" inquired the Dee... Why Spuyten Duyvil Is So Named
The tide-water creek that forms the upper boundary of Manhattan Island is known to dwellers in tenements round about as Spittin' Divvle. The proper name of it is Spuyten Duyvil, and this, in turn, is the compression of a celebrated boast by Anthony ... Why The Apaches Are Fierce
Pima (Arizona) Elder Brother, Coyote, and Earth Doctor, after the flood vanished, began to create people and animals. Coyote made all the animals, Elder Brother made the people, and Earth Doctor made queer creatures which had only one leg, or immen... Why The Aspen Leaves Tremble
"It is very strange," whispered one reed to another, "that the queen bee never guides her swarm to the aspen-tree." "Indeed, it is strange," said the other. "The oak and the willow often have swarms, but I never saw one on the aspen. What can be... Why The Bear Has A Short Tail
One cold morning when the fox was coming up the road with some fish, he met the bear. "Good-morning, Mr. Fox," said the bear. "Good-morning, Mr. Bear," said the fox. "The morning is brighter because I have met you." "Those are very good fi... Why The Cat Always Falls Upon Her Feet
Some magicians are cruel, but others are gentle and good to all the creatures of the earth. One of these good magicians was one day traveling in a great forest. The sun rose high in the heavens, and he lay down at the foot of a tree. Soft, green m... Why The Cock Cannot Fly
When the Creator had finished creating the world, and had returned to the sky, he sent down the cock to see whether the world was good or not, with orders to come back at once. But the world was so beautiful, that the cock, unable to tear himself aw... Why The Crocodile Has A Wide Mouth
"Come to my kingdom whenever you will," said the goddess of the water to the king of the land. "My waves will be calm, and my animals will be gentle. They will be as good to your children as if they were my own. Nothing in all my kingdom will do y... Why The Deer's Teeth Are Blunt
Although it was not the Deer's fault that the Rabbit lost the prize, the Rabbit was greatly provoked and laid his plans to get even. Cutting a stout grapevine almost in two with his teeth, he laid it across the Deer's path and began leaping back and... Why The Dove Is Timid
A spirit called the manito always watches over the Indians. He is glad when they are brave, but if they are cowardly, he is angry. One day when the manito was walking under the pine-trees, he heard a cry of terror in the forest. "What is that... Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
Winter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the others. It was alone in the cold world of frost and snow. The fo... Why The Face Of The Moon Is White
An Indian chief had a fair young daughter. One day the wind came to him and said, "Great chief, I love your daughter, and she loves me. Will you give her to me to be my wife?" "No," answered the chief. The next day the maiden herself went to ... Why The Goat Lives With Mankind
In early times the goat lived in the jungle, leading a free and independent life, like all the other animals. The following story gives an account of her flight from the animals to make her dwelling with Man. One fine spring day, when the young... Why The Hare's Nose Is Slit
The curtains had not yet been drawn nor the shutters closed, and little Jan looked with wide serious eyes at the full moon sailing serenely in the cold sky. Then he sighed as though thoughts too big for expression stirred within him, and turned ab... Why The Heron Has A Crooked Neck
The flames leapt gaily upward in the wide fireplace, throwing strange shadows on the painted walls and gleaming on the polished wood of floor and beam and cupboard. Little Jan basked contentedly in the warmth, almost dozing--now absently stroking ... Why The Hoofs Of The Deer Are Split
The manito of the Indians taught them how to do many things. He told them how to build wigwams, and how to hunt and to fish. He showed them how to make jars in which to keep food and water. When little children came to be with them, it was the man... Why The Hyena Is Lame
"It was Tante Hyena that Jakhals cheated more than anyone," said Outa. "She always forgot about the last time he had played a trick on her, so she was quite ready to believe him when he came along with another story. Some people are so, my baasjes... Why The Juniper Has Berries
Three cranberries once lived together in a meadow. They were sisters, but they did not look alike, for one was white, and one was red, and one was green. Winter came, and the wind blew cold. "I wish we lived nearer the wigwam," said the white cran... Why The Lip Of The Elephant Droops
In the days when the earth was young lived a poor man and his wife who had twelve daughters, whom they no longer loved and no longer desired. Day after day the father and mother planned to be free of them, and upon a day, the father made ready a bas... Why The Magpie's Nest Is Not Well Built
A long time ago all the birds met together to talk about building nests. "Every Indian has a wigwam," said the robin, "and every bird needs a home." "Indians have no feathers," said the owl, "and so they are cold without wigwams. We have feat... Why The Parrot And The Minor Bird But Echo The Words Of Man
Long ago people caught and nourished the sao bird, because it learned the language of man more readily than either the parrot or minor bird. While they had to be taught with much care, the sao bird had but to hear a word and it could readily utter i... Why The Parrot Repeats The Words Of Men
In the olden times when the earth was young, all the birds knew the language of men and could talk with them. Everybody liked the parrot, because he always told things as they were, and they called him the bird that tells the truth. This bird t... Why The Peacock's Tail Has A Hundred Eyes
Juno, queen of the gods, had the fairest cow that any one ever saw. She was creamy white, and her eyes were of as soft and bright a blue as those of any maiden in the world. Juno and the king of the gods often played tricks on each other, and Juno... Why The Peetweet Cries For Rain
"Come to me, every bird that flies," said the Great Father. "There is work to be done that only my birds can do." The birds were happy that they could do something to please the Great Father, for they remembered how good he had always been to th... Why The Possum's Tail Is Bare
A long time ago, the Possum had a fine bushy tail of which he was very proud, so much so that he would even sing of it at the dance. As the Rabbit's tail is short and stubby, he had no patience with such absurd vanity, and at last he thought of a wa... Why The Rabbit Is Timid
One night the moon looked down from the sky upon the people on the earth and said to herself, "How sorrowful they look! I wish I knew what troubles them. The stars and I are never sad, and I do not see why men should be troubled." She listened clo... Why The Raven's Feathers Are Black
Long, long ago the raven's feathers were white as snow. He was a beautiful bird, but the other birds did not like him because he was a thief. When they saw him coming, they would hide away the things that they cared for most, but in some marvelous... Why The Sea Is Salt
Frothi, king of the Northland, owned some magic millstones. Other millstones grind corn, but these would grind out whatever the owner wished, if he knew how to move them. Frothi tried and tried, but they would not stir. "Oh, if I could only mov... Why The Serpent Sheds His Skin
The serpent is the grandfather of the owl, and once upon a time if the owl needed help, she would say, "My grandfather will come and help me," but now he never comes to her. This story tells why. When the owl carried away the little quail, she w... Why The Swallow's Tail Is Forked
This is the story of how the swallow's tail came to be forked. One day the Great Spirit asked all the animals that he had made to come to his lodge. Those that could fly came first: the robin, the bluebird, the owl, the butterfly, the wasp, and ... Why The Tail Of The Fox Has A White Tip
"I must have a boy to watch my sheep and my cows," thought an old woman, and so she went out to look for a boy. She looked first in the fields and then in the forest, but nowhere could she find a boy. As she was walking down the path to her home, ... Why The Water In Rivers Is Never Still
All kinds of strange things came to pass in the days of long ago, but perhaps the strangest of all was that the nurses who cared for little children were not women, but brooks and rivers. The children and the brooks ran about together, and the bro... Why The White Hares Have Black Ears
In the forest there is a beautiful spirit. All the beasts and all the birds are dear to him, and he likes to have them gentle and good. One morning he saw some of his little white hares fighting one another, and each trying to seize the best of th... Why The Woodpecker's Head Is Red
One day the woodpecker said to the Great Spirit, "Men do not like me. I wish they did." The Great Spirit said, "If you wish men to love you, you must be good to them and help them. Then they will call you their friend." "How can a little bird... Why The Wren Flies Close To The Earth
One day when the birds were all together, one of them said, "I have been watching men, and I saw that they had a king. Let us too have a king." "Why?" asked the others. "Oh, I do not know, but men have one." "Which bird shall it be? How sha... Why There Is A Hare In The Moon
Many strange things happened long ago, and one of them was that a hare, a monkey, and a fox agreed to live together. They talked about their plan a long time. Then the hare said, "I promise to help the monkey and the fox." The monkey declared, "I ... Why There Is A Man In The Moon
"Goodman," said the goodwife, "you must go out into the forest and gather sticks for the fire. To-morrow will be Sunday, and we have no wood to burn." "Yes, goodwife," answered the goodman, "I will go to the forest." He did go to the forest, ... William Tell
I suppose that most people regard William Tell, the hero of Switzerland, as an historical character, and visit the scenes made memorable by his exploits, with corresponding interest, when they undertake the regular Swiss round. It is one of the... Wirreenun The Rainmaker
The country was stricken with a drought. The rivers were all dry except the deepest holes in them. The grass was dead, and even the trees were dying. The bark dardurr of the blacks were all fallen to the ground and lay there rotting, so long was i... Witch Stories
I will now tell you something I have seen with my own eyes. In the village of Dhubia next to mine the only son of the Paranik lay ill for a whole year. One day I went out to look at my rahar crop which was nearly ripe and as I stood under a mowah tr... Witch Stories
Young girls are taught witchcraft against their wills and if they refuse to "eat" their father or brother they die or go mad. There was a girl in my own village and she went out gathering herbs with another girl who was a witch. As usual they sang a... Witch Stories
In the village of Mohulpahari there was a youth named Jerba. He was servant to Bepin Teli of Tempa and often had to come home in the dark after his day's work. One night he was coming back very late and, before he saw where he was, suddenly came upo... Witchcraft
The higher castes do not believe in witchcraft. If a man is ill they give him medicines and if he dies in spite of the medicine they do nothing further. But all the lower castes believe in witchcraft and know that it is a reality. The Santal women l... Witchcraft
Girls are taught witchcraft when they are young and are married to a bonga husband. Afterwards when they marry a man they still go away and visit the bonga and when they do so they send in their place a bonga woman exactly like them in appearance an... Witches And Conjurors
From and before the days of King Saul, to the present moment, witches have held dreaded sway over the affairs of man. Cruel laws have been promulgated against them, they have been murdered by credulous and infuriated mobs, they have lost their li... Witches Punished
A neighbour, who does not wish to have his name recorded, states that he can vouch for the incidents in the following tale. A farmer who lost much stock by death, and suspected it was the work of an old hag who lived in his neighbourhood, consult... Witches Transforming Themselves Into Cats
One of the forms that witches were supposed to change themselves into was that of a cat. In this metamorphosed state they were the more able to accomplish their designs. The following tale, illustrative of this belief, was told me by the Rev. R.... With What Measure Ye Mete
"The story of the tax collector of Siargao reminds me of an official of that rank whom I once knew," said a fellow naturalist whom I once met at a club in Manila, and with whom I had been exchanging experiences. "It was when I was gathering specim... Wizard's Glen
Four miles from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, among the Berkshire Hills, is a wild valley, noted for its echoes, that for a century and more has been called Wizard's Glen. Here the Indian priests performed their incantations, and on the red-stained Dev... Woman's Curiosity
A shepherd saved the life of the daughter of the king of snakes, the princess narrowly escaping being burnt to death. To show him her gratitude she taught him the language of animals, and he was able to understand them. One day his donkey said som... Woodpecker
The woodpecker's screech was a sign of rain. This bird is called by two names in Welsh which imply that it foretold storms; as, Ysgrech y coed, the wood screech, and Caseg y drycin, the storm mare. These names have found a place in Welsh couple... Wyandank
From Brooklyn Heights, or Ihpetonga, highplace of trees, where the Canarsie Indians made wampum or sewant, and where they contemplated the Great Spirit in the setting of the sun across the meeting waters, to Montauk Point, Long Island has been swept... Y Fuwch Frech The Freckled Cow
In ages long gone by, my informant knew not how long ago, a wonderful cow had her pasture land on the hill close to the farm, called Cefn Bannog, after the mountain ridge so named. It would seem that the cow was carefully looked after, as indicat...