Native American Legends
The Rabbit and the Grouse Girls
A Sioux Legend
The rabbit once went out on the prairie in winter time. On the
side of a hill away from the wind he found a great company of girls
all with gray and speckled blankets over their backs. They were
the grouse girls and they were coasting down hill on a board.
When the rabbit saw them, he called out, "Oh, maidens, that
is not a good way to coast down hill. Let me get you a fine skin
with bangles on it that tinkle as you slide."
And away he ran to the tipi and brought a skin bag. It had red
stripes on it and bangles that tinkled. "Come and get inside,"
he said to the grouse girls.
"Oh, no, we are afraid," they answered.
"Don't be afraid, I can't hurt you. Come, one of you,"
said the rabbit. Then as each hung back he added coaxingly: "If
each is afraid alone, come all together. I can't hurt you all."
And so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag. This done, the rabbit
closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over his back and went home.
"Grandmother," said he, as he came to the tipi, "here
is a bag full of game. Watch it while I go for willow sticks to
make spits."
But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent, the grouse
girls began to cry out, "Grandmother, let us out."
"Who are you?" asked the old woman.
"Your dear grandchildren," they answered.
"But how came you in the bag?" asked the old woman.
"Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed us in the bag
for a joke. Please let us out."
"Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out,"
said the old woman as she untied the bag.
And lo, the grouse flock with chuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up, knocking
over the old grandmother and flew out of the square smoke opening
of the winter lodge.
The old woman caught only one grouse as it flew up and held it,
grasping a leg with each hand.
When the rabbit came home with the spits she called out to him,
"Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have caught two."
When he saw what had happened he was quite angry, yet could not
keep from laughing.
"Grandmother, you have but one grouse," he cried, and
it is a very skinny one at that!"
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