In the long ago when Glooskap ruled over the
Wabanaki, there lived two lively animals--Keoonik the Otter, and
Ableegumooch the Rabbit, who were forever playing tricks on each
other.
One day, when Keoonik was in swimming, Ableegumooch ran off with a
string of eels he had left on the shore. Keoonik rushed out of the
water and went in angry pursuit. He had no difficulty in tracking the
rabbit, for the mark of the fish, touching the ground between jumps,
clearly showed the way. He was astonished, however, when the trail
ended at a clearing in the woods where a withered old woman sat by a
small fire.
"Kwah-ee, Noogumee," said Keoonik, using the formal address for an
elderly female. "Did you see a rabbit hopping this way, dragging a
string of eels?" "Rabbit? Rabbit?" muttered the old woman. "What kind
of animal is that?"
The otter explained that it was a small brown jumping creature with
long ears and a short tail. "I saw no such animal," the old squaw
grumbled, "but I'm glad you came along, for I'm cold and sick. Do
please gather a little wood for my fire." Obligingly, Keoonik went off
to do so. Returning with the wood, he stared around in surprise. The
old woman was gone. On the spot where she had sat, he saw the mark of
a rabbit's haunches, and familiar paw-prints leading away in to the
woods. Then he remembered that Ableegumooch was very clever at
changing his appearance and fooling people.
"Oh, that miserable rabbit!" cried Keoonik and set off again on the
trail. This time the tracks led straight to a village of the Penobscot
Indians, where Keoonik could see the rabbit in conversation with a
thin sad man wearing the feather of a Chief in his hair string. The
wily otter cut himself a stout stick and waited behind a tree.
Presently, Ableegumooch came strolling down the path, his face creased
in an absent-minded frown. Keoonik was ready for him. He brought the
stick down on the rabbit's head with a thud, and Ableegumooch
collapsed on the grass. "That should teach him," thought Keoonik, with
satisfaction, and he sat down to wait for the rabbit to recover.
Presently Ableegumooch came to his senses and staggered to his feet
with a dazed expression. "What did you do with my eels?" demanded
Keoonik.
"I gave them to the Indians," muttered the rabbit, exploring the bump
on his head with a groan. "What did you do that for, you silly
creature?" "Those Penobscots are starving, Keoonik," said the rabbit.
"For many moons someone has been stealing their food." "Just the
same," grumbled Keoonik, "those were my eels."
The rabbit thumped his hind legs on the ground with an air of great
determination.
"Keoonik, we must find the robbers and punish them!"
"We?" asked Keoonik in astonishment.
"Yes, you and I," said his companion firmly. "Let there be a truce
between us until we discover the thieves." Keoonik thought to himself
that Ableegumooch was a fine one to complain of people stealing other
people's food! However, he too felt sorry for the Penobscots. "All
right," he agreed. "We'll have a truce," and they shook hands
solemnly. Then they started back to the village to ask the Chief what
they might do to help, but when they were still some way off they saw
two other animals talking to him. These were Uskoos the Weasel and
Abukcheech the Mouse, two animals so troublesome even their own
families would have nothing to do with them.
"Let's listen," whispered Ableegumooch, drawing Keoonik behind a tree.
"We will find those robbers for you, Chief," they heard Uskoos say.
"Don't you worry about a thing." "You can depend on us," chimed in
Abukcheech.
Ableegumooch nudged the otter.
"Did you hear that?"
"I heard," said Keoonik. "So the Indians don't need our help after
all."
"I wonder," said the rabbit thoughtfully.
"What do you wonder? And why are we whispering?"
"Shhh! Let's think about it a little, Keoonik. Have you any idea how
those two get their living? They sleep all day and go hunting only
after dark."
"Some of us like to hunt after dark," Keoonik said fairly.,p> "Well,
but listen," said the rabbit. "All the fur robes in the camp have been
chewed and scratched and spoiled. What animals chew and scratch
wherever they go?"
"Weasels and mice," answered Keoonik promptly. "Very well. Let's
follow them and see what happens."
So Keoonik and Ableegumooch, keeping out of sight themselves, followed
the weasel and the mouse a very long way, to a large burrow in the
side of a hill where a number of other weasels and mice of bad
reputation were gathered. All greeted Uskoos and Abukcheech and
listened to what they had to say, while the rabbit and otter, hidden
behind a blueberry bush, listened too.
"We were very sympathetic," smirked Uskoos, "and said we would help
them."
"So now they won't suspect us," said Abukcheech, and all the mice and
weasels chortled gleefully.
"It is time now," said Uskoos, "to call all the animals together and
plan the conquest of the Penobscots. For we are smarter than the
Indians and deserve to have all the food for ourselves."
"Very true!" all shouted.
"How will we get the rest to join us?" asked Abukcheech.
"The smaller ones will be afraid to say no to us," declared Uskoos.
"We will use trickery on the others. We will tell them the Penobscots
plan to destroy all the animals in the land, and we must unite in
order to defend ourselves."
"Then, with Wolf and Bear and Moose to help us," cried Abukcheech,
"we'll soon have all the Indians at our mercy!"
The otter and the rabbit could hardly believe their ears. Someone must
warn the Indians.
"Come on," whispered Keoonik, but the rabbit only crouched where he
was, tense and unmoving. The fact is, he wanted to sneeze!
Ableegumooch wanted to sneeze more than he ever wanted to sneeze in
his life before, but he mustn't sneeze--the sound would give them
away. So he tried and he tried to hold that sneeze back. He pressed
his upper lip, he grew red in the face, and his eyes watered-- but
nothing was any good.
"Ahhhhhh-ahhhhhh-choo!"
Instantly, the weasels and mice pounced on Keoonik and Ableegumooch
and dragged them out of hiding.
"Spies!" growled Uskoos.
"Kill them, kill them!" screamed Abukcheech.
"I have a better plan," said Uskoos. "These two will be our first
recruits." Then he told the prisoners they must become members of his
band, or be killed.
Poor Ableegumooch. Poor Keoonik. They did not wish to die, yet they
could never do as the thieves wished, for the Penobscots were their
friends. Ableegumooch opened his mouth, meaning to defy the villains
no matter what the consequences, and then his mouth snapped shut. He
had heard a strange sound, the sound of a flute piping far away, and
he knew what it was. It was the magic flute of Glooskap, and the Great
Chief was sending him a message. Into the rabbit's head popped the
memory of something Glooskap had said to him once long ago, half in
fun, half in earnest. "Ableegumooch," he seemed to hear the words
again, "the best way to catch a snake is to think like a snake!" At
once the rabbit understood. He set himself to think like the mice and
the weasels, feeling the greed and selfishness that was in them. Then
he had a plan.
"Very well," he said, "we will join you. Those Indians are certainly
very cruel and dishonest. They deserve the worst that can happen to
them. Why, only yesterday"--and here he gave Keoonik a secret
nudge--"my friend and I saw them hide away a great store of food in a
secret place. Didn't we, Keoonik?"
"Oh, yes, certainly," stammered Keoonik, wondering what trick the
rabbit was up to now.
The weasels and mice jumped about in mad excitement. "Where? Where?
Where is this place?"
"Take us there at once!" cried Uskoos, licking his lips.
"Certainly," said Ableegumooch, starting old towards the woods. "Just
follow us."
Abukcheech the Mouse was right at their heels, but Uskoos soon
shouldered him aside. Then each animal fought to be in front, and in
this way all rushed through the forest, across the meadows, down into
the valleys and over the hills, until at last--pushing and panting and
grunting--they all reached the bottom of a grassy hill. Ableegumooch
pointed to a pile of rocks at the top.
"You will find the wealth you seek up there," he cried. "Hurry, hurry!
The best will go to those who get there first."
Away they all went, each struggling to be first. The rabbit and the
otter stood aside and watched as the wild mob scrambled up the
hill--up and up until suddenly, too late to stop, they found
themselves teetering on the edge of a cliff, with nothing in front of
them but space, and the sea far below. Those who were first tried to
stop but were pushed over by those crowding behind--and so, screaming
with terror, down they all went, headlong into the sea.
"Well," said Keoonik, peering over the edge of the cliff with a
shiver, "their tribes are well rid of them."
"So are the Penobscots," said the rabbit. "And now that together we
have saved our friends from the mice and the weasels, Keoonik, let us
go home together in peace as good neighbours should."
"I'm willing," said the otter, but he had no sooner taken a step than
he sprawled on the ground. Ableegumooch had tripped him.
"That's for the knock on the head!" the rabbit laughed, and made for
the woods. Picking himself up furiously, Keoonik was after him,
shouting, "Just wait till I catch you, I'll teach you to play tricks!"
Their truce was over.
And Glooskap, looking down from Blomidon, laughed at their antics, for
he knew that with all their mischief there was no greed or spite in
the hearts of Keoonik and Ableegumooch, against the Indians or against
each other.
