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II. How Mahtigwess, the Rabbit dined
with the Woodpecker Girls, and was again humbled by trying to rival them. Now Master Rabbit, though
disappointed, was not discouraged, for this one virtue he had, that he never
gave up. And wandering one
day in the wilderness, he found a wigwam well filled with young women, all
wearing red head-dresses; and no wonder, for they were Woodpeckers. Now, Master
Rabbit was a well-bred Indian, who made himself as a melody to all voices, and
so he was cheerfully bidden to bide to dinner, which he did. Then one of the
red-polled pretty girls, taking a woltes, or wooden dish, lightly
climbed a tree, so that she seemed to run; and while ascending, stopping here
and there and tapping now and then, took from this place and that many of those
insects called by the Indians apchel-moal-timpkawal, or rice, because
they so much resemble it. And note that this rice is a dainty dish for those
who like it. And when it was boiled, and they had dined, Master Rabbit again
reflected, "La! how easily some folks live! What is to hinder me from
doing the same? Ho, you girls! come over and dine with me the day after
to-morrow!" And having accepted this
invitation, all the guests came on the day set, when Master Rabbit undertook to
play woodpecker. So having taken the head of an eel-spear and fastened it to
his nose to make a bill, he climbed as well as he could — and bad was the best
— up a tree, and tried to get his harvest of rice. Truly he got none; only in
this did he succeed in resembling a Woodpecker, that he had a red poll; for his
pate was all torn and bleeding, bruised by the fishing-point. And the pretty
birds all looked and laughed, and wondered what the Rabbit was about. "Ah!" said his
grandmother, "I suppose he is trying again to do something which he has
seen some one do. 'T is just like him." "Oh, come down
there!" cried Miss Woodpecker, as well as she could for laughing.
"Give me your dish!" And having got it she scampered up the trunk,
and soon brought down a dinner. But it was long ere Master Rabbit heard the
last of it from these gay tree-tappers. |