Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Title Page

One day while hunting he reached the top of the mountains and on looking into the valley beneath he saw a lovely city, surrounded by
green meadows, lakes, and groves. He was tempted to visit so lovely a spot and yielded. He saw scenes of beauty and fair maidens.
When he returned home in the evening he sat by himself and looked lonesome and his mother saw from his manner that something
unusual had occurred.
"My son, you have passed beyond the mountains." "I have, mother; I had beautiful visions."
"Ah," sighed his mother, "that is why I warned you. All who see the lovely city are never contented elsewhere. I knew home would
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lose its attractions when you wandered over the mountains. Since it must be so I will do all I can for you."
The next day she made for her son a wonderful costume. She sent him to the forest to catch all manner of singing birds. She made for him
also a flute. When all of her preparations were completed, she arrayed her son in the new costume and arranged for him a peculiar
headdress, on which sat the singing birds.
"Now try your flute," she said, and at the first sound of the flute, the birds began to sing, keeping time to the music of their master.
"Go, my son, to the beautiful city beyond the mountains. When within the city, ask for the council of the king and as you enter the, council
ground play on your flute, while your singing birds accompany you."
He passed the mountain and as he approached the city he began to play, while the birds sang. The crowd which gathered and watched the
stranger with the wonderful birds told him where the king dwelt. He entered the council, playing on his flute, while his birds sang.
A seat of honor was offered the musical stranger and all were enraptured with his music. Ere he had been there long, no honor was too
great for him and everyone strove to do him some kindness. Soon it was rumored that the daughter of the king was to be given as a bride
to the young stranger.
One day he invited the king and his council to go with him to a river near the city. On reaching the stream he quickly cast aside his
costume, plunged into the water and dived under and crossed the river four times, when all the fish came to the surface and were killed
with arrows and a great feast was enjoyed.
The Rabbit, envious of the wonderful stranger, had followed the crowd and while all were intent on killing the fish, he stole the costume of
the musical youth and ran away to the woods. On coming out of the river the garments could not be found. No one knew what had become
of them.
The next day when the council was assembled, behold the Rabbit strutted in, puffing and blowing with all his might at the flute and, as the
birds would not utter a note, he hit at them and said: "Why don't you sing?" He was dressed in the costume of the stranger and before he
could be seized he said: "Well, come with me to the river and let us enjoy another feast."
Away he ran and the council followed him. In he jumped, casting the costume and flute on the ground, and though he crossed four times
under the water not a fish appeared.
As his head came above the water they all cried:
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Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Title Page
It is the lying Rabbit.
It is the lying Rabbit.
Seize him, seize him.
He was tried by the council and chased from the council ground as an envious and rascally deceiver.
The king's daughter was married to the wonderful stranger and, as their hands were joined, the singing birds flapped their wings and sang
with wild melody.
10. THE ORIGIN OF TOBACCO (15)
There was an old man who went to the square ground of his town to take the black drink every morning and carried something to eat with
him. One morning as he was eating this by the creek where he had stopped for the purpose, he felt like defecating, and therefore he went
over to a log which lay at some distance. When he got there, however, he saw a pretty little plant growing. A man and a woman had lain at
that place, and this plant was the result. The old man brushed the rubbish away from it and returned home. Each time he came by after that
he went to it, and he took the dry lower leaves and smoked them. The people at the square ground learned of it through him and said,
"That is a mighty good thing. We had better take that and smoke it." The first name of the plant was "coeuns" (haisa). After they learned
of it and came to value it they made it a warrior (tåsikaya), and gave it the name hitci ("finding") as a war name. I do not know the history
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