Post #4

Once upon a time, I competed with the other animals of the earth. We were in competition for who would be the strongest. The ones above had bestowed upon the first man to give each of us a bow based on how strong we were. The bows came down in a giant white flash that encompassed the whole sky. Almost as if a bolt of lightning had struck the earth directly in front of us. There was a great wind that bent even the tallest, strongest pine trees around. A deep rumbling from deep beneath the surface shook the ground beneath our feet. When it was all over the sun had sunk beneath the mountains peaks and night was fast approaching. The man decided that we would wait until the morrow to distribute the beautiful bows. So I hatched a plan. I thought that if I stayed up all night, I would be first in line and become the strongest animal.

So the wait began. In the darkness I pretended to sleep, but in fact I was awake. All others snoring loudly. As the night progressed, I became more tired. I was about to nod off when I was given an ingenious idea. I would run around the world to stay awake! And so I ran. From the land of the Nisga'a of the west to the far east of the Iroquois. When I got back I only found that I was absolutely exhausted! I fell asleep immediately.

When I woke, no one was around! I ran as fast as possible to the place where we met the man. There stood every animal each with their own bow. My plan had failed. The others had noticed that a single bow remained. It was the smallest. Even Frog had a larger bow than I! I was deeply disappointed. Then, all of a sudden, a voice from above spoke. The ones above noticed my despair and had decided to trade. They offered a gift in compensation for having a bow. I agreed to their deal. All of a sudden, I had a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. My toes and fingers tingled with excitement. Then they spoke again. "We have given you an unbeatable trait. The gift of cunning. You will be able to outsmart anyone. Use your gift wisely." I felt alive. I would not only be able to use my cunning for others but could use it myself. That is why I am known as such a trickster. It was an unbelievable experience.