_Cherokee_
Once upon a time, Wolves caught Rabbit. They were going to eat him,
but Rabbit said he would show them a new dance. Now the Wolves knew
that Rabbit was a good dancer, so they made a ring around him.
Rabbit pattered with his feet and began to dance around in a circle,
singing,
On the edge of the field I dance about,
_Ha' nia lil! lil! Ha' nia lil! lil!_
Then the Rabbit stopped a minute. He said, "Now when I sing 'on the
edge of the field,' I dance that way"--and he danced over in that
direction; "and when I sing '_lil! lil!_' you must all stamp your feet
hard."
The Wolves liked that. They liked new dances.
Rabbit began singing the same song, dancing nearer to the field, while
all the Wolves stamped their feet. He sang the song again, dancing
still nearer the edge of the field. The fourth time he sang it, while
the Wolves were stamping their feet as hard as they could. Rabbit made
one jump off and leaped through the long grass. The Wolves raced after
him, but Rabbit ran for a hollow stump and climbed inside. When the
Wolves got there, one of them put his head inside, but Rabbit hit him
on the eye and he pulled his head out. The others were afraid to try,
so they went away and left Rabbit in the stump.
[Illustration: PLAINS INDIANS DRAGGING BRUSH FOR A MEDICINE LODGE
_By permission of Sumner W. Matteson, the photographer_]
[Illustration: AN EARTH LODGE
_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_]