Native American Legends
How Glooskap changed certain saucy Indians into Rattlesnakes
A Passamaquoddy Legend
You know At-o-sis, the Snake? Well, the worst of all is Rattlesnake.
Long time ago the Rattlesnakes were saucy Indians. They were very
saucy. They had too much face. They could not be put down by much,
and they got up for very little.
When the great Flood was coming Glooskap told them about it. They
said they did not care. He told them the water would come over their
heads. They said that would be very wet. He told them to be good
and quiet, and pray. Then those Indians hurrahed. He said, "A great
Flood is coming." Then they gave three cheers for the great Flood.
He said, "The Flood will come and drown you all." Then these Indians
hurrahed again, and got their rattles, made of turtle-shells, in
the old fashion, fastened together, filled with pebbles, and rattled
them and had a grand dance. Afterwards, when the white men brought
cows and oxen into the country, they made rattles of horns.
Yes, they had a great dance. The rain began to fall, but they danced.
The thunder roared, and they shook their rattles and yelled at it.
Then Glooskap was angry. He did not drown them in the Flood, however,
but he changed them into rattlesnakes. Nowadays, when they see a
man coming, they lift up their heads and move them about. That's
the way snakes dance. And they shake the rattles in their tails
just as Indians shake their rattles when they dance. How do you
like such music?
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