Native American Legends
How The Rattlesnake learned to bite
A Pima Legend
After people and the animals were created, they all lived together.
Rattlesnake was there, and was called Soft Child because he was
so soft in his motions.
The people liked to hear him rattle and little rest did he get
because they continually poked and scratched him so that he would
shake the rattles in his tail.
At last Rattlesnake went to Elder Brother to ask help. Elder Brother
pulled a hair from his own lip, cut it in short pieces, and made
it into teeth for Soft Child.
"If any one bothers you," he said, "bite him."
That very evening Ta-api, Rabbit, came to Soft Child as he had
done before and scratched him. Soft Child raised his head and bit
Rabbit. Rabbit was angry and scratched again. Soft Child bit him
again. Then Rabbit ran about saying that Soft Child was angry and
had bitten him. Then he went to Rattlesnake again, and twice more
he was bitten.
The bites made Rabbit very sick. He asked for a bed of cool sea
sand. Coyote was sent to the sea for the cool, damp sand. Then Rabbit
asked for the shade of bushes that he might feel the cool breeze.
But at last Rabbit died. He was the first creature which had died
in this new world.
Then the people were troubled because they did not know what to
do with the body of Rabbit. One said, "If we bury him, Coyote
will surely dig him up."
Another said, "If we hide him, Coyote will surely find him."
And another said, "If we put him in a tree, Coyote will surely
climb up."
So they decided to burn the body of Rabbit, and yet there was no
fire on Earth.
Blue Fly said, "Go to Sun and get some of the fire which he
keeps in his house," So Coyote scampered away, but he was sure
the people were trying to get rid of him so he kept looking back.
Then Blue Fly made the first fire drill. Taking a stick like an
arrow he twirled it in his hands, letting the lower end rest on
a flat stick that lay on the ground. Soon smoke began to arise,
and then fire came. The people gathered fuel and began their duty.
But Coyote, looking back, saw fire ascending. He turned and ran
back as fast as he could go. When the people saw him coming, they
formed a ring, but he raced around the circle until he saw two short
men standing together. He jumped over them, and seized the heart
of Rabbit. But he burned his mouth doing it, and it is black to
this day.
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