HOW THE RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL~ LAKOTA FABLE~ WITH MY TOUCH

The Great Hunter

The great hunter walks with the sun, never leaving an impression on sand or soil, the forest path silent since the snap a twig would echo for miles in the din of the sweet silence. Not without noise, but filled with beautiful noise of twittering birds, sweeping through the brush, the leap of a hare as he scratches ground upon landing.  Scraping antlers against tree bark, the great hunter he listened with interest, this was his world. The land of his people, walked upon from the beginning of time. Peace filled his heart and sweet thoughts of home his mind, family his children running to greet him, the fires warm and bright, the love of his wife her smile filled him deeply.

Not far, he thought this boulder his mark spoke home was near, ears intent voices heard what sound was this? A voice unfamiliar foreign and strange high pitched and loud he approached cautiously fearing the unknown. What could this mean?  Other tribes had attacked and killed his people before this sound was not of his people no tribe, ever made sounds like this. He entered the clearing and was shocked to see a large demon half bear and half man holding his wife by her hair he quickly pulled out an arrow and pulled, being a brave and skilled hunter the arrow penetrated the arm of the demon who howled a terrifying shriek. Dropping the hunter's wife, she crawled away towards her children the furious demon turned and faced the hunter.

"Do you know who I am? foolish man, I am Lestarooraha Great Demon from the cold lands, you shall pay with your life for shooting me, man!" growled the beast.  With the hand not wounded, he whipped a fury and sparks shot out and became a bolt of lightning and slammed into the hunter who collapsed to the dirt, all that was left were his empty leggings and tunic and out of the clothing bolted a small black rabbit with a long tail as white as snow, who quickly fled into the brush. The horrible demon said to all the rest of the men.

"Any of you who thinks to defeat me and I will do the same to you, I have come to take a bride and she is mine." Bellowed the beast.

Even the bravest hunters backed away from the monster fearful for what it might do to them.

"Now you woman are coming with me!" reaching out to the wife of the now vanquished hunter, she wailed. "Take me demon, spare my children you have made me a widow, I have no longer any will to live, do what you will to me and I will go with you, but leave my children to my people where they can have a life."

"I have no need for them" he spat back at her, "it is you i want, I have no need for slaves my house overflows with slaves I want a wife who will give me children of my own not tiny humans!"  He grabbed her with his uninjured arm and created a puff of thick black smoke and they were gone.

The grandmother of the children ran to them and held them close "Oh mighty chief let me raise the children of my daughter as she is no more, and they no longer have a father, he too is gone they are orphans left to me, do not leave us to die oh wise chief, my grandson will grow and be a great hunter like his father and my granddaughter will be a mother to many and help make us a bigger and stronger village."  The compassionate chief granted her plea, and she took the sobbing children to her tent.

"I will look after them."  Volunteered a young unmarried hunter.  "Their father was as a brother to me, they will not be a burden on the tribe they will have some of each kill and I am a great hunter, no one will ever be without meat as long as I live, oh great leader, they have suffered as none have suffered before!" He bowed to the ground in front of his chief. 

"Your words are powerful young hunter and I expect that you will keep them alive long after you have a wife and family of your own, this vow you make to me today will last your lifetime!" Said the chief as he placed his hand on the young man's head. "I make this vow before you great chief!" Said the young man.  "Then all who have seen this day shall remember the great hunter one of my chosen few and his honorable wife, who were taken from us today by an evil demon spirit one that I pray to the great spirit,  that we shall never see again, remember and never forget this day!" 

The Great Wind Spirit

Women went to gather the belongs of the hunter who was now no more, when the small black rabbit with a long white tail jumped from the brush. The women frightened of evil spirits left the clothing and ran back to the tribe the black rabbit sat on two legs and looked at his fellow tribesmen and women setting up for the approaching night, I cannot go to them or they will think I am a trickster wishing even more evil upon the village. The former hunter gathered his belongings and dragged them and left his people knowing that he will never see them again. His days as a rabbit were hard ones as he was chased by hawk and fox, being a skilled hunter he was able to escape with his life, but it was a battle every day, now I know what my prey must have felt like, never a moment of peace, hunted by hunters and predators alike, this is no life for a man, he sighed to himself as he slept curled tightly under the spreading arms of a sheltering fir tree.  The night of the may moon he sat beside the great lake and looked up at the brilliant glowing orb oh great mother moon it is my fate to live the life of a rabbit and this evil curse was one I will have to make my own as he thought these sobering thoughts a tear fell upon the dark water. A strong wind began to blow from across the water and the rabbit knew a storm was approaching, but as the wind grew closer there was no storm and the wind swirled around the rabbit what new evil is sent to plague me he cried to himself to the howling wind.

"I am not evil little brother rabbit I have heard your cry and come as your benevolent brother to offer you safety fore I know that you were not always a meek rabbit but a mighty hunter and that you have been cursed by a demon spirit." Said the great wind spirit. The small black rabbit thought then brother wind turn me back into a man so I can return to my people restored and raise my orphaned children. "

Little brother rabbit even I cannot undo the evil spell that was cast upon you but I return to your human voice and I can give you back your clothing so that all who see you will know that you were a mighty hunter and not a mere rabbit and your weapons too, you will walk in the daylight again safely and all who will see you will bow before you and no animal no matter how large will ever try and eat you.  As your older brother when you are in trouble you just have to call Cinye! Cinye! - brother, brother and I will come to your aid you need not fear this life you now live, you can go about and see the world through new eyes my little brother." With a gust, the clothing of the hunter now was upon his back the great wind spirit said" Speak little brother fore you have your voice back." and the black rabbit yelled the war cry of his people and it echoed across the dark lake. "Thank you, thank you, my older brother, now I have a chance to live and not be food for some other creature how can I repay your kindness." He said. "Think not of repayment brother for the evil deed that was done to you was a terrible thing I am doing what little I can to balance the evil with kindness. I cannot give you back your wife or your children but you can have a new life little brother live it well, and remember that I can come to help you if you just call to me when you are in need, be well my brother and may the great spirits smile upon you." "You are a great spirit my older brother and I can never thank you for what you have done I cannot have my wife or children again but I will have life and I will honor you oh great brother." The black rabbit said. With that, the great spirit of the wind swirled away and played with the great dark waters causing spouts of water to rise into the air and crash back as he flew towards the brilliant moon.

The Trickster learns to trick the arrogant

As the days went on the rabbit began to test his strength and saw by wearing his clothing and carrying his weapons the hawk and fox were frightened of him and he grew arrogant as he wandered the world, knowing if he yelled the war cry of his people he could frighten man or beast. No longer afraid he began to practice mischief on the other animals of the woods and plains, he would sneak up quietly behind a great elk and shout his war cry and laugh as the startled animal did not know which way to run. Such games he would play upon many others until he became bored of such silly tricks.

One day he happened upon a village, not of his former people but ones who have made war upon his people many times and had taken women and killed other brave hunters. So the rabbit watched from the brush as the men of the tribe would gather each day before a hunt and he thought of a great mischief he could do upon the village. There was one hunter who was the largest and tallest and strongest of the young men, he was also very arrogant as he was as handsome as he was strong, and desired to marry the daughter of the chief.

When the rabbit shed his clothing and hopped upon his 4 legs and swayed his long white tail he was just a rabbit and not even a meal for a young person so he was able to slip in and out of the village practically unnoticed. He watched and learned of the arrogance of the young man and thought of a way to trick him and make him look like a fool at the same time.

Early one morning he dressed in his own clothing and entered the village walking upright and calling out the names of the people of the village as he strolled right into the center, as each heard their name the came out only to laugh at this small black rabbit dressed as a great hunter.

"Hahaha." Was heard as the entire village laughed. A young brave asked "What do we have here?" 

"I am the great black hunter and do not laugh at me because I can shoot an arrow with more skill than even your strongest and biggest, who dares to challenge me?" He pointed to the young arrogant man and asked "Do you Running Deer? You are the biggest and strongest young man in the village, can you not shoot an arrow farther than I?" 

"Little rabbit who dresses like a great hunter and speaks with the power of a brave man, do not make me laugh any harder it hurts already, that you who are so small would challenge the most powerful young man of this village."  Boasted Running Deer.

"Then it will be very easy to beat me, or are you afraid to make a fool of yourself in front of the chief and the chiefs beautiful daughter, let us wager that if you can shoot an arrow farther and with better aim than me I will become your servant and fetch you wood to keep your fires burning and tend to all your needs. If I win I get to marry the beautiful daughter of the chief, is that a fair wager? " The black rabbit asked.

"Oh my you are very arrogant little rabbit what would the daughter of the chief want with a little runt like you when she can have the strongest, largest and most handsome hunter in the village?" Laughed Running Deer.

"You call me arrogant with a statement like that it is you who is most arrogant."  Said the black rabbit.

All the other young braves laughed at the comments of the small black rabbit, since they all knew them to be true.

Running Deer was now very angry. "How dare you say such things to me you little ball of fur, I will shoot an arrow 10 times farther than you and with perfect aim, now you must show that your skill is as wise as your mouth, little rabbit!" Running Deer shouted. "Then let us begin."  Said the black rabbit with a voice determined and filled with conviction.  The chief was now amused and sent his swiftest runner with a target and when he set it upon a tree, it was as far as anyone could see. No one in the village knew that the black rabbit crept into Running Deer's tent the night before and took all his arrows and loosened the flint arrowheads and bent the feathers that gave them speed as well as accuracy.

"You shoot first!" Said the chief to the black rabbit. "And we can end this game I want my breakfast!"

The black rabbit bowed to the great leader and said. " I pass the honor to your own self-proclaimed finest warrior!"

Running Deer had enough of this black rabbits insolence and said. "Great chief let us end this foolishness we are all hungry and would like to have our meal before we go on our hunt, this will only take a moment for me to collect my new servant!" "Wait we have not set a limit on how many shots we each get to take I say we make it 5 shots each!" stated the black rabbit.

"That is fine with me, as it will only take one to prove who the winner shall be, go Grey Eagle get my bow and arrows!" The young man ran into Running Deer's tent and returned with the needed equipment.

"Here you are Running Deer, save one to shoot the little black devil when you are done." said Grey Eagle and they both laughed heartily.

The daughter of the chief drew the line in the sand and Running Deer pulled out an arrow and let it fly within a few feet the flint fell off and the arrow landed with a thud.

"What!" shouted Running Deer, that must be a broken arrow." He pulled the second one and this time he pulled his bow as taut as possible looking to send the bow flying the distance, this one took off with a twang and shot far but it wobbled and fell away from the target. 

"What mischief is this? that my arrows are not hitting the target! He shouted his face now red with anger.

"Well you have 3 more to beat me, great warrior!" Taunted the black rabbit.

"I do not need 3 to beat you 1 is all I need and it will be the next one!"  Running Deer pulled out the next arrow and placed it firmly on his bow pulled back and the arrow snapped in two.

"Ohhhhh!" Shouted a furious Running Deer.

"Oh great chief it is a wonder that your village is so well fed with such terrible shooting from your strongest warrior." Teased the black rabbit. "Enough of this playing, I command you as your chief to hit that target and make this little black demon leave us!" shouted the chief.  "Yes i will take the target now oh great leader!" Running Deer was deep red now as his anger and embarrassment grew large. The 4th arrow was pulled and placed upon the bow and it went no more than 2 feet when the flint fell out and it crashed with a boom upon the dust. He dropped the bow and grabbed the black rabbit by his neck. 

"What sort of evil dark magic are you creating you little black monster?

The entire tribe chanted in approval. "Kill the rabbit!" 

"Release me or I shall bring the great wrath of my power upon your entire village." Croaked the black rabbit. "You have no power here you little demon, string him up and have the horses pull him to pieces." Shouted the angry chief.   Quickly they had him tied by his little paws and were about to begin, when the black rabbit shouted.

"For all the killing you have done to my people, for all the women you have stolen and children you have left without parents oh brother "Cinye! Cinye!" and within a few seconds the sky grew black and the fierce winds began to blow.

His powerful older brother cut the ropes with a snap, and the winds blew through the village, ripping down the shelters and forcing the storehouses to be split open. The stored food began to blow with the wind the tribe grabbed each other and held on tightly but it mattered not, everyone was soon flying with the wind, the chief was stripped of his headdress and eagle feathers flew in all directions.

He grabbed for his daughter but she was soon sitting in a tree.

Running Deer tried to fight the wind but it grew more fierce the harder he fought, until he too was lifted into the air and dropped a few feet from the target.

With that, there was shambles of the village as the sky lightened up and his older brother asked. "What have you done little brother to have them so angry at you, to wish you torn to pieces?"

"I did nothing older brother, they took me hostage as they had taken my people and killed many before." 

"Little brother, why were you in the village of your own villages enemy?" 

"I came to teach them a lesson in arrogance it was nothing,  but a bit of mischief older brother no harm has been done." Said the black rabbit.

"Little brother look around you I have wiped out an entire village, this is not mischief this is destruction, do not get yourself into such a dangerous situation again little brother." Said the spirit of the wind.

"I promise brother I will never place myself in this situation again!" Pleaded the black rabbit. 

" See to it that you will not!"  The last words demanded his older brother as he sped away leaving blue sky once more.

The black rabbit picked up his own belongings and left the site that once was a powerful village, not feeling sorry for his deeds, nor was he humbled by his big brother.

The trick of the Magic Sunstone

Many days passed into moons and the black rabbit was lonely for the company of people, he missed his family as he missed being a man. But as this was his fate there was nothing he could do but accept it. His only consolation was wandering and seeing places he had never seen before. He had left the far north forest an came upon the great plains he watched as bison so large and so numerous roared across the great grasslands. So many when they ran together the sun was hidden from the sky in great clouds of dust. 

Traveled with the sun as his guide during the day and the stars when he would travel at night, skills he remembered from when he was a great hunter.

Moons later he found himself in the warmer forest, much different than the far north forest he called home. Here different trees grew, few were the large pines and firs but trees filled with leaves and wide as there were tall.  With so much dense growth, food for the rabbit was always available.  As he ventured to the land of the rising sun he came upon a great river wide as any of the big lakes he saw as a boy not imagining in any way how he could cross such a vast river moving so rapidly.

He would surely drown before he went very far, he could only walk beside the bank of the great river. And as he walked he saw bright shells of some creature that lived within the river and he began to collect them and place them in a small leather satchel shells of such beauty were so rare to his people. One day he came saw something sparkling from the mud and he went in to retrieve it he pulled out a beautiful shining stone made up of many tiny squares each point's so bright that when the sun would hit them it the light from the stone was the sun itself, golden rays would beam as in the sun. This sunstone was a great treasure for the black rabbit and he held onto it tightly feeling it must have some magic because it was so beautiful. After days he grew bored following the river it never got smaller and there was no way to ever get to the other side. Angry that he could never see what lay on the other shore, he gave up. He came upon a worn path that lead away from the big river and was soon in a field of wild fragrant herbs whose powerful scents brought back memories of times his wife and her mother cooked great meals with these wonderful herbs.  He nibbled a bit from each and closed his eyes and would remember the times with his family and he became sadder then he was before he found the great river.   He squeezed his eyes shut to banish the tears that welled up within him.

His chest was filled with pain and longing for the company of family and his life as a man. Soon he was fast asleep nestled in the soft bed of herbs as he woke he thought the great spirit had turned him back into a man because he began to hear voices of young women and many of them. He lay low in the herbs as they came closer, so lonely was he for human company he waited till they were walking right alongside of him and he leapt out and frightened the maidens and they ran from him screaming as if he were a wolf, and not a small black rabbit. He had not used his human voice for many moons so he reached down deep and pulled it out and said.

"Please young maidens do not fear me I just want to walk a little with you, look and you can see I am no ordinary black rabbit, but I have been enchanted by a demon I was once a great hunter, see from the clothing I wear."  the girls stopped running as they heard his voice and began to speak among themselves.  "How could this be a rabbit speaking like a man and dressing in the clothing of a hunter?"  All except one She was not afraid of a rabbit even a talking one wearing clothing he was small and she was larger she told the other girls.  "Do not fear him see he is quite harmless" And she walked toward him she reached out her hands and he saw she carried no weapons so he walked to her hands when he was close she began to rub his ears for luck.

Although he was a great hunter and never would allow a young maiden to touch his hair when he was a man, her soft touch on his furry ears was so pleasant that he did not run away or try to fight with her.

"See silly birds he will not harm us, and there are many of us and only one of him so if we wished to take him home and make him a delicious stew we could easily take him and capture him!" The young maiden who scratched his head called out to her friends. Slowly the other girls came and as they saw the daughter of the chief who was fearless, scratching the head of the odd little black rabbit that walked on two legs wore the clothing of a hunter and could speak like a man.

They each asked for a turn, not asking the rabbit but the daughter of the chief.

He heard her name Dancing Flower and it was a fine name for such a strong and beautiful woman.   He called her by her name. "Princess Dancing Flower may i join you as you walk? I have been a black rabbit for many moons now and I miss the sound of my people's voices, may I walk with you?  He asked.

"As long as you remain a peaceful little rabbit and do not become another more dangerous animal, you are free to walk with us!" Said Dancing Flower.

"Thank you, gracious princess, can you ask your friends to please stop rubbing my head?" She laughed and said "Do you not hear the words of the great hunter do not rub his head any longer it seems we are causing him some pains upon his little head." The other girls all giggled but stopped once princess Dancing Flower asked.    They began walking and as they walked they asked many questions of the former hunter and he kindly answered them explaining his story to the young maidens. They each felt sadness in their hearts to be separated from those they have spent their lives with, would give them great sorrow.  Princess Dancing Flower took pity on the great hunter who was now a small little rabbit. "Would you like to come back to our village and I can introduce you to the chief my father and my husband who is also a great hunter and my children and for one night you can feel the warmth of a village once again?" She asked him.

"Great princess that would be such an honor and would lighten up my heart with joy if even for one night, yes please but i must warn you that no harm can come to me because i am a great hunter and will cause great destruction to any village that wishes me harm." The princess had to hold back a giggle as did the other girls, what a silly boast from one so weak and defenseless as this small rabbit.

She thought what a great gift he would be for my children. 

"Then you must promise us as well that you will not turn into a giant beast and devour my people, once you swear this oath of a great hunter we will be at peace with inviting you into our village." She said to the rabbit.

"I swear on my honor as a great hunter that I shall never change into a great beast and devour your village, you have my pledge as warrior and hunter he said proudly. The princess felt her heart grow hard and said to herself this would be a prize to present to my father the mighty chief a prideful rabbit there is no other like it anywhere and he will take it as the gift it is very special, my father will be both pleased with me and entertained by this rabbit.

"Then come we are not far, our village is on a creek that leads to the great river." They walked and talked longer until the came to the bend where the creek separated them from the village on the other side.

" See little rabbit our village is just on the side of the creek, come climb on my back and I will take you across it is not deep or fast but for you it would be a sure death." Princess Dancing Flower said and the little black rabbit was at once honored to be riding on the back of a princess and relieved to not have to risk peril trying to cross the water on his own. She reached out and picked him up and placed him on her shoulders he placed his paws around her neck held on gently as she strode into the water.

From his vantage point the water was very far away but the princess only got wet to her knees and he watched as all the other girls followed and each skillfully walked through the water not slipping on the stones or sinking into the mud, they reached the sandy shore and a few men came to join the women. "My wife, what have you brought with you from your walk? what animal is this that rides upon your head, so proudly in the clothing of a hunter, what games have you been playing today?" Said the tall man dressed as not only a warrior but as the prince of the people, so fine were his skins and headdress.

"My husband, I have a great surprise for you on this day, a very special ceremonial day, as we were gathering the herbs to prepare the feast to celebrate the great battle that you have won for my father, this small black rabbit jumped out of the herbs and surprised us." Boasted Dancing Flower.

"My wife you need not have gone to such trouble to make a hunters costume for your little pet, the children will love him just as a black rabbit with a long white tail, yes it is strange to see such a creature in black fur all other rabbits wear coats of brown and have tails of brown, but to go to such trouble even on an important day as today is a waste of your valuable time, our children have been driving our mothers crazy waiting for you to return." 

The small tribe of 6 children all ages came running calling "Mother, mother where have you been and what have you brought us!" "My children stay calm for a few moments and my husband you will be in for a great surprise because the small black rabbit is not a gift nor is he a pet he is an honored guest!" Dancing Flower said as she placed the black rabbit on the ground.

"Wife a rabbit is an honored guest at our feast when he is made into stew." The prince laughed along with many now assembled on the creek shore.

"My husband Great Raven i introduce to you with honor the great hunter black rabbit!" "My wife you have spent too many hours in the hot sun and are suffering from a silly sickness, caused by the heat, children take your new pet, the great hunter the black rabbit an go and play your mother needs to get ready for the feast, come girls go bring the herbs your mothers are waiting and maybe the princess should lay down for a while, she seems to be very confused today!" 

Great Raven began to lead his wife away as she said

"No husband you do not understand, speak now little rabbit or they will make you into a stew!" She pleaded with the black rabbit. "Yes Great Raven your princess is correct I am no ordinary black rabbit but one created by the dark magic of an evil demon I was once a man like you.  Great Raven stood with his mouth open, for a moment then said.

"What sort of trick is this that makes the little rabbit speak like a man, who is behind this? how can you make it seem so real, maybe the sun has gotten to me as well!" The others murmured.

"No my husband you need to hear the story he was once a great hunter like you see he wears the tunic and leggings of a great hunter the master beadwork the blade the bow and arrows are all real, he has been through very difficult times we owe him respect and I wish to present him to my father at the feast tonight, as a great hunter from the north lands, not a small helpless black rabbit.  Great Raven lowered himself to the ground and said to the black rabbit, in a soft voice "If this is some kind of mischief black rabbit i will make you very sorry, do you hear me oh great hunter?" "Great Raven, i hear you and as a man i would have said the very same words if I had a chance, the dark evil that befell me came upon me without any knowledge, I swear and oath that everything I have told you is true and I have no desire to cause any distress to you or your village, you have my word as a great hunter from the north!"  "Dancing Flower see that your guest has a place to rest I am sure that he must be tired and thirsty, have one of your maidens show him to a place for the night!"  Great Raven called to his wife. She sent for one of the young women who was on the path and she led the proudly striding black rabbit through the village, many of the people came out to see this strange sight, from around the corner a large dog came rushing at the black rabbit and began to snarl and bark. The small black rabbit let out the war cry of his people and pulled out his flint blade and took the stance of attack, the dog turned in fear of the fierce war cry and ran away whimpering.

The people who witnessed it said this is no rabbit he truly is a great hunter! Since this was a night of celebration the village was filled with guests there was not a spare hut for the black rabbit so she led him to a food storage shed, half filled with grain, she went and found straw and reeds for him to sleep in, the thought of bringing fur was not one she would have done to embarrass the great hunter.

There was a small corner that was clear of grain and would be a fine place for him to spend the night after she set him up she brought a gourd of fresh water from the creek and a bowl of the fragrant herbs mixed with other roots and berries.  The black rabbit said thank you to the maiden and made himself comfortable and had a very short rest, when he woke he took his clothing and his belongings and hid them all the way in a corner under a mountain of grain.

These will be safe here he thought until i need them later. He now was free of his clothing and as the sky was getting darker he could explore the village within the shadows and see what there was to see before the great feast was to begin. Many of the women were chattering as they cooked big pots of mixed foods and grains, big sides of meat were slowly cooking on the coals and the smells were wonderful.

He smiled when he heard them mention him, there was much going on in the village and he was in and out of the shadows it was an accident of fate that he came across the hut of Dancing Flower and Great Raven he was going to ask for permission to enter when he heard shouting and slid back into the shadows.

"No Great Raven you can not kill the black rabbit he is a gift for my father to entertain him they are building a cage for him as we speak, my father will be very pleased to have a new form of entertainment one that no other chief of the great river will ever have, he will look with favor on us, and when the time comes for him to pass on his tribute he will look at you Great Raven to lead the tribe, not the husband of my sister he is a fool and would cause us great harm among the other villages, you Great Raven will be the chief you are well liked and will make a great chief and I will stand by your side as you send my sister and her husband away."

"My wife, your plan makes much sense but I fear this black demon is sent to us as a trap and will create great chaos, he is a portent of much evil my wife and he must be killed tonight!" He shouted back. "Please my husband do you wish to serve a master that is beneath your sense and skill, I do not, if you do not become the chief I will kill myself and I will take all of my children with me, I will not be a servant to my sister and her fool husband!" Great Raven stood and shouted, "Do not speak to me in such a manner i am a great hunter and you are just a princess, you will watch your tongue and you will do as i command, the black rabbit dies tonight, my word is final!" He lifted his hand to strike her but he held back.

" My wife you will now get prepared for the celebration tonight it is most important that you look as beautiful to your people as you do to me now go!"

Dancing Flower stood to leave and as she did she bowed before her husband and left the hut and went to her own.

Before he could turn to run a sack was thrown over him and he was tied up and pulled into the dark and was bounced hard until he was knocked asleep.  When black rabbit awoke he was confused and slowly began to see what was around him, he found himself trapped in a wooden cage that was not very large and covered with a blanket he was warm and closed in and had a hard time breathing He could hear drums and pipes and loud music he could smell smoke.

His rabbit ears were very sensitive and soon he heard a voice old and deep.

"This is a very fine celebration my children you have made me both happy and proud!"  Black rabbit could only assume it was the voice of the great chief of these creek people.

"Wait, my father, I have a new and exciting gift for you, one that no one has ever seen before or will ever see again!" Black rabbit recognized the voice of Dancing Flower.

"It is but a small box wrapped in a blanket it is nothing compared to the celebration we have created for you this night." Here was a woman's voice he did not know. "My sister you speak as if the gift from Great Raven and Dancing Flower has been revealed, it has not, see for yourself my Father!" and at once the blanket was swiped away. Black Rabbit looked with astonishment for his cage was sitting near a huge firepit and right in front of him was the great chief of these creek people.

Laughing wildly as he smoked his long wooden pipe, while maidens danced around him.  "This is a great gift? sister you have placed a skunk in a cage to present our father on this special night, take the foul creature away before he gives us all a gift no one wants." Said the unknown woman. "Sister Laughing Rain, this is no skunk, this is a black rabbit with a snow-white tail, we came upon him this day, but that is not the surprise my father!" 

Dancing Flower shook the cage and said, "Speak now Black Rabbit or we shall throw you into the fire!" she said sternly. Black Rabbit was infuriated at the deceit that Dancing Flower placed upon him, and he refused to speak. "It is true great chief I have heard this black rabbit speak today, his story is one that you will love, filled with dark magic and powerful spells!" Great Raven spoke to his wife's father. Now it was his turn to poke at Black Rabbit with a sharp stick.

"Speak or you will die a thousand times this night!" He yelled into the cage.

"Ouch do not do that again Great Raven or you will have to deal with my wrath!" shouted Black Rabbit, very angry. "What did he say? bring the beast to me!" Said the great chief. 2 hunters carried the cage and shook up the black rabbit who now beyond angry, he was fierce and began shouting.

"This behavior is unsuitable for a great hunter and you all shall feel my wrath shortly!"  "My Dancing Flower and her husband this is indeed no ordinary rabbit, he is black as coal with a tail as white as a cloud and listen to him yelling this is a marvelous trick how did you do it?" The chief asked with a huge smile upon his face. "Yes, my father it is a cheap trick they are playing a very cruel game on you and should be punished, take that beast away from my father it is filled with dark magic!" Demanded Laughing Rain. Dancing Flower came close to the cage and spoke softly to the black rabbit.

"My friend, we do not wish to hurt you, please calm down and tell my father your story and we shall release you from the cage." The black rabbit was not eased by her soft words but decided that it was the time he taught them all a lesson. "Dancing Flower you have heard my story but it does not tell as well when i look like a common animal, come with me back to the shed and I will gather my clothing and show your father the real Black Rabbit, please it will take only a moment and he will be very impressed and your sister will see the truth that you are indeed a wise princess," He said as calmly as possible. "Release the black rabbit, but I will lead him back to the shed, not my wife, secure a rope and tie the great hunter up!" Shouted Great Raven. Soon a rope was found and slipped into the cage.

"Put this around your neck so you do not escape from me!" Demanded Great Raven. The black rabbit complied with this order, and was soon out of the cramped cage, Great Raven pulled the rope tightly and began to drag the black rabbit back to the shed.

"Do not pull and magic tricks or I will take you apart myself!" said Great Raven. Once inside the storage shed black rabbit said. "Great Raven you must take off the rope or I cannot get into my tunic!"  "Remember rabbit I have four hunters outside this door so get into your clothing and come right out!" Great Raven left the black rabbit to collect his things and as the plan was already in his mind he knew what he was going to do, he dressed and took all his things, he did, however, secure the sunrock from his sack and place it in is a pouch of his leggings, he walked out the door and handed his bow and arrows as well as his blade to Great Raven.

And said, "In good faith, I hand over my weapons so that you look favorably and do not place the rope around my neck for I am a great hunter and will be diminished in your wife's father's eyes if I am lead back like a dog and do not walk as a great hunter."  "Brothers, we will walk the black rabbit back to the chief if he tries to run take him down, I am depending on your honor black rabbit to not disgrace me and run away!" said Great Raven with an angry tone. "Have no fear I swear an oath brother hunter that I will do just as you request, I must make a good impression upon your beloved chief and I will do nothing to disgrace you or Dancing Flower, my friend!"

And so they lead the black rabbit who walked with the pride of a great hunter and he did impress all the others that he did carry the soul of a great hunter in the rabbit's body. "My chief, I present Black Rabbit the great hunter from the north woods!"

And Great Raven backed away to let the little black rabbit assume the role of great hunter. Black Rabbit walked over to the chief who looked favorably upon how he carried himself, and thought this is not a mere rabbit but indeed a great hunter.  "Come Black Rabbit sit by me and tell me your story!" Said the chief. "Father do not be fooled by a black rabbit in clothing this is but a trick from my sister and her husband to make a fool of you!" Said Laughing Rain angry that the black rabbit was being treated as a man and not an animal. "The only one here who is making a fool of themselves is you Laughing Rain, go and get out of my sight I wish to hear no more of your voice!" Said the chief and Laughing Rain and her husband sulked away from the feast. "My wise and wonderful daughter Dancing Flower bring us food and drink as your gift tells me his tale, my good son Great Raven join us and sit at my side, for you have done well, in bringing this great hunter to my feast!"  Black Rabbit began to tell the chief his story only now that he had the attention of the chief he made his tale much more dramatic, as this was his plan to captivate the great chief with his tale until he could do his next step. "And the evil demon took my wife and began to slay all the hunters of my tribe and when he got to my own great chief he ripped his eagle feather headdress from his head and made flames to consume it. "You are chief no more!" said the great demon and the headdress of my great chief was burnt but not to ashes it was turned into a great stone that shone like the sun, as the demon went to pick it up I ran from the brush and snatched it before the monster could collect it, the demon sent lighting bolts to pursue me but I ran faster than the lightning and took the great stone. From a distance I heard the howling of the demon.

"Give that back to me or I will find you, that stone will make the owner the chief of all the tribes for many moons away! he will be the greatest chief the world has ever known!" said Black Rabbit with great conviction. Both the chief of the creek village and Great Raven were taken in by this amazing tale. "Black Rabbit great hunter do you have the stone now?" asked Great Raven "Yes let me see this magical stone Black Rabbit!" Asked the chief. Black rabbit pulled the sunstone he found in the great river out of his pouch and got up and brought it closer to the fire, "Come to see how it glows like the sun, it is a most powerful and magical stone.  Both the chief and Great Raven got up and walked to the fire. "OH it is like the sun, this is a most powerful stone let me hold it, give it to me great hunter Black Rabbit!" asked the chief. "No great chief it may not leave my possession because it has great power or the demon would not have wanted it so badly, I am sorry no man has ever held the stone, it will cause very strange things to happen!"

Said Black Rabbit cautiously. "Give it to me, I must have that stone!" shouted the chief." "No I must have that stone!" shouted Great Raven. "Husband of my daughter you will not touch this stone it is meant for chiefs only, you are just my hunter, you shall not have the stone, Black Rabbit I command you to hand it to me!" Screamed the chief. "I will someday be chief and I will be the greatest chief in all the lands, Black Rabbit give it to me!" Shouted Great Raven. "I can not give the stone to either of you, it is not for the hands of man ever!" and with that, he dropped the stone into the fire. Both men leaped towards the fire and each called for his hunters loyal to him to get water and put out the fire. Men scrambled to find bowls and food was tossed to the ground, anything that could hold water was sought. "So Great Raven you will be chief, you will be chief of no one, I command that you are no longer in line to be the chief of this village!" Screamed the old chief. "I do not care what you say, old man with that stone I will be chief of all villages and I will make sure that you have no power at all! Shouted Great Raven. "Your arrogance will be your ruin when I have that stone all will be mine, and you will become a servant, no longer a hunter for even a mouse!" Bellowed the chief. they fought and fought and the black rabbit slipped away into the very best canoe he could see, and then he yelled "Cinye, Cinye!.... and within a few minutes, the great spirit of the wind was upon the village. "Little brother, what have you done this time, I was far in the south countries when you called?"  "Older brother I have done nothing they are fighting for a stone of mine and they will see me killed as soon as they get it, please brother make the creek rise to flood the fire and I will get my stone and with your help I will get to the other side of the great river and be gone from these squabbles." The great wind spirit blew hard and the creek overflowed its banks and the water began to consume the village and the men were tossed about like dolls by the force of the water, the only one who was in a canoe was the black rabbit and when he paddled to where the fire was he dove into the water and pulled out his stone as the village was being lifted from its roots by the water people were splashing everywhere, once back in the canoe, he called. 

"Older brother pull the waters from the village and make a great wave to carry me out to the river and land me on the other side my brother." His powerful brother did as his little brother asked and the village was a muddy sandy mess and the people were once again on land, as the fierce wind carried the canoe with the black rabbit safely across the great river and laid him gently on the soft bank.  "Brother oh Brother you need to help me once again please blow my weapons back to me as they were taken by the village." "Do not be a fool little brother that water and sand has made a ruin of all upon that shore I will make you new ones that will be stronger and be enchanted by me so you need not fear for your life again, but little brother, you must be more careful it is hard for me to always come to your aid I have much work to do around the lands to always come when you call, so you must be able to avoid such mischief at all costs, do you hear me little brother?"  "I do great spirit of the wind, my older brother, I only call you when I fear for my life, I do fine, most of the time on my own, I was just lonely to hear the voices of man again, but trust me older brother I will not seek the company of man for a very long time!" "See to it, now look at your feet you have new arrows that will hit any target to aim at, and your flint blade is now fresh flint sharp enough to split a leg of a spider in two, you are dear to me little brother but you must stay out of mischief!"  And with that the great spirit was gone like a flash. Back at the creekside village the people were cleaning up from the great flood, and Great Raven was now made to be a servant to his wife's father, and Dancing Flower was made to be a servant to her sister Laughing Rain, for bringing such a disaster upon the village, the great chief who many would have thought would have been humbled by the spirit of the great wind, only dreamed of the sunstone all the time, and was soon consumed with finding both the black rabbit and the stone. Many in his village did not want to even thnk of the black rabbit and his sunstone ever again.  The great chief thought of nothing else. The Tale of How the Rabbit lost his Tail He was now safely on the other side he wasted no time and fled from the river bank, I must put a great distance between me and the large river for fear the creek village may come after me, he thought and tossed the very fine canoe into the river where it was swiftly carried far away down river. There was no difference between this side of the river and the other and soon after he was very far away the black rabbit grew bored, I liked having an adventure and I am very good at telling tales, perhaps I shall be a storyteller from now on and be less of a great hunter, with my older brothers weapons and his mighty strength I will fear no one. With that last thought, he ran as fast as he could towards some low hills in the distance. Night was passing its great bow to its brother the sun who began to rise in the east. Black rabbit was soon very tired after running the remainder of the night and found a small rock shelf where we could rest the day. This will a good place to sleep if it rains I will be dry and it is not facing the wind or the sun so I shall sleep in peace he said to himself as he began to gather dried grass once he had a large clump he took it into the shelter and began to toss and fluff it so it was soft and sweet smelling, soon he was deeply sleeping. After a time when the sun rose past the center of the sky and was no longer overhead and started its journey to meet it brother. Black rabbit woke up he was feeling like he did not want to jump and bounce for awhile so he started to stare out over the hills and chew on the sweet grass that he was resting on. I am not as smart as I think I am I did not fill the skin with drinking water when I was at the river now I am far from the river and I have a powerful thirst, he scanned the low hills and did not see any markings or growth of tall grasses that would show either a small creek or pond. He did, however, hear a tap, tap. tap above his head, what is that he wondered and looked cautiously over the stone shelf, he saw a raven pecking at the top of the rock looking for something to eat.

Black rabbit called out "Brother raven do you know this country?" The raven stopped pecking a second but did not look up and answered: "Who wants to know, and why is it your business!"  "I am Black Rabbit the famous storyteller and I am looking for some water to drink and I do not know this land!" he said as he pulled himself up from the ledge. "I never heard of you, so you are not famous, and what do I care if you die from thirst it is not my problem" He snapped back at the black rabbit. "Sorry to have bothered you, go back to your tapping and forget I asked for your favor! brother raven" black rabbit replied annoyed at the rude behavior from a fellow creature. The raven looked up from his tapping and said: "You are black, no rabbit I have ever seen is black like me, maybe you speak the truth, come closer let me get a look at you." The raven asked.  ravens are very large birds and a hungry raven if he has help can take down a rabbit without much difficulty, black rabbit had seen two ravens take a good sized rabbit a little bigger than himself.  "No thank you sorry to have bothered you!"  the black rabbit and he slipped back down below the ledge, where his weapons were if he wants to fight I will give a good one, he thought. With a loud Caw, Caw the raven was down at the lower part of the small cave. "I said to come closer i want to get a good look at you, why did you disappear?" He stood at the mouth of the small shelf. "Come one step closer and this blade will split you in two, now back away i asked you nicely for water and you were rude now why are wishing to be kind to me raven?" "How many snows have you seen boy, I asked you to come close because I have seen fifteen snows, for a raven, I am the oldest that anyone has ever known and my eyes do not work as they did when i was young, all i see is a blackness when you spoke to me." The raven said with a weariness in his voice. Black rabbit had known as a man that ravens are great tricksters and famous for playing jokes on all other animals, so even though he felt compassion in his heart for the bird, he did not trust him and approached him slowly with his blade lowered at his side. As he grew closer he saw that around his eyes the raven was speckled with white feathers, this was a sign he remembered as a great hunter of aging in all living things from man to beast. When he grew closer he saw that a white film also covered the ravens one eye. "You are close enough boy do you see that I am not a young and dangerous killer, but a very old and tired raven, weak from hunger and unable to see with both of my eyes?  Black rabbit spoke with the reverence that one reserved for the old among his own people. "Yes oh revered raven I am very sorry to have been rude to you, but when you were tapping I could not see your face, forgive me please come under the safety of the ledge and come and have a seat and we shall begin as new friends and speak together." He said as he placed his blade into its holder and placed his hand on the ravens shoulder above his wing and lead him inside. "Thank you black rabbit, for showing respect to one as lowly as myself, but before we sit, give me something to hold water and I will go and honor you and bring you something to drink." He offered to the black rabbit. "That would be much-appreciated raven as I have not had a drink in a sun to moons time." He took his water skin from the ground and handed it to the raven, who clutched it in his claw and flew out of the opening with a loud Caw, Caw. and was gone into the sky.  This is a great test for me, older brother, do I trust the old raven to return with water? or do I fall into the trap that he is as all ravens have been a great trickster and will never return and I will have to make a new skin for my water? He asked himself. I will rise up from my lack of trust and secure some food for my brother old raven, as a sign that I will welcome a friendship with another.

Black rabbit went down from his shelter and began to turn over rocks and clumps of grass until he had not one but two pawfuls of big fat worms, these he placed into a small hole he made in the grasses of his bed,  he was very proud of himself. As time went on he began to get very frustrated since the sun was moving closer and closer to his brother the night and the worms kept slipping away into the grass and he was spending much time in thirst as he was catching the slithering worms, who would not stay where he placed them.

He has been gone too long and I am a fool to trust a raven, he thought when he heard the sound of something hitting the ground outside his shelter, he went closer and saw his water skin filled and he ran for it and drank the cool water quickly. "Be careful brother black rabbit if you drink too much you will get ill!"

Said the voice of the old raven as he approached the shelter after gliding to the hill from above. He closed the skin and said "Thank you brother raven I was getting pain from thirst and you came at the right time, come into my shelter I have a surprise for you as he led the raven to the squiggling mass of worms. "Your gift for being a friend and helping, me eat, enjoy your meal."  "Master rabbit you are a wise friend indeed as he lowered his face to the worms, so many this is a feast I have not seen this much food at one time in many winters!" The raven quickly began to devour the feast "Be careful brother if you eat too many you will get ill" the black rabbit laughed to his brother the raven who was so busy eating he did not even comment.  "Brother the sun has met his brother the night, as a man we would light fires at this time to warm the people against the creeping cold, as well as keep the large animals away from the village, are you frightened of fire? or will it be a comfort to you? His mouth was still filled with worms so he had to pause to speak.

"Brother rabbit you did not lie when you said you were a teller of stories, I hear you say that you were a man and had a village and can work with the demon fire, my eyesight may have failed me by my hearing is as a young one." "Will the fire frighten you?, I grow cold and do not like the darkness of the night all the time, it would be a great treat for me to have the fire once again if it causes you discomfort I will put it out?" He questioned the raven. "Truth, brother rabbit I have never seen fire up close, I have seen man work with fire and have seen great storms make a fire of the grasslands of the setting sun, wild they burned and all escaped in fear, every creature terrified from herds of the huge bison to the smallest mouse, I will be curious to see how a rabbit can control something sent from the great spirits, if you create chaos I will fly away but will escape your own creation?" "Have no fear brother raven as I have spent all my life working with fires and I have seen twenty winters as man and one as a rabbit!" The black rabbit boasted with pride. "Do your magic as I wish to see such a miracle brother, and I want to hear you tell your tales, because either you are a great storyteller or as mad as a weasel!"

He cackled as he slurped down the last of his meal. The black rabbit took from his pouch a flint and he made a small pile of grass since the shelter was not large the fire would be small, he was very excited to show the raven of his skill at making fire. "Brother, I will make a small fire since I can only burn grass there are no trees or hard twigs on these hills, but it will remain very small I promise you, in my village, we used to burn entire trees in the night of a cold snow, I came from a land of many trees unlike this land where there are none."

He struck his flint against the small stone he carried in his pouch and the sparks ignited the drier grasses and the flame was born. "Brother rabbit you are deeply magical for I have never seen an animal make fire before, it is pleasant like the warmth of the sun I like your magic fire!" Said the very impressed raven. he settled in and nested in the soft grass where his dinner was just wiggling about. "Tell me of your tales, I am now very much in awe as to how a rabbit has obtained clothing, weapons, and much skill!"  Black rabbit fussed with his fire of grass as he watched the flames reflect off the feathers of his new friend the raven, he was also surprised that he always believed that ravens were black but in the light of the fire the ravens feathers were of many colors and almost magical themselves as the rabbit told his tale of woe and then of his adventures he watched as the fire turned ravens feathers deep blue and purple and red and yellow and green. At first, the old raven listened with great attention to the black rabbit's tales and near the end, he had placed his head into the fold of one wing as was asleep.  Black rabbit believed he was a great storyteller because in his own village the very best would place the old and the young into a spell of sleep bfore the tale was finished, so he was very proud of his skill. The fire was now out and the small shelter held some of the heat and the black rabbit sat for a moment and started thinking of his old life, of his beloved wife and children of his life once so very different and he shook himself and said No, I must leave my old life behind and look to be the best I can be in this life I have been given, it was not by choice but I must accept that this is my new life and that to be happy I must place my old dreams and memories in a safe place and tomorrow when the sun once again holds its bow in the sky I will bury my old memories since to own them now makes me too sad. If I am to become a great teller of tales I must only tell the tales I have experienced as rabbit and not a man, for it gives me great sadness to retell the story of how I became the black rabbit. He curled himself into a tight ball in the soft sweet smelling grass and was soon deeply asleep. When he woke the sun was already in the sky and the raven was gone. Where could he have gone? i guess my new friend must have moved on he thought. Soon he heard a thud and saw his waterskin land just outside the shelter, he went to check it and it was filled, looking toward the hills he saw the raven sweep down and grab a clump of grass and fly back towards the shelter.  "Caw, Caw!" he called out as he landed on the hillside. "Brother raven i thought you were gone from my friendship." the black rabbit laughed. "No my brother you have fed me more last night than I have eaten for a moon, and you told me your tale and provided warmth for my old bones, and a safe place to sleep, i will not leave you! we are bound in my clan when one has been so kind, we will always repay that kindness, so now you have fresh sweet grass and water for you to eat, as my gift to you!' the old raven explained to his new friend. "while you enjoy your meal i will tell you my tale, if you don't mind?" He asked. Black rabbit now had his mouth stuffed with the fresh sweet grass and shook his head clearly wishing to hear the tale of the old raven. "A ravens life is not an easy one, we are hatched by the mighty spirit of flight and fed for a short time by our family, once we are large and crowding the nest our family pushes us out one by one, whether you are ready to take to the sky or crash to the rocks. One by one we are pushed and some are very frightened and do not believe they can fly and do crash to the rocks below the nest, others who have witnessed this are either scared enough to take to the sky or fall as their brothers and sisters have. From a nest of many few feel the power and fly once we have flown, we are no longer fed and our parents abandon the nest and many times we will not see them again until it is time to work with the great spirit and make a new nest of our own. The new clan is those who survive and we band together in small groups of three or four until one becomes the leader and will cut the group down to three, those who have been removed can band together and form their own clan. We learn from each other and we slowly venture far from our place of birth, it is only on the night when the moon is asleep do we all join together again as one council of ravens. Where we may see those who hatched us if they remain, or not but it is a very powerful council and there we must report all the things we have seen and done from the past dark moon. The council then decides who is young and strong and remains and who is old or sick and must be removed from the much bigger clan. They will also pass judgment on any who have broken the treaties with the other creatures of the hills, forest, and plains. Our laws are very strict and if one does break a treaty with the others they may be punished in a most painful way." He paused and asked  "My friend black rabbit may I have some of your water, I do not speak as much as this any longer at one time?" "Yes of course," he said as he dug a small hole into the hard ground lined it with grass and filled it with fresh water. "Thank you, brother, you are very kind to an old raven!" He said before he lowered his beak to drink the water. "We do not see much kindness as we are not a loving clan, we do our hunting, eating, and living together but we fight amongst ourselves for everything, we are greedy and selfish by nature as we did not understand the ways of the furry creatures who are kind to their young and show them both affection and mercy." Said the old raven after his drink.  "You have much to teach me, brother, as you have been blessed by the great spirit to inhabit the world of men and furry creature as well!"   "It will be my honor raven, as you are a very intelligent creature we shall learn from each other!" Said the black rabbit with enthusiasm. "One such story is terrible since it included a brother hatched from the same nest as I was, he was the strongest and took many worms and ate more than many of my brothers and sisters, but his spirit was black as a night of no moon, blacker still, like the shiny black rocks that washed up from the sunrise sea, for brother rabbit I have seen such places, and the sea is so big that I could not fly across it and even when we flew alongside the point where sea met the land we would travel, many moons till we came to the land where it is always warm and the sun is hot upon you every day! but that is another story, I was speaking of my clan leader my brother." He paused for another drink of water. "This story began when we were young and reckless and we feared no animal since we flew as three we could capture creatures as large as yourself with the leadership of my brother, one day he sat in a tall tree and watched as a family of coyotes was practicing their skills to hunt, the mother was both wise and kind as she taught her pups to catch small animals like mice or even moles and chipmunks. It was then my evil brother came up with his plan, we take a coyote pup and we teach him our ways and he will become the great food provider and we shall get to sit and enjoy our time, and fly and play and he will do our bidding as our servant. As I said we were young and arrogant and when you mix those together you get great mischief, add evil and you get a dangerous plan. He watched for days silently and told us of his plan and we were cautioned if we made any noise he would take us out right then and there. We two feared for our own lives that we no longer cared how he planned to capture the pup. His evil plan was very wise and it did not require much one of us would pretend to be wounded and draw a pup from his group and our leader would swoop down and capture the pup since a coyote pup was even smaller than a large rabbit he knew he could carry it. That day as the mother and the pups were on the one side of a creek two pups remained on the other side and were chasing a small toad, they were enjoying the game and would capture it and let it go since the toad was not tasty even for us. The mother watched from across the creek and saw that they were safe so she went a bit further with the other pups and showed them how to frighten and confuse a quail. My brother told us to lure the pups around the bend of a clump of trees and then he would snatch it.  I flew down and hopped up and down and flapped my wing as if one was broken in no time the curious pups were right near me, as the one braver pup advanced to inspect the scene, my brother swooped down and snatched the pup who began to whine, my brother shouted to me to take the second one but in fear I flew up into the sky as the second pup began to whimper and whine drawing the attention of the mother coyote. She came running with speed her long legs could run but it was too late my brother was high in the sky with her pup, she ran in circles excited that one was taken and rounded up the others tightly to her. That was all that I could see as I was very high in the sky by then." Old raven sipped more water, it was clear he had never told such a long tale before and was beginning to get tired. "Brother raven you rest and I will go and get you some big fat worms before you finish your tale. He nodded yes. Black rabbit was intrigued by the tale and was very excited to hear it continue, but since he discovered that not only were raven's tricksters they could be very mean and even dangerous, as a man he did not fear them but now as a rabbit he checked the skies before he scampered down the hillside to fetch some worms, once he felt he had gathered plenty he ran back up to the shelter, looking up to the sky often. "Here you go, my brother," as he laid the slippery worms on the ground, The raven not used to eating so well gobbled up each fat worm before they could even have a chance at getting away.

" My brother black rabbit if you keep feeding me like this I will grow young and strong again!" he cackled as the last worm was slurped down his beak. "When you are ready please continue the tale I am very excited to hear of such cunning planning by your brother!"  "Cunning is not the word for it it was a demon plan created by a demon raven, so my evil brother took the pup to a country of hills very much like this only they were taller and the valleys were deep, he placed the pup in one deep valley and went and caught a plump mole for the pup and placed it at his feet.

"Here you go little one a nice snack after your scary journey, what is your name so we know what to call you? he asked with his oily slithery voice trying to sound pleasing it was not working, the pup wanted nothing to do with him as he was the one who captured him, so my brother said one of you go make nice to the pup before he begins to howl for his family. So I went over to the pup and tried to make him more at ease.

"Little one why don't you eat that mole while it is still warm, they do not taste as good once they get cold, and he seemed to feel more at ease with me than my brother. "My family will never stop searching for me." He said as he grabbed the mole and began to chomp on it, he paused as he devoured the mole. "They love me I am important to them I am the first born pup from the litter, I will become the leader of my pack one day, and they are going to be very angry that some ugly black monster took me away!" He said within breaks of eating. "I am not an ugly black monster" shouted my brother from few feet the distance he was away from the pup. "It does not matter what you are we are coyote pack and we will get revenge on you, monster!" said the pup with a fierceness that was actually humorous coming from one so small. "Calm him down!" Shouted my brother, I said.

"Go fly away and let me and the other raven calm him he does not like the look of you, and I am sure will remain angry as long as you are near, let us build a trust with him." With a loud Caw, caw he flapped his wings as was gone.  "See little one he is gone you can calm down, he is a monster and captured me and this other bird as well and he has magic and he placed us under a spell to do his bidding, so do not fuss we are captured as well, we are all his servants."  I said as convincingly as I could, which seemed to work because the pup soon began to speak with us as friends.  "But you are birds you can fly away from him, you do not have to remain here, as prisoners." he said with concern.  "No young coyote once we have eaten the food he placed before us we are now under his spell and can never escape, oh no little one you have now eaten his food with the magic you can never escape either." My calming ways were working because the young pup believed me. "Oh no, now it is too late, am I to be a slave of the black monster for life?"

he asked. "I am afraid so because if you disobey him terrible pain will come to you and you will wish you walked the spirit world and not the world of bones and fur, so you must always do as the master commands, for your own sake, and for us as well!"   "Why brother bird what will he do to you?" the pups concern was genuine. "The pain that you will suffer we will suffer too since we are all under his magic, and we would not ever wish to suffer such pain, would we coyote?" I was winning the pup over, i did not feel good doing so but i knew that if he struggled with my evil brother he might just take the pup and fly as high as he could and either drop him into the great river or to a worse fate the rocks. " No brother bird we would not want to all suffer like how you describe, my name is Oakley since I was the first born and my fur is the shade of oak, what name do i call you? He asked. and we could not tell him since we have never been given names we always answered to "You raven!"....  the other bird and I looked at each other and I said the truth that we did not have names.  the pup said that since we are to suffer at the claws of the evil one" I will name you both and we three servants shall all have names, you are a boy raven so we shall call you Hema, and you are a girl raven? the other raven said yes, you shall be called Shema." That day the pup gave us names for the first time in our lives and I felt sorrow for the pup now that he had shown us what kindness was like, how could we assist my brother in his plan to make the innocent pup our servant. That little pup had shown us more kindness in that short time that we had ever seen in our entire lives. "Oakly it is the wish of the monster that you become the servant that secures the food for us, now that we are a clan together, so I beg of you do as he says or great harm will come to you, and both I, your new brother,  Hema and our sister Shema do not want that to happen to you, so promise me now little Oakly that you understand!" He said yes, and when our brother came back we told him that the pup would cooperate and that he will not have to hurt him, also we had names, he asked his name was, and I said monster! So brother began to train him and the pup Oakley was very smart and caught on quickly, when he started to get upset, either I or Shema would calm him down while the other calmed down the monster. After many days we received a message from a fellow raven that the night of the dark moon was very soon and we must attend the council, we all said yes we know we always attended. The messenger said that this meeting was more important than any ever and that EVERY raven must attend. Oakley was sleeping, and brother wished him to remain hidden as he did not wish any of the others to be aware of what we were doing. The messenger was excited and said he had more clans to visit so he had to leave, brother was pushing him to get on with it. Once the messenger had flown away brother had said that there was something up and he was not happy, this made the rest of us unhappy as well.  The night of the dark moon was at hand and there was tension in the air as each clan flew to the sacred meeting place near the winding river. The night sky was black with ravens as far as you could see and the normal noise was much worse as hundreds of ravens each had to make his place know in the pecking order of importance. But the true importance was the council they were birds of a superior clan, they did not and never would mate with any other than their own, so bred were they each bird was larger than even the largest of any clan, they were stronger and when they spoke it was with authority. The tale was that they had descended from the great black spirit and that only they could ever sit on the council. Their law was the law of all ravens any who did not agree would have to face a council member face to face and fight to the end. No one ever flew away from a fight with a council member.   This night once they were all assembled down on the circle of river rocks that created the base for the council. Clouds moved across the black moon and the meeting was called to order and all must remain silent as the council spoke. "Ravens one and all you are assembled here to discuss a very terrible thing that has happened and one of you shall be taken into our custody, and a great wrong must be made right, it has come to our attention that the long-lasting peace treaty agreed by our great great great grandfather with the coyotes has been broken. It has been said by witnesses that a raven has taken a coyote pup, and this we can not allow, the peace treaty was created so that raven and coyote could live in peace as neighbors and allies if and when the time came to fight together.  We demand to know which raven has been so brazen to have stolen a coyote pup and has broken our treaty that has been in effect for many generations. This will not be tolerated and the guilty will make amends to us and they will return the pup to its family! Immediately!  Caws of ravens filled the valley of the river bed, each demanding justice for the stolen pup. Ravens are loyal only to their own small clan and wings were being pointed everywhere!  "Silence at once! We will bring the leader of each clan to meet with one of the council, the only ravens that will be excused are those who traveled a great distance. Ravens who come from the land of the rising sun you meet with brother Blackclaw, those who come from the land of the setting sun go to brother Sharpeyes, those who come from the land of the full day sun you will meet with me Wingspan, since this is the place of the incident I will speak with all clan leaders, all of those from the cold night sky go to brother Deepclaws, Now GO!, we have a lot to do and only so much darkness!" His powerful voice echoed in the valley, and the clan leaders flew to their spots to be questioned. The sun was getting ready to accept the bow of light from the night, when it was close to my brothers time to speak with Wingspan. My brother watched as Wingspan so large a Raven as to be the size of two, pulled out a feather from each of the clan leaders and placed it in the water if the feather remained black the leader and his clan was free to go. "Now we get close as there are but a few left from the region of the twelve pines,  one of you is guilty of this horrible act of treason to your own kind, my punishment will be difficult and you will suffer greatly as you have caused deep sorrow for the coyotes our brothers and allies, not to mention humiliating embarrassment for the council and all your fellow ravens, he who has done this deed, should be lower than a crow, and even lower still than a jackdaw." With no more than eight clan leaders to go my brothers fear grew, larger by the moment. "Brother Wingspan, what will happen to the feather of the guilty one, when it is immersed in the water, we have seen only black feathers come out of the water?" My brother asked nervously. "Why are you so curious brother, do you have something you wish to tell me?" Wingspan asked with the cold glint of the tiny sun reflecting in his eyes. "No, no brother I was watching and I have seen nothing!" My brother answered with tension in his voice. "Then you have been watching too closely, you come to me you shall be next, and you shall see if anything shall happen!" He commanded. my brother came and stood beside the giant raven and was trembling, gone from sight were his arrogant ways, as the council leader leaned in with his huge talons. "No, no I confess I took the pup, it was a moment of madness I do not know what I was thinking, it must have been the heat from the sun that scrambled my thoughts, oh great leader do not kill me, I will do all that is asked of me just do not kill me!" My brothers fear had a scent as wild as a bitter tasting herb.

"You have defied our long standing alliance with the coyotes? You insignificant fool of a bird, why would you do something so dangerous and against your own tribe?" Wingspan did not shout, he whispered and it was worse than if he did shout, my brother lay his head down upon the rock and began to explain. "It was a selfish thing to do and I wanted the pup to train to get us more and better food, there is no other excuse oh mighty leader, i thought it was a good idea, with the drought we were starving, he could dig and hunt in ways that we never could, he would grow up to be our servant and protect us from the other larger fur creatures that would attack us!" He tried to explain his plan to the council elder, as he spoke he trembled with fear.

"You thought, you are not to think, we have not given you the right to think, but yes what a plan, I am sure you thought it was very clever, and what an idea, to use another creature to get your food and to protect you, a plan like this has never occurred to us the council of great Ravens even ones as old as we have never thought of such a plan!"

Wingspan said to all the remaining leaders. "Do you know why we never thought of such a plan?" He asked my brother.

"Because it is A STUPID PLAN!" He shouted, and his echo was heard all through the valley!

"Your greedy selfish ways have placed our entire tribe in danger, you who thinks, I should kill you on the spot, so no other decides to think of ways to make enemies of allies, but that would make you one they would speak about the one who thought I do not wish to make you believe that you are special and that others remember you for your thinking, I want everyone to remember you for being the stupid raven that defied his own. No I will not kill you, the council will speak of your punishment and we will take action tonight while the moon is still dark. For now you are to be our prisoner!" Wingspan Caw, cawed and 4 smaller Ravens appeared and took my brother away. We did not know where and would not see him again till the following night. Wingspan called us over and said. "Where you a part of this plan?"

I thought quickly and said. "I did not know of the plan until the day he stole the pup! we did not want anything to do with it once it was in action but he threatened to kill us on the spot if we did not do as he said." "So you did not know in advance that he planned to steal a coyote pup?" He asked me. "No sir I did not, once it was in action he said that if we acted against him in anyway he would kill the pup. We grew very fond of the pup he was smart and gave us names, and was kind to us, and we were kind to him, we did not wish our leader to hurt him in anyway! the fact is your honor we know where he is hidden and it would be a very great relief if he were returned to his own kind." This pleased Wingspan very much. "So when we retrieve the pup he will only say kind things about you and the other, but not your leader? is that so?" He asked. "Yes that is so, we can take a few ravens back to where he forced us to hide the pup, Oakly." I offered. "You named the pup?" He asked me.

"No your honor, they coyotes have a very different culture than our own they raise their own young and name them, they teach them to hunt and how to live together, they have a life, so very different than we do." "I find it hard to believe such base creatures could be so civilized, but it is a different life having fur and 4 legs and no wings, they need to survive as a pack since they are so helpless." He stated as fact.

"Go take 6 of my guards and bring back the pup and he better be unharmed, or I will not be so generous with my punishment for all of you! Everyone go back to your homes the session is done, I will deal with the "thinker" with the council, your cooperation will be duly noted by the council, Caw, Caw, Caw!" Wingspan called out to all the remaining ravens and as one they took to the early morning sky, turning it for a brief moment as black as the night.

"When we returned with Oakly he told them how the 2 of us were kind to him and that we did not appear to be involved in his abduction, it was our evil leader who was the one who was responsible for him being snatched up and that the entire time he was with us the leader was never kind but threatened death to everyone all the time and that he was truly evil, it seemed that the council placed a lot of value to the words of the young coyote, since they allowed us to go free, after the pup was returned to the coyotes. As for the punishment they consulted for the day and by that night they had determined that since our leader wanted his life to become easy, they would see to it that it would become more difficult than he could imagine. First they ordered that the tips of his beak be chopped off and this would not allow him to hurt another raven all the rest of his days, the second thing they did was to chop off one of his legs so that he never could stand tall and be arrogant again. He would forever lean to one side and sit more than he could stand. Since we did not inform the council of his guilt when they demanded to know at first we 3 were made to be available to Oakly for as long as he lived, if he ever summoned any of us we had to go to him, and do as he asked."

At this point brother raven had to rest, the story was long and there was more to tell but it was already time when the sun handed its bow to the darkness and the two friends needed to sleep.

When the sun came up from its resting place over the hills, the black rabbit went out and searched for more worms to offer to his friend the raven. He was sure that there was more to the story and he was so right.

brother raven woke up after a rough night his mind was filled with memories of being mistreated by his brother raven, the fear an the physical pain that he suffered, so when the time came to continue the story for his friend the black rabbit, he was excited to get to this part. "So after the council set the rules they took the monster who was known as my brother away and we did not see him, until after they had done what they said they would do. When we did see him again we were shocked to see that he was now no longer able to poke and rip out feathers and skin from us if we did not do as he commanded, and he was unable to stand without his leg he was no longer the arrogant and evil raven, he was now humble and knew that he would have to be kind to use if he wished for us to get food for him as he lost the important weapons to hunt and to even eat most ordinary things that ravens eat, but the hardest part of the day was to begin for us." Brother raven took a break and ate a few more worms. "We had to go the the pack of the coyotes and present ourselves, as the lifetime servants of Oakly the pup, that was not our fear, both Shema and I feared that the coyote adults would kill us for being a part of the plan. But we had less to fear than our brother raven. The council said that we must go at once and they have no responsibility what the coyotes do to us, especially my brother raven." The black rabbit had to interrupt, since he was very curious of the punishment by the council. "Brother raven I have to ask was your brother raven frightened of what the coyotes would do to him? and was he angry at the council for making him less than what he was?" Brother raven cackled and said "Black rabbit my friend, would you be frightened to be confronting the pack, of wild animals after you tried to steal one of their young and not just any, but the future pack leader, of course you would be terrified of such things, as for his anger, he never showed it even after we where far from the council, it is my thoughts that they took more than his leg, and broke his beak, they broke his spirit and took away his will to fight, plus they made an example of him for all of raven history they will still use the story of what happened to the one raven who chose to think of a dangerous plan, and it is a story they will remain within the raven history. So besides the other things they made him a fool for all time and that left him humble in a way that was so different than his old evil ways." "I am sorry please go on i am so curious, as to what happened when you met the coyotes!" The black rabbit apologized.

"We 3 flew with great fear to the home of the coyotes, I said to the others that our brother should not come at first because Oakly was fond of us, he would be of help and maybe they would not kill us when we placed our feet on the land, Shema was also agreeing to this, for we knew the adult coyotes would be furious when they saw us. And we were right when they saw us circling down they called out to the pack leader to protect the young, the ravens are back. However the pack leader was not angry he had his first born son back with his family so he knew that the council had succeeded in teaching the ravens to never try to touch a pup again. "Ravens what do you want with us, do not you think you have caused the coyotes enough trouble already? The pack leader said as he approached us. " Break formation my fellow coyotes they seem harmless enough." He said and the circle of coyotes adults that surrounded us all backed away and he came right through the remaining adults."

"He was very dark and very large we had never seen a full sized coyote, we were very frightened as he came towards us his teeth were many and very white, and he did not hide them as he got closer, we felt we were done. That was when the miracle happened. Oakley came running to greet us." He was so excited to see us and tell us what happened when he was taken back home. "Father, father, these are not the evil one, they are my friends they protected me from him and they were also trapped by his dark magic, Hema, Shema I am so happy to see you, so much has happened since i saw you last!" The pup was so excited to see us he ran and ran in circles and was jumping and leaping into the air!" I said "Oakly I am so happy that you have returned to your family, we were worried about you, the evil one has been punished by the council of ravens, and he can never do what he did to you again, in fact he needs to see you if you feel that you can see him?" I asked. Oakly looked to his father the pack leader a fierce large coyote, and asked. "Father, do you think it will be all right to let the evil one come?" "Son he must come, but have no fear we are all right here and he will never hurt you again! Part of treaty with the council is that they speak to you my son, the future pack leader, be brave and show no fear since you will lead the pack you must accept the offer that the raven council has created." Said his father Longclaw. "Send the evil one to me, and let him present me with the findings of the council!" Oakly said with strength, knowing his very large father and the entire pack was right there. I let out a Caw caw and my brother now lame and broken flew down from the treetops where he waited. When he landed there was a hush among the coyote pack. "I see the council has done as it promised so we shall honor the long ago created peace treaty with the ravens, go son present yourself to your enemy!" prodded Longclaw his father Oakly could not believe his eyes that his damaged raven was the one who snatched him from his family. My brother was leaning against us and when he could stand no more he spoke. "Great pack leader and great son and future pack leader, since i no longer have 2 legs to stand may i sit while i honor you and make the offer that we have agreed upon?" Even my brothers voice was weak as his damaged beak could not speak as clearly as it once did. Oakly looked to his father who nodded that it was fine for the lame

raven to sit while he spoke. "Yes evil one, you may sit before us, and speak to me of the councils words that are to give me comfort after you have taken me from my family and tried to turn a powerful ally into a slave!" Oakley said with a fierceness to his voice he was brave and angry so he stood firmly on the ground.

"It is with both my deepest sorrow and regret that i must say i never should have taken you from your family, and as you can see the council has punished me for what they felt was an insult to your pack and the peace that has long been our way, they have told me the final judgement is with you, Oakly, as to whether you wish me alive or dead, if alive we 3 will swear an oath on our own lives to be your servant for as long as we live, and come to you when the sun holds the bow or it has been handed over to the moon, in the warm season or the cold season, nothing can stop us from coming to you when you command us. If you choose me dead then the other 2 shall have to fulfil the oath." Said my humbled brother. "I must discuss this with my pack leader and take the advice of one both kind and wise before i can make a choice, raven!" the young pup was maturing before our eyes this was not the frightened pup of 3 moons ago, but one who is using all his skill to become a wise pack leader. I was very impressed with how well he was carrying himself, ravens are mature when we can fly away and leave the nest, we must learn the ways of the world very soon or we die, coyotes are different they grow in a pack surrounded with elders and love, they mature slowly but with Oakly it is a sign that they may only need 6 to 9 moons before they behave as adults, he pulled his father aside and asked his advice. "Father shall i have the evil lame one killed for what he had done to me? Or shall i let him live as my servant?" He questioned his father. "Son it is never wise to state death to a fellow creature, we do not kill for games or sports we kill for food, this bird poses no danger to our pack any longer and the council has made him and example of what will happen if they cross us again, as a leader it shows more tolerance to let him live as an example to others that the council is fair and just, my advice is to allow him to live as he is lame and damaged, plus we never know when we may need the services of the ravens they are mighty fliers and can cover a great distance in very little time, we are land travelers and always at the mercy of the river and mountain spirits, it might serve our people well to have fast fliers in our pack, so my son who shall rule this pack one day, spare the ravens and let them live out their lives in your service!" Was the wise advice of Longclaw. Oakley called the 3 ravens to his attention "I do not wish to see you dead raven, the punishment from your own kind seems to have taken the evil from your heart, you no longer pose a threat to my pack, your brother and sister have only ever shown me kindness, they will be forgiven and yet remain in my service all the rest of their days, as will you, however you will remain with the pack and not be free to soar the skies as your brother and sister will." An elder came forward to both Longclaw and Oakly and said " I can teach you a whistle that only the ravens can hear and when you summon them they will come, young Oakly come with me and i will show you and you will practice the sound." He said. He then lead Oakly into a cave to learn the new sound. "Ravens you are free to go, but when you hear the sound from Oakly you will come at once, is that clear?" Longclaw asked. I bowed in reverence to the pack leader as did my sister and we were free to go. while our brother remained with the pack. "It was many moons before we were called by Oakly, we knew the sound at once since it was like nothing like we had heard before and we flew to the pack, it was then they told us that our brother the evil one had died." "Hema, Shema, I am very sorry to tell you of the bad news, but your brother has died, he was in my service when an arrow flew out of the trees and slain him. We do not know which tribe had killed your brother or if it was a brave or a child. One of my pack had found him not far from where he was sent to return a message to the pack. The message was that a few canoes of men had crossed the mighty river and were settling to make a camp not far from our home and that we had to bring in all the hunting parties that were out in the woods." Longclaw had said.

"We had grown very fond of your brother these last few moons he was a devoted servant and always did what he was asked, with him gone we would like one of you to remain with us, we have grown used to having a raven among us, and it has proven to aid us in many ways, if you both wish to stay we will welcome you, but we will need both of you this day, to find our scouts and get them safely back, the men will hunt us for our skin and teeth, and we have young and females we need to protect." The pack leader said. "I will be honored to serve you great pack leader, and I am sure that my sister will help as well!" I said knowing that we had no choice but to assist the pack now in times of danger." My sister raven agreed that we shall do all that is asked of us. Later that day we both were sent out to different parts of the forest to locate the bands and scouts of coyotes. It was not long before I saw the tribe of men setting up camp not far from the cave home of the pack, they were very busy creating shelter that could withstand the heavy rains of the warmer times that were approaching. These men had known the ways of our side of the river, and no man had ever before crossed the mighty river to make a permanent camp before.

When i saw the scouting party approaching the place the men had chosen it was a path that many animals used to cross the forest and the coyotes were in great danger if i did not warn them, so down i flew as fast and lightning and flew to the leader of the scouts and warned him that there were men up ahead. The band stopped and the leader asked who I was "You are not the lame raven, how do we know it is not a trap to capture us, who are you to warn us?" She demanded. "I have been sent by your pack leader Longclaw to warn you that men have crossed the mighty river and are setting up camp not far from your home cave, and to take this path would be sudden death to your scouting party!" She looked at me differently when i mentioned Longclaw. But i could sense that she did not trust me, why she would think a raven would set a trap for a group of coyotes did not make sense to me, but when she called her fastest runner to go ahead and scout the path when he returned he said "The raven is right, there are men right ahead not far from where we are." "Thank you raven you have saved a very special band of scouts, and we are grateful we shall have to go around the cliffs and not take the easy way back to the pack, when you return tell my father Longclaw that you have saved his daughter Ash from the men and he will be very happy to hear the news, also tell him that we shall be a days journey away since we shall go the way of the cliffs!" She said with a renewed sense of respect. " I will go and inform him at once!" and i headed for the cave of the pack. When i returned with the news both Longclaw and Oakly were relieved to know the pack leaders daughter was warned in time. It was soon time for the sun to hand over the bow to the moon and we were told that we had done work to be proud of both my sister and myself, and that if we did not mind but to keep watch over the men and warn the pack if they planned on an advance during the night, although they were not sure if the men knew of the pack they could never trust the likes of men being so close to the pack cave. When it was the time of new pups and the females were heavy with pups. I stayed awake the whole night and made sure the camp of men did not wake before dawn. During the night the pack made arrangements to get the females and any young as far from the cave as possible and at first light when i returned to the cave there were only a few remaining. My sister took watch of the men when the sun was showing his face to the land. The pack was safe and we were thanked for all that we had done, when the time came and they asked me if i wished to stay, I said "No as much as i would like to help, i belong to the skies!" My sister chose to stay and help the pack find a more secluded new home and I was alone, and so I have been alone until i met you black rabbit, i was alone for so long, and now that i can not see i was ready for the council to call me home to the great sky! then you saved me and are keeping me alive and growing stronger everyday, you are my one true friend black rabbit." That was a powerful story brother raven, and what of your sister and Oakley? have you not heard from them?" The black rabbit asked. "Not for many, many winters, I do not know where they settled once i left my sister raven, I went off on my own, a lone raven has a very tough life, and now I am old and with just my brother black rabbit to keep me alive." He said. "Well my friend you have helped me with water so we help each other, i can not believe that your brother raven would do such a terrible thing to a young pup to take him from his family and make him work for him, but it seems he has learned his lesson, inthe end he did some good!" "That is all anyone can hope for my friend is to do some good before the end!" Sighed the raven.

A few days went by and the friends were doing things to keep themselves focused on making their lives better. They each taught the other new and important things like the black rabbit was teaching the raven to concentrate on the sounds around him and to rely less on his slowly dimming vision, but by listening to the slightest sound he was learning about the way to use his hearing which was perfect to try and get around. The raven was teaching the black rabbit to use his powerful ability of smell to find things far away like the location of the water where the raven had gotten his drinking water from, just by sense of smell the rabbit was fascinated by what he was learning never having such skills as the mighty hunter. It was 4 moons that the major event that changed everything took place. While the friends are learning and teaching each other, they trade food for water and their friendship grows stronger. While the ravens vision grows dimmer each moon he is learning to work with the hearing alone. It was this day that he heard the call from the coyote pack that he was needed quickly, it had been many winters and they had never called him. But he remembered the pact and he told his friend that he must go. "Take me with you, i can make a sling for you to carry me it will slow you down a little but I might be able to help you, if there is dangerous trouble and since they have never called you before it must be very important!" the black rabbit insisted and he created a sling that he could lay in while the raven took to the skies. Together the friends traveled most of the early part of the sun, following the call from Oakley to a forest and they set down in a small clearing. They approached slowly as they saw a terrible thing Oakly and 4 other coyotes were clinging to each other as a demon like the one that snatched the black rabbits wife was on the opposite river bank. This demon was a female demon terrifyingly ugly to look upon she was so big that if 5 men stood together they would not weigh as much as this beast. She had long wiry hair that had fallen out in many places and deeply rotten teeth that she displayed when she snarled at the coyotes her wand was clenched in Oakly's sharp white teeth and he was pulling at the other end of the wand from the river bank, the coyotes were pulling each held his pack mate with his teeth firmly on the others tale. "Give me back my wand, i want to make a fine winter coat out of you and i must have my wand back!" she screamed from the bank using her great bulk against some rocks she was an almost even match for the 4 coyotes all young and strong. Oakly snarled through his clenched teeth "We will never give this back to you old demon!" It was then that the blind raven thought of an idea "I will fly at her face and she will drop the wand and the coyotes can run away." He said to the black rabbit. "That is a very good idea but take me to the other side of the river with you and maybe i can help." the black rabbit suggested. "brother rabbit get into the sling and i will let you down before i attack her face!" With that the 2 flew to the other side of the small river. Once down the black rabbit removed the sling and the blind raven listened for the breath of the demon and went for her face with his talons ready for an attack he hit her a number of times since she would not let go of the wand he kept going at her. "AHHHH!" She screamed what sort of magic is this a raven helping a coyote." and she tried to duck her head from his painful attacks on her face. Being a demon she had more tricks than just the wand and she took a deep breath and blew out a force of air that sent the raven into the river, "Brother Hema" shouted Oakley now a fully grown coyote, and the wand slipped out of his mouth as he ran into the water to save the raven. the black rabbit watched in horror as his friend was washed away in the river tossing and tumbling against the rocks and as soon as he saw the huge coyote rush after him he knew that was Oakly when he saw the wand being pulled into the greedy clutches of the demon he took out his arrows and shot the wand into the water. The demon who almost had her wand let out a wild yell "ARRUGGHHH, who shot my wand into the water?" The brave black rabbit did not stay to hear it he jumped into the water and pulled out the wand and ran to the coyotes shouting " I have it, I have it and he was about to hand it to the coyote when the demon shouted "ARASABUG and the wand lifted into the air and tried to go back to the demon and the black rabbit shouted grab my tail to the coyote who snapped his teeth hard on the black rabbit's tale. "Ouch!" he yelled as the teeth bit hard to hold on. He held on tightly to the wand which was pulling back towards the demon and since Oakley who is the pack leader was strong and large was trying to save the raven the demon was gaining by tugging toward the wand she was about to grasp it into her clutches when the black rabbit pulled with all his might towards the the coyotes and she just missed grasping it now she was even more furious and she called to the wand again even louder and with more anger " ARASBUGGG!" and the wand tried to obey its master and flew towards her with new speed the black rabbit held on with all his might and the 3 coyotes pulled and pulled from the other river bank and then it happened the coyote slipped on some rocks in the river and he bit down extra hard and the next thing we saw was the black rabbit with just a tiny stump of a tail flying towards the demon holding tightly to the wand. She let out a might laugh as the wand and rabbit were almost in her grip "AHAHAHAHAHAHA, I WILL MAKE A FINE COYOTE COAT AND HAVE A RABBIT TO WEAR AROUND MY NECK!" Just as it seemed that she would have everything she wished for the wand was within grabbing distance when out of thin air hurled a ball of fur big and fierce and it was Oakly. He slammed into the demon and sent her falling toward the river, without the wand and the black rabbit held the wand as he crashed into the river... she screamed as she was taken by the water, and was hurled against some boulders since she was so fat she was wedged between the boulders and was screaming! "I can not get wet get me out of here!" the coyotes ran across the river to their pack leader and whooped up a storm laughing a howling at the demon and the fact that Oakly was all right. When the drenched black raven flew to the sounds of the pack he said "Where is my brother black rabbit? does anyone see him?" he asked. Oakly shouted to his brothers "Find that rabbit he is a hero he helped us save our lives along with my old friend Hema the raven." As the coyotes ran into the river that black rabbit popped up and swam to the shore. "I am here brothers I am here!" when he turned and saw that his beautiful white tail was gone he sighed, and called out loudly "Cinye, Cinye!" and within moments the great spirit of the winds appeared "Little brother what have you done this time?" as he looked around and saw the 4 coyotes the raven the demon crying stuck in the river and his little brother holding a wand. He was even perplexed at the mischief his brother could have caused now. "Do the coyotes wish to eat you? and what are you doing with that wand it is too dangerous for you!" and he snatched it from his brother the black rabbits paws and ground it into sawdust with a twist of his hand. "No big brother the coyotes are friends of my friend the black raven and we have all saved each other from the demon in the river." The black rabbit explained to his big brother. When the coyotes saw the great spirit of the wind they all bowed down and Oakly said to the raven "Your friend the black rabbit has a very powerful brother the spirit of the wind, bow down brave raven." The spirit of the wind laughed "Do not bow to me forest creatures I am not a god that forces others to get down and worship me, get up and be comfortable, I never harm creatures of the land or sea or air, but that does not mean i will not take care of that demon!" he said. "Come to me!" and the demon was lifted from the river as she screamed "AHHHHHH WHAT IS TO BECOME OF ME?" And carried by the winds and held aloft in front of the others. "Brothers this is certainly a hideous demon, I have seen many but this is about the ugliest one i have ever seen!" He laughed and the others laughed with him. "Monster what kind of mischief have you been causing these fine animals?" The great spirit of the wind asked the monster demon. "Oh great spirit I have done nothing to these animals

I was simply walking along the river and the raven attacked me first then they threw the rabbit at me and then the mean coyotes playing a game shoved me into the river where i got stuck and that evil rabbit took my precious wand, can you make him give it back to me? oh great and powerful spirit of the wind." He turned to the small group and said. "You evil rabbit did you take the wand from the nice old woman? if so i demand that you return it at once!" His brother knew that he would not believe such lies from a demon and said.

"Oh great spirit of the winds if you demand it i will return the wand to the old woman, but only if you demand it!" His brother yelled "Did I not say return the wand to the nice old woman? now rabbit before i take my anger out on you do as you are told!" The black rabbit took a pile of the sawdust in his paws and went to the demon "Here you are nice old woman." and he blew the sawdust into her face. the others laughed. She screamed "Oh great spirit of the wind see how evil he is he even defied you, he is a monster black rabbit filled with evil spirits, he threw dust in my eyes, now may i have my wand back?" she asked her face and ratty hair dropping sawdust upon the ground as she floated in the air. "Oh ugly hideous demon that was your wand I ground it to dust so that you can not use it ever again!"

Brother she wanted turn the coyotes into a coat and make me into a neck wrap, and that coyote the big one he is the pack leader and when we got here he had the wand in his teeth and then my friend the raven went to attack her face and he let go to save the raven and I shot the wand with the magic arrow that you gave me so I had it and then the coyotes took my tail in their mouths so she would not get the wand and she pulled and pulled us until the one coyote slipped on the wet rocks and snapped off my tail, then the pack leader came out of nowhere and shoved her into the river where she stuck between the boulders and then I called you!, can you use your magic to attach my tail again?" The black rabbit asked his brother the great spirit of the wind. "Sorry my little brother i do not have that kind of magic i can make the winds do many things but that is not one of them, you will have to live with that tiny little fluff tail! but I am very proud of you instead of calling me to fix your problem you did not cause a problem you used your skill to help other creatures of the forest and you all seemed to do very well against this monster demon." "Excuse me great spirit of the wind what shall we do with the demon, I fear she will hunt my pack again." Oakley asked the great spirit. "Pack leader you shall have nothing to fear from this demon ever again." And with that the great spirit of the wind made demon lighter than even air itself and she began to float up through the trees and into the very sky above until she was nothing but a dot that soon vanished to nothing. All the while screaming "AHHHHHH AHHHHH OOHH OHH AHHHHHH!" till it faded like she did into the sky. The animals all howled and cawed with laughter as the evil ugly fat demon was gone forever. "Little brother this is one time I did not have to save your life,

I do believe that you are growing wise and less mischievous as you grow older, and you made me proud helping to save the pack leader and the rest, you have a great soul great hunter, and you are using it well, you make me proud to call you little brother, I must be going there is work always for the great spirit of the wind, my little brother if you keep on being a good black rabbit maybe someday the great spirit of us all will hear of you and return you to your former life, goodbye brave raven and the spirit of wind blew a crown of leaves and turned them to silver and the raven now wore a crown, goodbye wise and brave coyote and he too was wearing a silver crown made of oak leaves, my brother I can not give you back your tail but i will give you this charm in the shape of a rabbits foot and he blew the sawdust from the wand into the shape of his foot, carry this always and when you need magic it will be right in your paws and he blew tiny pebbles from the river and made a chain for his little brother to wear around his neck. When he was through he disappeared in a gust of wind. Oakly said. "You are honored black rabbit to have such and older brother as the spirit of the wind, there are many who would wish to know such a kind and powerful spirit, we will have a banquet in the honor of the raven Hema, and the black rabbit tonight!"

Brother Hema, you have saved my life as well as the 3 others from my pack, come and join us as an honored guest, and you will live out your days as your sister did in safety and comfort." Oakly asked.

"Oakly you were a special pup and you have grown to a strong and wise leader like your father, I would be honored to live with you all my days, but you see I am now blind I can not leave my brother the black rabbit or he will hurt himself or get into other great mischief, we will be honored to sit at your fire this moontime and he can tell you the great stories he is famous for all over the lands of the warm weather, how he outsmarted brave men and washed away an entire village." The black raven said proudly "Is this true black rabbit that you have had many great adventures? We would be honored to hear them!" Oakly asked. "Brothers run ahead and tell the others of our coming and make sure they have food for a brave storytelling rabbit and a very brave raven, make them welcome at our pack and tell all the others how they saved the life of your pack leader and yourselves, but my brothers do not tell the story of how the black rabbit lost his tail, I am sure our storyteller will do it great justice!" tony scarpa 7/25/2018

How the rabbit lost his tail