The Pheasant once saw a woman beating corn in a wooden mortar in front
of the house. "I can do that, too," said he, but the woman would not
believe it, so the Pheasant went into the woods and got upon a hollow
log and "drummed" with his wings as a pheasant does, until the people
in the house heard him and thought he was really beating corn.
In the Pheasant dance, a part of the Green-corn dance, the instrument
used is the drum, and the dancers beat the ground with their feet in
imitation of the drumming sound made by the pheasant. They form two
concentric circles, the men being on the inside, facing the women
in the outer circle, each in turn advancing and retreating at the
signal of the drummer, who sits at one side and sings the Pheasant
songs. According to the story, there was once a winter famine among
the birds and animals. No mast (fallen nuts) could be found in the
woods, and they were near starvation when a Pheasant discovered a
holly tree, loaded with red berries, of which the Pheasant is said to
be particularly fond. He called his companion birds, and they formed
a circle about the tree, singing, dancing, and drumming with their
wings in token of their joy, and thus originated the Pheasant dance.