_Omaha_
Rabbit was going somewhere. At length he reached a place where there
were wild Turkeys.
"Come," said Rabbit. "I will sing dancing songs for you."
Turkeys went to him saying, "Oho! Rabbit will sing dancing songs for
us!"
"When I sing for you, you larger ones must go around the circle next
to me. Beware lest you open your eyes. Should one of you open his
eyes, your eyes shall be red," said Rabbit.
Then he began to sing,
Alas for the gazer!
Eyes red! Eyes red!
Spread out your tails!
Spread out your tails!
Whenever a large Turkey came near, Rabbit seized it and put it in his
bag. While he was putting in a Turkey, another one opened his eyes a
little, and exclaimed, "Why! He has captured nearly all of us large
ones!"
Off they all flew with a whirring sound.
Rabbit took home those he had in his bag, saying to his grandmother,
"Do not look at what is in that bag! I have brought it home on my back
and I wish you to guard it!"
Then he went out to cut spits on which to roast the Turkeys. When the
old woman was alone, she thought, "What could he have brought home on
his back?" So she untied the bag, and when she looked in out flew all
the Turkeys, hitting their wings hard against the grass lodge, and
flying out the smoke hole. The old woman barely killed one by hitting
it. At length Rabbit came home.
"Oh I have inflicted a severe injury on my grandchild," she said.
"Really," he answered. "Grandmother, I told you not to look at it."
But that is why Turkeys have red eyes.
[Notes: FIVE CHIEFS OF THE OGALLA SIOUX
_Rank is shown by pipe and pouch. The first Cankutanka, Big Road;
often called Good Road--big and broad and well traveled. The bird
flying through the dusk shows that one may fly rapidly over a good
road. Next is Low Dog. The dog figure is "low," as shown by the
shortness of the legs. In the center is Long Dog, as shown by the long
legs on the dog figure. Below, to the left, is Iron Crow, the crow
painted blue indicating iron. The last is Little Hawk. Each chief has
three bands on the cheek, but with variant colors and patterns._]
[Illustration: _From Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_]
[Illustration: OLD HORSE
Name of an Indian Chief, as shown in Red Cloud's census. Old age is
represented by the wrinkles and projecting lips.
_Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_]