Myths of Cherokee by James Mooney
The Terrapin's Escape from the Wolves
Terrapin and the Possum were hunting and found some ripe fruit. As they were hunting, a wolf came up to them and tried to eat Terrapin. Terrapin shoved a bone down the wolf's throat and choked it to death. Terrapin then cut off the wolf's ears and used them as spoons.
A pack of wolves had heard what Terrapin did and hunted him down. They made him a prisoner. A council of wolves decided to boil him in a clay pot as punishment. But when the Terrapin saw it, he laughed and said he would kick it to pieces. They threatened to burn him to death, but the Terrapin laughed and said that he would put out the fire.
They decided to throw him into the deepest hole in the river and drown him. This is what the Terrapin wanted, so he begged and pleaded with them to let him live. When the wolves threw him in, the Terrapin dived under the water and came up on the other side and got away.
Some say that when he was thrown into the river, he hit a rock and his back broke into a dozen pieces. It was fixed when the Terrapin sang a medicine song, but that the scars remained. So that is why the turtle's shell has cracks on its back.
The Terrapin's Escape from the Wolves
Terrapin and the Possum were hunting and found some ripe fruit. As they were hunting, a wolf came up to them and tried to eat Terrapin. Terrapin shoved a bone down the wolf's throat and choked it to death. Terrapin then cut off the wolf's ears and used them as spoons.
A pack of wolves had heard what Terrapin did and hunted him down. They made him a prisoner. A council of wolves decided to boil him in a clay pot as punishment. But when the Terrapin saw it, he laughed and said he would kick it to pieces. They threatened to burn him to death, but the Terrapin laughed and said that he would put out the fire.
They decided to throw him into the deepest hole in the river and drown him. This is what the Terrapin wanted, so he begged and pleaded with them to let him live. When the wolves threw him in, the Terrapin dived under the water and came up on the other side and got away.
Some say that when he was thrown into the river, he hit a rock and his back broke into a dozen pieces. It was fixed when the Terrapin sang a medicine song, but that the scars remained. So that is why the turtle's shell has cracks on its back.
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