The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132935   Message #3012755
Posted By: LadyJean
22-Oct-10 - 12:35 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: Tricks and Tricksters
Subject: RE: Folklore: Tricks and Tricksters
Any Mountain Jack Tale is about a trickster. Then, of course, there's Robin Hood, and any number of other legendary outlaws.

I rather liked the Seminole story I heard about the rabbit, who laughed at the box turtles, because they were so slow, and they all looked alike.

So, the box turtles challenged him to a race. The rabbit and the fastest box turtle took off from the starting line. The rabbit took the lead almost immediately. He galloped along the track until he found a lovely patch of grass and sat down to eat. When he started up again, he passed a box turtle. So, he kept going as long as he could. Then, he stopped to rest, and when he started up again, you guessed it, there was the box turtle. So, he took off and ran and ran. Then, when he was sure of his lead, he stopped for a long drink. When he started, he found the box turtle was ahead of him.
So, he ran and ran. He came in sight of the finish line, just in time to see the box turtle hurrying across it.
So, the rabbit asked the box turtle what we'd all ask him, "HOW?"
"Simple," said the box turtle. "My brothers waited all along the track. Since we all look alike, you couldn't tell that it wasn't the same turtle you just passed. So we won the race by working together."
The rabbit hopped off with egg on his face.