THE RABBIT AND THE POSSUM AFTER A WIFE
The rabbit and the
Possum each wanted a wife, but no one would marry either of them. They
talked over the matter and the Rabbit said, "We can't get wives here; let's go
to the next settlement. I'm the messenger for the council, and I'll tell
the people that I bring an order that everybody must take a mate at once, and
then we'll be sure to get our wives."
The Possum thought
this a fine plan, so they started off together to the next town. As the
Rabbit traveled faster he got there first and waited outside until the people
noticed him and took him into the townhouse. When the chief came to ask
his business the Rabbit said he brought an important order from the council that
everybody must get married without delay. So the chief called the people
together and told them the message from the council. Every animal took a
mate at once, and the Rabbit got a wife.
The Possum traveled so
slowly that he got there after all the animals had mated, leaving him still
without a wife. The Rabbit pretended to feel sorry for him and said,
"Never mind, I'll carry the message to the people in the next settlement, and
you hurry on as fast as you can, and this time you will get your wife."
So he went on to
the next town, and the Possum followed close after him. But when the
Rabbit got to the townhouse he sent out the word that, as there had been peace
so long that everybody was getting lazy the council had ordered that there must
be war at once and they must begin right in the townhouse. So they all
began fighting, but the Rabbit made four great leaps and got away just as the
Possum came in. Everybody jumped on the Possum, who had not thought of
bringing his weapons on a wedding trip, and so could not defend himself.
They had nearly beaten the life out of him when he fell over and pretended to be
dead until he saw a good chance to jump up and get away. The Possum never got
a wife, but he remembers the lesson, and ever since he shuts his eyes and
pretends to be dead when the hunter has him in a close corner.
From
"James Mooney's History, Myths and Sacred Formulas of the
Cherokees"
Published
by Bright Mountain Books, Inc.