The Book of Nature Myths | Page 6

body quivered with anger and
with fear, for she was so little and the serpent was so big. "The
magician was very good to me," she thought, and she leaped down
upon the serpent.
Oh, how angry the serpent was! It hissed, and the flames shot from its
eyes. It struck wildly at the brave little cat, but now the cat had no fear.
Again and again she leaped upon the serpent's head, and at last the
creature lay dead beside the sleeping man whom it had wished to kill.
When the magician awoke, the little cat lay on the earth, and not far
away was the dead serpent. He knew at once what the cat had done, and
he said, "Little cat, what can I do to show you honor for your brave
fight? Your eyes are quick to see, and your ears are quick to hear. You
can run very swiftly. I know what I can do for you. You shall be known
over the earth as the friend of man, and you shall always have a home
in the home of man. And one thing more, little cat: you leaped from the
high tree to kill the deadly serpent, and now as long as you live, you
shall leap where you will, and you shall always fall upon your feet."

WHY THE SWALLOW'S TAIL IS FORKED.
This is the story of how the swallow's tail came to be forked.

One day the Great Spirit asked all the animals that he had made to
come to his lodge. Those that could fly came first: the robin, the
bluebird, the owl, the butterfly, the wasp, and the firefly. Behind them
came the chicken, fluttering its wings and trying hard to keep up. Then
came the deer, the squirrel, the serpent, the cat, and the rabbit. Last of
all came the bear, the beaver, and the hedgehog. Every one traveled as
swiftly as he could, for each wished to hear the words of the Great
Spirit.
"I have called you together," said the Great Spirit, "because I often hear
you scold and fret. What do you wish me to do for you? How can I help
you?"
"I do not like to hunt so long for my food," said the bear.
"I do not like to build nests," said the bluebird.
"I do not like to live in the water," said the beaver.
"And I do not like to live in a tree," said the squirrel.
At last man stood erect before the Great Spirit and said, "O Great
Father, the serpent feasts upon my blood. Will you not give him some
other food?"
"And why?" asked the Great Spirit.
"Because I am the first of all the creatures you have made," answered
man proudly.
Then every animal in the lodge was angry to hear the words of man.
The squirrel chattered, the wasp buzzed, the owl hooted, and the
serpent hissed.
"Hush, be still," said the Great Spirit. "You are, O man, the first of my
creatures, but I am the father of all. Each one has his rights, and the
serpent must have his food. Mosquito, you are a great traveler. Now fly
away and find what creature's blood is best for the serpent. Do you all

come back in a year and a day."
The animals straightway went to their homes. Some went to the river,
some to the forest, and some to the prairie, to wait for the day when
they must meet at the lodge of the Great Spirit.
The mosquito traveled over the earth and stung every creature that he
met to find whose blood was the best for the serpent. On his way back
to the lodge of the Great Spirit he looked up into the sky, and there was
the swallow.
"Good-day, swallow," called the mosquito.
"I am glad to see you, my friend," sang the swallow. "Are you going to
the lodge of the Great Spirit? And have you found out whose blood is
best for the serpent?"
"The blood of man," answered the mosquito.
The mosquito did not like man, but the swallow had always been his
friend. "What can I do to help man?" he thought. "Oh, I know what I
can do." Then he asked the mosquito, "Whose blood did you say?"
"Man's blood," said the mosquito; "that is best."
"This is best," said the swallow, and he tore out the mosquito's tongue.
The mosquito buzzed angrily and went quickly to the Great Spirit.
"All the animals are here," said the Great Spirit. "They are waiting to
hear whose blood is best for the serpent."
The mosquito tried to answer, "The blood of man," but he could not say
a word. He could make no sound but "Kss-ksss-ksssss!"
"What