HOW THE RABBIT CAUGHT THE SUN IN A TRAP.

An Omaha Myth, obtained from F. LaFlèche by J. Owen Dorsey.

Egi¢e mactciñ'ge aká iʞaⁿ' ¢iñké ená-qtci ʇig¢e júgig¢á-biamá.

It came to pass rabbit the sub. his grandmother the st. ob. only dwelt with his own, they say.

Kĭ haⁿ'egaⁿtcĕ'-qtci-hnaⁿ' `ábae ahí-biamá. Haⁿegaⁿtcĕ'-qtci a¢á-bi

And morning very habitually hunting went thither they say. morning very went,they say

ctĕwaⁿ' níkaciⁿga wiⁿ' sí snedĕ'-qti-hnaⁿ síg¢e a¢á-bitéamá. Kĭ íbahaⁿ 3

notwith- standing person one foot long very as a rule trail had gone, they say. And to know him

gaⁿ¢á-biamá. Níaciⁿga ¢iⁿ' ĭⁿ'taⁿ wítaⁿ¢iⁿ b¢é tá miñke, e¢égaⁿ-biamá.

wished they say. Person the mv. ob. now I-first I go will I who, thought they say.

Haⁿ'egaⁿcĕ'-qtci páhaⁿ-bi egaⁿ' a¢á-biamá. Cĭ égi¢e níkaciⁿga amá

Morning very arose they say having went they say. Again it happened person the mv. sub.

síg¢e a¢á-bitéamá. Égi¢e akí-biamá. Gá-biamá: ʞaⁿhá, wítaⁿ¢iⁿ b¢é 6

trail had gone, they say. It came to pass he reached home, they say. Said as follows, they say: grand- mother I-first I go

aʞídaxe ctĕwaⁿ' níkaciⁿga wíⁿ' aⁿ'aqai a¢aí te aⁿ'. [K]aⁿhá, uʞíaⁿ¢e

I make for myself in spite of it person one getting ahead of me he has gone. Grand- mother snare

dáxe tá minke, kĭ b¢íze tá miñke hă. Átaⁿ jaⁿ' tadaⁿ', á-biamá

I make it will I who, and I take him will I who . Why you do it should? said, they say

wa`újiñga aka. Níaciⁿga i¢át'ab¢é hă, á-biamá. Kĭ mactciñ'ge a¢á- 9

old woman the sub. Person I hate him . said, they say. And rabbit went

biamá. A¢á-bi ʞĭ cĭ síg¢e ¢étéamá. [K]ĭ haⁿ' tĕ i¢ápe jaⁿ'-biamá.

they say. Went they say when again trail had gone. And night the waiting for lay they say.

Man'dĕ-ʞaⁿ ¢aⁿ ukínacke gaxá-biamá, kĭ síg¢e ¢é-hnaⁿ tĕ ĕ'di i¢aⁿ'¢a-

bow string the ob. noose he made it they say, and trail went habitually the there he put it

biamá. Égi¢e haⁿ'+egaⁿ-tcĕ'-qtci uʞíaⁿ¢e ¢aⁿ giʇaⁿ'be ahí-biamá. Égi¢e 12

they say. It came to pass morning very snare the ob. to see his own arrived they say. It came to pass

miⁿ' ¢aⁿ ¢izé akáma. Taⁿ'¢iⁿ-qtci u¢á ag¢á-biamá. [K]aⁿhá ĭndádaⁿ

sun the cv. ob. taken he had, they say. Running very to tell went homeward, they say. Grandmother. what

éiⁿte b¢íze édegaⁿ aⁿ'baaze-hnaⁿ' hă, á-biamá. [K]aⁿhá, man'de-ʞaⁿ ¢aⁿ

it may be I took but me it scared habitually . said they say. Grandmother, bow string the ob.

ag¢íze kaⁿbdédegaⁿ aⁿ'baaze-hnaⁿ'i hă, á-biamá. Máhiⁿ a¢iⁿ'-bi egaⁿ' 15

I took my own I wished, but me it scared habitually . said they say. Knife had they say having

ĕ'di a¢á-biamá. Kĭ ecaⁿ'-qtci ahí-biamá. Píäjĭ ckáxe. Eátaⁿ égaⁿ

there went, they say. And near very arrived they say. Bad you did. Why so

ckáxe ă. Ĕ'di gí-adaⁿ' iⁿ¢ická-gă hă, á-biamá miⁿ' aká. Mactciñ'ge

you did? Hither come and for me untie it, said, they say sun the sub. Rabbit

aká ĕ'di a¢á-bi ctĕwaⁿ' naⁿ'pa-bi egaⁿ' hébe íhe a¢é-hnaⁿ'-biamá. Kĭ 3

the sub. there went they say notwith- standing feared they say having partly passed by went habitually they say. And

ʞu`ĕ' a¢á-bi egaⁿ' mása-biamá man'dĕ-ʞaⁿ ¢aⁿ'. Gañ'ki miⁿ' ¢aⁿ maⁿ'-

rushed wentthey say having cut with a knife they say bow string the ob. And sun the cv. ob. on

ciáha áiá¢a-biamá. Kĭ mactciñ'ge aká ábáʞu hiⁿ' ¢aⁿ názi-biamá

high had gone, they say. And Rabbit the sub. space bet. the shoulders hair the ob. burnt yellow they say

ánakadá-bi egaⁿ'. (Mactciñ'ge amá akí-biamá.) Ĭtcitci+, ʞaⁿhá, 6

it was hot on it they say having. (Rabbit the mv. sub. reached home, they say.) Itcitci+!! grandmother,

ná¢iñgĕ-qti-maⁿ' hă, á-biamá. [T]úcpa¢aⁿ+, iⁿ'na¢iñgĕ'-qti-maⁿ' eskaⁿ'+,

burnt to nothing very I am — said,they say. Grandchild!! burnt to nothing for me very I am I think,

á-biamá. Cetaⁿ'.

said, they say. So far.

NOTES.

581, 1. Mactciñge, the Rabbit, or Si¢e-makaⁿ (meaning uncertain), is the hero of numerous myths of several tribes. He is the deliverer of mankind from different tyrants. One of his opponents is Ictinike, the maker of this world, according to the Iowas. The Rabbit's grandmother is Mother Earth, who calls mankind her children.

581, 7. a¢ai te aⁿ. The conclusion of this sentence seems odd to the collector, but its translation given with this myth is that furnished by the Indian informant.

581, 12. haⁿ+egaⁿtcĕ-qtci, "ve—ry early in the morning." The prolongation of the first syllable adds to the force of the adverb "qtci," very.

582, 3. hebe ihe a¢e-hnaⁿ-biama. The Rabbit tried to obey the Sun; but each time that he attempted it, he was so much afraid of him that he passed by a little to one side. He could not go directly to him.

582, 4. 5. maⁿciaha aia¢a-biama. When the Rabbit rushed forward with bowed head, and cut the bow-string, the Sun's departure was so rapid that "he had already gone on high."

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS MYTH.

cv. curvilinear.

mv. moving.

st. sitting.

sub. subject.

ob. object.

TRANSLATION.

Once upon a time the Rabbit dwelt in a lodge with no one but his grandmother. And it was his custom to go hunting very early in the morning. No matter how early in the morning he went, a person with very long feet had been along, leaving a trail. And he (the Rabbit), wished to know him. "Now," thought he, "I will go in advance of the person." Having arisen very early in the morning, he departed. Again it happened that the person had been along, leaving a trail. Then he (the Rabbit) went home. Said he, "Grandmother, though I arrange for myself to go first, a person anticipates me (every time). Grandmother, I will make a snare and catch him." "Why should you do it?" said she. "I hate the person," he said. And the Rabbit departed. When he went, the foot-prints had been along again. And he lay waiting for night (to come). And he made a noose of a bow-string, putting it in the place where the foot-prints used to be seen. And he reached there very early in the morning for the purpose of looking at his trap. And it happened that he had caught the Sun. Running very fast, he went homeward to tell it. " Grandmother, I have caught something or other, but it scares me. Grandmother, I wished to take my bow-string, but I was scared every time," said he. He went thither with a knife. And he got very near it. "You have done wrong; why have you done so? Come hither and untie me," said the Sun. The Rabbit, although he went thither, was afraid, and kept on passing partly by him (or, continued going by a little to one side). And making a rush, with his head bent down (and his arm stretched out), he cut the bow-string with the knife. And the Sun had already gone on high. And the Rabbit had the hair between his shoulders scorched yellow, it having been hot upon him (as he stooped to cut the bow-string). (And the Rabbit arrived at home.) "Itcitci+!! O grandmother, the heat has left nothing of me," said he. She said, "Oh! my grandchild! I think that the heat has left nothing of him for me." (From that time the rabbit has had a singed spot on his back, between the shoulders.)