Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Title Page

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At last he threw Motarkah down in his yard. It went over the house and started off in a straight course, following the trail of the girl. Istepahpah followed Motarkah, for he knew the girl had gone that way. Soon they came, in sight of the little girl, who was running and singing. "I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me. I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me." While Kut-che-he-lo-chee was playing he thought he heard his lost sister's voice in the distance. He said to his brothers, "I hear my sister's voice." Kut-che-he-lo-chee insisted that he had heard her singing in distress. Nearer she came, pursued by Motarkah and Istepahpah, and again she sang as she ran: "I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me. I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me." Kut-che-he-lo-chee was now convinced that he heard his sister's voice. He called his brothers and persuaded them to go with him. They went and now heard their sister crying in distress: "I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me. I wonder if I can reach my brothers' house before they catch me." They said to Kut-che-he-lo-chee: "You can stay here. You are too young to help us. Remain behind." But Kut-che-he-lo-chee, would go with them. They now saw their sister pursued by Motarkah and Istepahpah. As they came nearer the brothers shot arrows at Motarkah, but could not stop it. Their sister passed them and ran to the house. Motarkah followed. Kut-che-he-lo-chee ran to Motarkah and struck it with the little wooden paddle he used in parching his food and Motarkah rolled to one side and stopped. Istepahpah still came on. The brothers shot at him but could not kill him. Then Kut-che-he-lo-chee ran to Istepahpah and struck him on the head with his little wooden paddle and killed him. His brothers said Kut-che-he-lo-chee was the bravest of all and had saved their sister's life. 14. THE WATER PANTHER (LEOPARD) 1 A girl whose father and mother were dead lived at a certain place with some relatives. Every day she went for water to a spring, the trail to which ran through a deep hollow. One time, after she had p. 22 Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Title Page grown up, a Water Panther (O+-ktca) appeared to her there and she came to be with child by him. As she had been very carefully watched the people did not know what to make of this. Some said, "Let us kill her," but others replied, "No, it was probably nature." Finally the woman gave birth to three Water Panthers, and then some of the people again said, "Let us kill them." "No," replied the others, "their mother is a human being," and after consultation they agreed to let them live. The woman saw her Water Panther husband from time to time and she reported what had been done. She said she was very anxious because some of the people had threatened to kill her young ones. Then the Water Panther said, "Let the friends of the young ones separate from the others and live by themselves," so they moved off to another place. Afterwards the old town in which the enemies lived sank and the place turned into a great pool of water. The posts of the hot house continued to stand out above the water of the lake for some time afterwards. That town is thought to have been Coosa, although it is possible it may have been Fus-hatchee. It is called Kosa-talåksûmgi, "Sunk Coosa." The people who wanted the young Water Panthers killed were taken into the dwelling of the Water Panther farther beneath the waves; what became of the others is unknown. Footnotes 21:1 See versions in my paper on Social Organization and Social Usages of the Indians of the Creek Confederacy (Forty-second Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 69-72). The water panther was identified by my informant with the leopard. 15. HOW THE ALLIGATOR'S NOSE WAS BROKEN (Tuggle collection) "In the old days," said Fixco, the Seminole, "all the animals determined upon a big ball play. The four-footed animals, with the Alligator for their chief, challenged the fowls, with the Eagle at their head, for a game. Sides were chosen, the poles put up, the ground measured off, and the medicine men conjured the balls. "The day came and they all met on the ground. The animals ran around their poles, all painted and dressed up, while the birds flew and file:///I|/mythology/american indian/41/41.html (24 of 164) [01/24/2004 9:03:18 AM]
screamed around their poles. "At last the ball was tossed into the air and the game began. The Alligator caught the ball as it came down and, grasping it in his teeth, ran toward the poles. The birds in vain attempted to snatch it from him and at last gave it up in utter despair. The Eagle, however, soared aloft and circled in the air till almost out of sight, and then like an arrow he swooped to the earth and struck the Alligator on the nose and broke it. The Alligator's wife had run along with her old man and was shouting at the top of her voice: 'Look at the little striped alligator's daddy, just look at him,' while all the animals shouted in triumph. "But when the Eagle struck the Alligator all was changed. The Alligator's teeth opened on the ball and the Turkey poked his head in p. 23 among the teeth, pulled it out, and ran to the poles of the birds and threw the ball between them. "The fowls won the game and ever since that time the Alligator has had a sunken place on his nose where the Eagle broke it." 16. STORY OF THE BAT (52) (Tuggle collection) The birds challenged the four-footed animals to a great ball play. It was agreed that all creatures which had teeth should be on one side and all those which had feathers should go on the other side with the birds. The day was fixed and all the arrangements were made; the ground was prepared, the poles erected, and the balls conjured by the medicine men. When the animals came, all that had teeth went on one side and the birds on the other. At last the Bat came. He went with the animals having teeth, but they said: "No, you have wings, you must go with the birds." He went to the birds and they said: "No, you have teeth, you must go with the animals." So they drove him away, saying "You are so little you could do no good." He went to the animals and begged that they would permit him to play with them. They finally said, "You are too small to help us, but as you have teeth we will let you remain on our side." The play began and it soon appeared that the birds were winning, as they could catch the ball in the air, where the four-footed animals could not reach it. The Crane was the best player. The animals were in despair, as none of them could fly. The little Bat now flew into the air and caught the ball as the Crane was flapping slowly along. Again and again the Bat caught the ball, and he won the game for the four-footed animals. They agreed that though he was so small he should always be classed with the animals having teeth. 17. THE FRIENDLY DOGS (25) A man away from home found himself sitting in the Mikos' bed in a strange square ground. There was no one about except an old Dog, which stood by the fire. This Dog came up to him and said, "Don't you have a notion to go hunting? If you go, the young boys say they will go with you. If you want to go I will go and see the boys and see if they mean what they say." The houses were close around this square and he could hear the dogs collecting. By and by the old Dog came back, and said, "My old woman is going and she told me to get something to eat." So the Dog gathered some bran p. 24 Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Title Page in a clay pot and started along with it. When the man reached the appointed place an old bitch came up with some puppies. Then the young dogs began coming in and they kept coming until there was a large number of them. The old Dog said, "Take the puppies along with you," but the other dogs scattered out on the hunt. He went to the place appointed along with the puppies and pitched his camp, and the dogs began coming in, bringing terrapin, skunks, squirrels, etc. By and by they heard the old Dog coming barking and yelping, and finally he reached camp with a turkey gobbler. Then the old Dog said, "Cook that turkey, but save our shares for us and a little for the puppies." He did so and they went on to the main hunting ground. There they killed deer, and they made a drive and killed bear. They remained there until the puppies got fat and grew into big dogs. One day the old Dog, who was sitting on the opposite side of the fire, came around to him and said, "Your wife has taken another husband, but, if you wish, we will do what you say." Then the whole pack of dogs came in and started off one at a time. He could hear their footsteps on the leaves as they ran off and by and by he heard only their howling until they got out of hearing. But the old Dog, who had remained behind, said, "They are close by." Presently he said, "The work file:///I|/mythology/american indian/41/41.html (25 of 164) [01/24/2004 9:03:18 AM]
Page 1 and 2: MYTHS AND TALES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN
Page 3 and 4: Myths and Tales of the Southeastern
Page 13 and 14: p. 1 MYTHS AND TALES OF THE SOUTHEA
Page 15 and 16: sharp one for each. The man's suspi
Page 17 and 18: certainly do so," he answered. The
Page 19 and 20: he married. Then he said to his mot
Page 21 and 22: When he grew older she said, "Go an
Page 23: of the hitci påkpågi, which is th
Page 27 and 28: contest with him. You had better no
Page 29 and 30: 23. THE MAN WHO BECAME A SNAKE (35)
Page 31 and 32: Ever after people avoided that pond
Page 33 and 34: (SECOND VERSION) (Tuggle collection
Page 35 and 36: "He does not want any." they said,
Page 37 and 38: 41. RABBIT GETS MAN-EATER OVER TO T
Page 39 and 40: 45. RABBIT TRIES A GAME OF SCRATCH
Page 41 and 42: 51. RABBIT ENGINEERS A TUG OF WAR B
Page 43 and 44: wondered how the Rabbit could stand
Page 45 and 46: Then Dr. Buzzard came in haste and
Page 47 and 48: measure you and see if I am not rig
Page 49 and 50: "And then I heard it on the other s
Page 51 and 52: house where the girl lived. Rabbit
Page 53 and 54: p. 70 rumbling in the west will pre
Page 55 and 56: His grandmother was asleep, but the
Page 57 and 58: 84. THE ORDERING OF FIELD WORK (5)
Page 59 and 60: oad. The smallest boy started off o
Page 61 and 62: gained it, it seemed to fly before
Page 63 and 64: HITCHITI STORIES 1. BEAR, TIGER, RA
Page 65 and 66: the thing sitting on the eggs flew
Page 67 and 68: we had better move from here. Do yo
Page 69 and 70: 16. THE HUNTER AND THE TIE-SNAKE (2
Page 71 and 72: He stuck a stick into his nose, ran
Page 73 and 74: to prove it." When Rabbit told the
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p. 109 31. RABBIT AND WILDCAT Rabbi
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36. RABBIT IS SENT WITH MEDICINE A
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p. 116 Some time afterwards a man o
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to fight. But the Alabama who had r
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8. HOW WATER WAS LOST AND RECOVERED
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she approached. The third night the
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"Cut off a piece of your body and r
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walks about," and she answered, "Th
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They went on and came to another pe
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am a panther," and jumped up upon i
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lying. He came to the camp. The oth
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32. THE BEAR PEOPLE (29) The people
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its young ones. Then it followed an
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could not be detected. Then no Choc
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adly hurt. In the morning Rabbit sa
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up again. After this had happened s
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3. THE STARS-IN-A-ROW Three persons
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my grandmother's basket." "No, she
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He went on until he came to where t
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But when they got home, their mothe
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17. THE OBSTACLE FLIGHT (9) Big Man
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21. THE GIANT ELK (46) A man travel
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26. STORY OF TWO BROTHERS WHO TRIED
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threw him down to be food for an ea
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38. THE MAN WHO TREATED A GHOST (24
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"Opossum called me 'LMfga tail.' Wh
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Big Man-eater said, "I can bring it
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on the rock and when he began chopp
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63. RABBIT FOOLS WILDCAT (69) While
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him and then go back to the limb, s
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218:2 An old Natchez story. Footnot
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p. 224 The boys played around in th
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Not long afterwards the boys said,
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to him. "I am going to my mother's.
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oy said, "If you have any relations
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11. ADOPTION OF THE HUMAN RACE The
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"Your wife and the one who stole he
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19. THE PYGMIES (28) There is a rac
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troubled with headache, and I don't
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answer, "It is hurting him where I
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whooping. 34. RABBIT AND WILDCAT (6
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39. THE INDIAN MUNCHAUSEN (74) A ma
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COMPARISON OF MYTHS The accompanyin
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ut it so happens that something of
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49. The Wolves and the Fawn: Natche
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