Turtle
When Listens to Whippoorwill would tell this tale, folks would always look entranced and he always got a nice hand for it!
Long ago, before the 2 leggeds were here, and the weather was not so cold, Turtle was very different than he is now. His shell was not all cracked and funny looking. It was smooth and shiny. Turtle was quite proud of it. He washed it every day in the stream. That was what he was doing when he met Eagle. He lived, along with Mrs. Turtle, in a lovely green valley. There was a stream filled with fish and pond lilies. Along the banks and meadows were wild Strawberry, that we all know Turtles like to eat. It was a nice place to be and he and Mrs. Turtle were happy there for a long time.
Now Turtle and Eagle were great friends! Eagle used to go fishing for his breakfast in that same stream that Turtle lived by. They had began to talk a long time, and would sit in the shade and talk, as men do sometimes.
After Eagle had gone, Turtle said to Mrs. Turtle, I want to go visit Eagle! You can not go visit Eagle, he lives on top of the Mountain, replied Mrs. Turtle. I dont care I am going, he said. But your legs are short and there will be rocks, you should not go she said. But Mr. Turtle packed up what he thought he might need, and off he went.
At first it was not bad going, on the second day he started seeing rocks and the ground was getting steeper. Turtle kept right on going. He was gone for a long time and Mrs. Turtle was worried about him. She was afraid he would get stuck in some rocks, or roll down the Mountain. He did get stuck in some rocks, but that is another story.
At last Turtle got back home. He was tired and hungry, and he had a lot of scratches on his shell which was very dirty. did you get to visit Eagle she asked? No I could not make it, it was too hard. That is too bad she said, and cooked him a nice meal to make him feel better.
But Turtle was not the same. He moped around the lodge for days. Mrs. Turtle was running out of meat, and he wasn't showing any signs of going hunting. She told him and he said, yes I will go hunting for a few days. While I am gone I want you to make a basket . Make it big enough for me to get into, with a lid and a handle. What do you want a basket like that for she asked? Just make the basket he replied, and off he went hunting.
Now Mrs. Turtle had made a lot of baskets in her time, but never one like this. She worked on it for three days and had it done when turtle got back from his hunting trip. Turtle inspected the basket and was very pleased. You are a good wife, and no one can make baskets like you can, he told her. She was pleased and they had a nice meal together.
The next morning,about time for Eagles visit, Turtle carried the basket out side. Now wife he said, this is what I want you to do. I am getting inside the basket and closing the lid. When Eagle comes, tell him I am not home. Tell him I have left a gift for him. He will fly up to his home on the mountain and when he opens the basket he will be surprised, and I will get to visit with him. Mrs. Turtle did not like this at all. But she knew if he didn't get to do it, he might mope and pout for days.
Turtle got in the basket and waited. He Heard Eagles great wings as he landed. He heard Mrs. Turtle tell Eagle he was not at home but had left a gift for him. Eagle thanked Mrs. Turtle and grasped the handle of the basket and started to fly toward the mountain. Higher and higher they flew. They were almost to the top, and Eagle had to sneeze. Kershoooo, and when he did he dropped the basket. Over and over the basket turned as it fell. As last with a great smash it hit the ground. The basket was broken into pieces and so was Turtle. When Eagle looked down and saw what had happened to his friend and the basket he felt awful. Eagle flew back and told Mrs. Turtle what had happened and there was much wailing in the lodge.
Now when the creator looked down and saw what had happened, he felt sorry for Eagle and Mrs. Turtle. So the creator reached down with his hands and put all of the pieces of Turtle shell together. Then he blew the breath of life into Turtle, and Turtle was alive. He placed him on the ground where Eagle and Mrs. Turtle were. They were full of joy to see him again.
Now the great spirit spoke to Turtle. The beautiful shell I gave has been all broken, you can see all the places where I put it together. Because of the trick you played, your shell will always be that way and all of your children and Grandchildren forever more.
All one has to do is look at a Turtle and you can see the truth of this story. If you looked carefully you can see where muskrat tried to catch and eat him but that is another story