myths and legends of the sioux-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



He　went　into　the　house　and　came　out；　bringing　a　hammer　that

weighed　many　tons。



〃Now；　Mr。　Rabbit；　we　will　see　who　can　throw　this　hammer　over　the

top　of　that　tree。〃　　〃Get　something　harder　to　do；〃　said　Rabbit。



〃Well；　we　will　try　this　first；〃　said　the　giant。　　With　that　he

grasped　the　hammer　in　both　hands；　swung　it　three　times　around　his

head　and　sent　it　spinning　thru　the　air。　　Up；　up；　it　went；　skimming

the　top　of　the　tree；　and　came　down；　shaking　the　ground　and　burying

itself　deep　into　the　earth。



〃Now；〃　said　the　giant；　〃if　you　don't　accomplish　this　same　feat；　I

am　going　to　swallow　you　at　one　mouthful。〃　　Rabbit　said；　〃I　always

sing　to　my　brother　before　I　attempt　things　like　this。〃　　So　he

commenced　singing　and　calling　his　brother。　　〃Cinye！　　Cinye！〃

（brother；　brother）　he　sang。　　The　giant　grew　nervous；　and　said：

〃Boy；　why　do　you　call　your　brother？〃



Pointing　to　a　small　black　cloud　that　was　approaching　very　swiftly；

Rabbit　said：　〃That　is　my　brother；　he　can　destroy　you；　your　house；

and　pine　tree　in　one　breath。〃



〃Stop　him　and　you　can　go　free；〃　said　the　giant。　　Rabbit　waved　his

paws　and　the　cloud　disappeared。



From　this　place　Rabbit　continued　on　his　trip　towards　the　west。　　The

next　day；　while　passing　thru　a　deep　forest；　he　thought　he　heard

some　one　moaning；　as　though　in　pain。　　He　stopped　and　listened；　soon

the　wind　blew　and　the　moaning　grew　louder。　　Following　the　direction

from　whence　came　the　sound；　he　soon　discovered　a　man　stripped　of

his　clothing；　and　caught　between　two　limbs　of　a　tall　elm　tree。　

When　the　wind　blew　the　limbs　would　rub　together　and　squeeze　the

man；　who　would　give　forth　the　mournful　groans。



〃My；　you　have　a　fine　place　up　there。　　Let　us　change。　　You　can　come

down　and　I　will　take　your　place。〃　　（Now　this　man　had　been　placed　up

there　for　punishment；　by　Rabbit's　brother；　and　he　could　not　get

down　unless　some　one　came　along　and　proposed　to　take　his　place　on

the　tree）。　　〃Very　well；〃　said　the　man。　　〃Take　off　your　clothes　and

come　up。　　I　will　fasten　you　in　the　limbs　and　you　can　have　all　the

fun　you　want。〃



Rabbit　disrobed　and　climbed　up。　　The　man　placed　him　between　the

limbs　and　slid　down　the　tree。　　He　hurriedly　got　into　Rabbit's

clothes；　and　just　as　he　had　completed　his　toilet；　the　wind　blew

very　hard。　　Rabbit　was　nearly　crazy　with　pain；　and　screamed　and

cried。　　Then　he　began　to　cry　〃Cinye；　Cinye〃　（brother；　brother）。　

〃Call　your　brother　as　much　as　you　like；　he　can　never　find　me。〃　　So

saying　the　man　disappeared　in　the　forest。



Scarcely　had　he　disappeared；　when　the　brother　arrived；　and　seeing

Rabbit　in　the　tree；　said：　〃Which　way　did　he　go？〃　　Rabbit　pointed

the　direction　taken　by　the　man。　　The　brother　flew　over　the　top　of

the　trees；　soon　found　the　man　and　brought　him　back；　making　him　take

his　old　place　between　the　limbs；　and　causing　a　heavy　wind　to　blow

and　continue　all　afternoon　and　night；　for　punishment　to　the　man　for

having　placed　his　brother　up　there。



After　Rabbit　got　his　clothes　back　on；　his　brother　gave　him　a　good

scolding；　and　wound　up　by　saying：　〃I　want　you　to　be　more　careful　in

the　future。　　I　have　plenty　of　work　to　keep　me　as　busy　as　I　want　to

be；　and　I　can't　be　stopping　every　little　while　to　be　making　trips

to　get　you　out　of　some　foolish　scrape。　　It　was　only　yesterday　that

I　came　five　hundred　miles　to　help　you　from　the　giant；　and　today　I

have　had　to　come　a　thousand　miles；　so　be　more　careful　from　this

on。〃



Several　days　after　this　the　Rabbit　was　traveling　along　the　banks　of

a　small　river；　when　he　came　to　a　small　clearing　in　the　woods；　and

in　the　center　of　the　clearing　stood　a　nice　little　log　hut。　　Rabbit

was　wondering　who　could　be　living　here　when　the　door　slowly　opened

and　an　old　man　appeared　in　the　doorway；　bearing　a　tripe　water　pail

in　his　right　hand。　　In　his　left　hand　he　held　a　string　which　was

fastened　to　the　inside　of　the　house。　　He　kept　hold　of　the　string

and　came　slowly　down　to　the　river。　　When　he　got　to

the　water　he　stooped　down　and　dipped　the　pail　into　it　and　returned

to　the　house；　still　holding　the　string　for　guidance。



Soon　he　reappeared　holding　on　to　another　string；　and；　following

this　one；　went　to　a　large　pile　of　wood　and　returned　to　the　house

with　it。　　Rabbit　wanted　to　see　if　the　old　man　would　come　out　again；

but　he　came　out　no　more。　　Seeing　smoke　ascending　from

the　mud　chimney；　he　thought　he　would　go　over　and　see　what　the　old

man　was　doing。　　He　knocked　at　the　door；　and　a　weak　voice　bade　him

enter。　　He　noticed　that　the　old　man　was　cooking　dinner。



〃Hello　Tunkasina　（grandfather）；　you　must　have　a　nice　time；　living

here　alone。　　I　see　that　you　have　everything　handy。　　You　can　get

wood　and　water；　and　that　is　all　you　have　to　do。　　How　do　you　get

your　provisions？〃



〃The　wolves　bring　my　meat；　the　mice　my　rice　and　ground　beans；　and

the　birds　bring　me　the　cherry　leaves　for　my　tea。　　Yet　it　is　a　hard

life；　as　I　am　all　alone　most　of　the　time　and　have　no　one　to　talk

to；　and　besides；　I　am　blind。〃



〃Say；　grandfather；〃　said　Rabbit；　〃let　us　change　places。　　I　think　I

would　like　to　live　here。〃



〃If　we　exchange　clothes；〃　said　the　other；　〃you　will　become　old　and

blind；　while　I　will　assume　your　youth　and　good　looks。〃　　（Now；　this

old　man　was　placed　here　for　punishment　by　Rabbit's　brother。　　He　had

killed　his　wife；　so　the　genie　made　him　old　and　blind；　and　he　would

remain　so　until　some　one　came　who　would　exchange　places　with　him）。



〃I　don't　care　for　youth　and　good　looks；〃　said　Rabbit；　〃let　us　make

the　change。〃



They　changed　clothes；　and　Rabbit　became　old　and　blind；　whilst　the

old　man　became　young　and　handsome。



〃Well；　I　must　go；〃　said　the　man。　　He　went　out　and　cutting　the

strings　close　to　the　door；　ran　off　laughing。　　〃You　will　get　enough

of　your　living　alone；　you　crazy　boy；〃　and　saying　this　he　ran　into

the　woods。



Rabbit　thought　he　would　like　to　get　some　fresh　water　and　try　the

string　paths　so　that　he　would　get　accustomed　to　it。　　He　bumped

around　the　room　and　finally　found　the　tripe　water　bucket。　　He　took

hold　of　the　string　and　started　out。　　When　he　had　gotten　a　short

distance　from　the　door　he　came　to　the　end　of　the　string　so

suddenly；　that　he　lost　the　end　which　he　had　in　his　hand；　and　he

wandered　about；　bumping　against　the　trees；　and　tangling　himself　up

in　plum　bushes　and　thorns；　scratching　his　face　and　hands　so　badly

that　the　blood　ran　from　them。　　Then　it　was　that　he　commenced　again

to　cry；　〃Cinye！　　Cinye！〃　（brother；　brother）。　　Soon　his　brother

arrived；　and　asked　which　way　the　old　man　had　gone。



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Rabbit；　〃I　couldn't　see　which　path　he　took；　as

I　was　blind。〃



The　genie　called　the　birds；　and　they　came　flying　from　every

direction。　　As　fast　as　they　arrived　the　brother　asked　them　if　they

had　seen　the　man　whom　he　had　placed　here　for　punishment；　but　none

had　seen　him。　　The　owl　came　last；　and　when　asked　if　he　had　seen　the

man；　he　said　〃hoo…hoo。〃　　〃The　man　who　lived　here；〃　said　the

brother。　　〃Last　night　I　was　hunting　mice　in　the　woods　south　of　here

and　I　saw　a　man　sleeping　beneath　a　plum　tree。　　I　thought　it　was

your　brother；　Rabbit；　so　I　didn't　awaken　him；〃　said　the　owl。



〃Good　for　you；　owl；〃　said　the　brother；　〃for　this　good　news；　you

shall　hereafter　roam　around　only　at　night；　and　I　will　fix　your

eyes；　so　the　darker　the　night　the　better　you　will　be　able　to　see。　

You　will　always　have　the　fine　cool　nights　to　hunt　your　food。　　You

other　birds　can　hunt　your　food　during　the　hot　daylight。〃　　（Since

then　the　owl　has　been　the　night　bird）。



The　brother　flew　to　the　woods　and　brought　the　man　back　and　cut　the

strings　short；　and　said　to　him：　〃Now　you　can　get　a　taste　of　what

you　gave　my　brother。〃



To　Rabbit　he　said：　〃I　ought　not　to　have　helped　you　this　time。　　Any

one　who　is　so　crazy　as　to　change　places　with　a　blind　man　should　be

left　without　help；　so　be　careful；　as　I　am　getting　tired　of　your

foolishness；　and　will　not　help　you　again　if　you　do　anything　as

foolish　as　you　did　this　time。〃