Monday, October 20, 2014

Week 10 Reading Diary: Myths of the Cherokee

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Myths of the Cherokee
  

The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting This tale tells of a rabbit who was "so boastful that he would claim to do whatever he saw anyone else do" and "so tricky that he could usually make the other animals believe it all." One day, the boastful rabbits sees the otter diving down deep into the water and eating fish, and decides to claim that he can do it as well. This trickster even manages to convince the other animals of his ability! However, the otter claims that he also eats ducks, and challenges the rabbit to do the same. When the rabbit attempts to put a noose around one of the ducks necks, it takes off into the air, dragging the rabbit along for the ride.

How the Rabbit Stole the Otter's Coat In this story, it is told that among the animals, it was said that the otter had the finest coat among them all. Upon hearing this, the rabbit devises a scheme to steal the otter's coat. The rabbit finds the otter, and travels with him for a time. Eventually, they come to a place that the rabbit calls The Place Where it Rains Fire, where the rabbit warns the otter should place his coat on tree limb so that it does not get burnt during the fire storm. The tricky rabbit throws hot coals over the otter during the night, shouting "it's raining fire!" When the otter runs to the water, the rabbit makes off with his coat. 

How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit This story tells the tale of a boastful terrapin (turtle) who challenges the rabbit to a race. Knowing that he would be unable to beat the rabbit, the terrapin instead gathers several of his identical friends to position themselves along the race track, pretending to be the single terrapin. The tricky terrapin cheats his way to a victory in the race.

The Owl Gets Married This tale begins with the story of a widow and her daughter. The widow tells her daughter that any man she marries must be a great hunter able to providing for her and her family. One day, a man appears, claiming to be a great hunter, and wins the daughters hand in marriage. Despite this, he consistently only brings back scraps from his "hunts." Suspicious, his new wife follows her husband down to the river where she witnesses him change into an owl! The young woman angrily drives him from their home when he returns that night.

The Snake Boy This story tells of a boy who bird hunted each day, bringing the gains of his hunt to his grandmother. This, however, made the rest of his family jealous, who then treated him badly.  Angry at his family, the boy sets off into woods without breakfast, returning that night with only a pair of deer horns. At daybreak the next day, the grandmother finds that the boy has turned into an uktena (horned serpant). The boy-serpent slithers away and plunges into the river, where the grieving grandmother soon follows.

The Snake Man This tale tells of two hunters forbidden from eating squirrel or turkey meat. After a long day of hunting, one of the hunters begins to prepare several squirrels he has killed for his supper. The other hunter warns him that if he eats the squirrel, he will turn into a snake. Sure enough, after he eats the squirrel, the hunter turns into a serpent and slithers to the river bank.

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