Native American Legends
The story of the Rabbits
A Sioux Legend
The Rabbit nation were very much depressed in spirits on account
of being run over by all other nations. They, being very obedient
to their chief, obeyed all his orders to the letter. One of his
orders was, that upon the approach of any other nation that they
should follow the example of their chief and run up among the rocks
and down into their burrows, and not show themselves until the strangers
had passed.
This they always did. Even the chirp of a little cricket would
send them all scampering to their dens.
One day they held a great council, and after talking over everything
for some time, finally left it to their medicine man to decide.
The medicine man arose and said, "My friends, we are of no
use on this Earth. There isn't a nation on Earth that fears us,
and we are so timid that we cannot defend ourselves, so the best
thing for us to do is to rid the Earth of our nation, by all going
over to the big lake and drowning ourselves."
This they decided to do. So, going to the lake they were about
to jump in, when they heard a splashing in the water. Looking, they
saw a lot of frogs jumping into the lake.
"We will not drown ourselves," said the medicine man,
"we have found a nation who are afraid of us. It is the frog
nation."
Had it not been for the frogs we would have had no rabbits, as
the whole nation would have drowned themselves and the rabbit race
would have been extinct.
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