The Dance of the Rabbit and Fox

Inspired by Rabbit and Fox, written by Joseph Bruchac, located in The Boy who lived with the Bears and other Iroquois stories.

A day of ordinary when animal and man could speak and understand all between fluently

Snow afrost the ground thick fluffy highlighting tracks aglow bright silhouettes

Rabbit bouncing smart fast on a walk of none different encountered Fox on hunt to eat him quick

Rabbit desperate desperate spoke a word of magic and his moccasins danced danced tracks tracks to lure Fox from path path

Fox a tracker of keen followed tracks of tracks happy happy to be on Rabbit’s trail

Rabbit happy smiled deep as Fox ran by chasing a trail of false and flew quick in opposite direction to hopeful safety

Fox realizing led false backtracked and followed trail of true through the bush of concealment and traveled light swift a track through snow until he found a woman of old

Sitting on ground of cold she had blanket and strange hat with two feathers from top and Fox asked have you seen a rabbit go by quick

Nodding her head yes he was skinny as a leaf and flew on the wind I barely saw him did I and he was not worth catching him to eat was he

Fox puffed his chest out pride with hunger stating factually I am going to eat him with savage bites for I am his last site

The Old Woman looked at him with eyes of shrewd and pity saying obviously you are a great hunter of hunters as my son who hunts only for foxes of quick wits and said look behind you he comes

As Fox looked the Old Woman became the rabbit and clubbed him in head of stone and ran fast as fleet

Fox woke slowly for even a head of stone was intelligent to know that Rabbit had bested him true and begun to follow his tracks glittering in snow

Continuing on Fox followed tracks of tracks for periods of long until a tree of plenty of grove revealed an Old Man of Medicine wrapped in blanket of warm cooking pot of soup wearing a strange hat with two feathers from top and Fox looked looked for the rabbit tracks ended where he sat

Fox inquisitive question of question asked the Old Man of Medicine did you see a rabbit go by?

The Old Man of Medicine looked at him with eyes of wise and said yes I did and he looked sickly, frail and a poor meal to eat

Boasting loud Fox said I am with chest out going to eat that rabbit when I catch him

Eyes atwinkle with hidden amusement the Old Man of Medicine nodded his head and said I see you made up your mind and determined to follow your mind of mind and how did you get the lump of huge on your head?

Fox of embarrassed thought lied quick I ran into a tree on a night of dark sight and offering alleged solicitude the Old Man of Medicine rubbed the bump on Fox’s head and suddenly shouted look look the Eagle is landing the Eagle is landing

Fox look with quickness of eye and before he knew a thought the Old Man of Medicine hit him on his head of stone and another lump became the twin of another and he became the Rabbit and ran away

Fox woke with head of woe and said if I see anybody with two feathers I will eat him quick for I know it’s the Rabbit hiding secret

Glittering in the snow was Rabbit’s tracks and Fox’s eyes glimmered with mean intent as he ran ran faster faster until he almost flew determined to eat Rabbit

Rabbit looked looked and said I’m tired and looked for an illusion to fool Mr. Fox so he could live

Predictable as usual Fox came looking looking and found a log with two feathers abreast and ate ate until he consumed the rotten log and decided to his woe rabbits don’t taste good and with his mind warped he went away sick with his own pay

Rabbit the Victor in thoughts of high prevailed looked looked laughing to self I won I won I live

By

Felicia McCaw