Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Koasati Stories: 37. The Story of Life-Eater

37. THE STORY OF LIFE-EATER

Once, when Life-eater was traveling about, he met a man out hunting. The man was very much frightened. Life-eater pursued him, and though the man strove to run away from him he could not

During the night something bad (or something supernatural) came to him. It seized a stout stick to hit him but when the Indian lay down he had gotten under a forked stick, and when the bad thing wanted to give him a sweeping blow it hit the forked stick. Then the man got up quickly, ran away and jumped into a big pond near by and crossed it. Looking back, he saw his pursuer standing on the other side. Then the Indian returned home without killing anything.