When the Terrapin won the race from the Rabbit
(see the story) all the animals
wondered and talked about it a great deal, because they had always
thought the Terrapin slow, although they knew that he was a warrior
and had many conjuring secrets beside. But the Turkey was not
satisfied and told the others there must be some trick about it. Said
he, "I know the Terrapin can't run--he can hardly crawl--and I'm going
to try him."
So one day the Turkey met the Terrapin coming home from war with a
fresh scalp hanging from his neck and dragging on the ground as he
traveled. The Turkey laughed at the sight and said: "That scalp don't
look right on you. Your neck is too short and low down to wear it that
way. Let me show you."
The Terrapin agreed and gave the scalp to the Turkey, who fastened it
around his neck. "Now," said the Turkey, "I'll walk a little way and
you can see how it looks." So he walked ahead a short distance and
then turned and asked the Terrapin how he liked it. Said the Terrapin,
"It looks very nice; it becomes you."
"Now I'll fix it in a different way and let you see how it looks,"
said the Turkey. So he gave the string another pull and walked ahead
again. "O, that looks very nice," said the Terrapin. But the Turkey
kept on walking, and when the Terrapin called to him to bring back the
scalp he only walked faster and broke into a run. Then the Terrapin
got out his bow and by his conjuring art shot a number of cane splints
into the Turkey's leg to cripple him so that he could not run, which
accounts for all the many small bones in the Turkey's leg, that are of
no use whatever; but the Terrapin never caught the Turkey, who still
wears the scalp from his neck.
