31. RABBIT AND WILDCAT
Rabbit found Wildcat lying down almost dead with starvation and said to him, "My friend, why are you lying here in this condition?" Wildcat answered "I am lying here dying because I am starving." Then Rabbit said, "If that is so there are bison drinking water in a near-by creek. You can catch a yearling bison when he is drinking water and eat him." And he added, "A big tree stands on the bank of the creek bending toward it. Therefore, climb it and sit there, and when the bison come down to drink you can jump on a yearling bison and seize it and you can eat it there."
Just as he told him to do, Wildcat climbed the tree bending toward the creek and sat down, and he saw the bison come down to drink water. Rabbit sat near looking on. Then Wildcat saw many bison go down. Rabbit sat at some distance and Wildcat waited in the tree. Presently he jumped down on one of the animals and landed on its neck, but the bison threw his head up and hurled Wildcat into the deepest water in the center of the stream where it was whirling around. Wildcat tried to swim but the current was very strong and held him for a considerable time. But at last he got out and sat down. Rabbit watched him, almost dying of laughter, and then went on his way.
This is the way it is told.
