The rabbit once went out on the prairie in winter
time. On the side of a hill away from the wind he found a great
company of girls all with grey and speckled blankets over their backs.
They were the grouse girls and they were coasting down hill on a
board. When the rabbit saw them, he called out:
"Oh, maidens, that is not a good way to coast down hill. Let me get
you a fine skin with bangles on it that tinkle as you slide." And away
he ran to the teepee and brought a skin bag. It had red stripes onit
and bangles that tinkled. "Come and get inside," he said to the grouse
girls. "Oh, no, we are afraid," they answered. "Don't be afraid, I
can't hurt you. Come, one of you," said the rabbit. Then as each hung
back he added coaxingly: "If each is afraid alone, come all together.
I can't hurt you all." And so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag.
This done, the rabbit closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over his
back and came home. "Grandmother," said he, as he came to the teepee,
"here is a bag full of game. Watch it while I go for willow sticks to
make spits."
But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent, the grouse girls
began to cry out:
"Grandmother, let us out."
"Who are you?" asked the old woman.
"Your dear grandchildren," they answered.
"But how came you in the bag?" asked the old woman.
"Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed us in the bag for a
joke. Please let us out."
"Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out," said the old
woman as she untied the bag: and lo, the grouse flock with
achuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up, knocking over the old grandmother and
flew out of the square smoke opening of the winter lodge. The old
woman caught only one grouse as it flew up and held it, grasping a leg
with each hand.
When the rabbit came home with the spits she called out to him:
"Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have caught two."
When he saw what had happened he was quite angry, yet could not keep
from laughing.
