How the Rabbit Got its Long Legs
By Tyler Waaler ‘16
Long ago, when the Earth was still new, all the animals looked the same. The cow looked like the duck; the fish looked like the rabbit. But the rabbit thought it was better than all the other animals and acted superior. Therefore, all the animals went to the Great Spirit, who created the world, and asked him to make them able to eat the rabbit. The spirit loved the rabbit breed so he said, “I will give you each a different characteristic that will help you survive in this beautiful, new world I have created.”
So he called all the animals together for a meeting. During the meeting, he made the animals line up to receive his gift. He gave the cow horns and the wolf sharp teeth; he gave the raven wings and the fish, fins. He gave each animal something that could be used to hurt or scare the rabbit.
While he was blessing the animals, he kept looking around for the rabbit so that he could give him a gift. But the spirit could not find the rabbit anywhere, for the poor creature was digging a hole as fast as he could. While the Spirit had been blessing the animals, a raven had flown over and croaked “News rabbit, News! The Great Spirit has given each animal a gift so they can hurt or scare you.”
The rabbit’s courage left him and he had begun to dig a hole. The dirt flew up as he dug deeper and deeper. He burrowed so deep that, after a while, only his bottom was showing. It was then that the Great Spirit came by. Seeing the rabbit but pretending not to recognize him, the Spirit said, “What are you doing so deep in that hole?”
“The wolf and the fox are coming and I need to protect myself,” retorted the muffled voice of the rabbit.
“Well, since I have not seen the rabbit today to bless him, I will give you a gift instead,” said the Great Spirit.
The rabbit replied, “I cannot come out of the hole for I need it to protect myself. Bless my bottom if you want to bless me.”
“All right then,” chuckled the Great Spirit. “Bottom, be strong and quick and save the life of your master.” As the Spirit spoke, the rabbit’s back hind legs became long and strong. He drew out of his hole and tore across the Earth, faster than anything else in the world.
And that is how the rabbit still survives, even with a thousand enemies.