{"id":15243,"date":"2021-11-13T20:36:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T20:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/?page_id=15243"},"modified":"2022-12-03T22:12:13","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T22:12:13","slug":"how-the-rabbit-lost-his-tail-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/mythology-anichinabians\/how-the-rabbit-lost-his-tail-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Ojibwa Tale: How the Rabbit lost his tail"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"15243\" class=\"elementor elementor-15243\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f143491 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f143491\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-594fd9d\" data-id=\"594fd9d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4dcc010 elementor-align-justify elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"4dcc010\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/mythology-anichinabians\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Anichinabe mythology<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d680ccd\" data-id=\"d680ccd\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6f4b42 elementor-align-justify elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"e6f4b42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca\/fr\/article\/ojibwes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Wiki<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-04e4353 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"04e4353\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-006cd98\" data-id=\"006cd98\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6160c0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6160c0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The term Ojibwe comes from <em>Utchibou<\/em>, name given to the XVII<sup>e<\/sup> century to a group that lived north of what is now Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Here is one of their stories: How the Rabbit lost his tail.<\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/mythology-anichinabians\/\">Ojibway<\/a> were part of a series of very close, but distinct groups, occupying a territory located between the northeast of the bay <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/georgian-mythology\/\">Georgian<\/a> and eastern Lake Superior. These peoples who gathered near present-day Sault Ste. Mary are also called <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/mythology-anichinabians\/\">Saulteaux<\/a>, a term that today refers primarily to the Ojibway peoples of northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba.<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9347 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/cropped-AlphaOmega-e1602613368367.png\" alt=\"Ojibwa How the Rabbit lost his tail\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" title=\"\"><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-24869a7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"24869a7\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a8602b3\" data-id=\"a8602b3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b4b316 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9b4b316\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/mythology-anichinabians\/how-the-rabbit-lost-his-tail-7\/#How-the-Rabbit-lost-his-tail\" >How the Rabbit lost his tail<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-the-Rabbit-lost-his-tail\"><\/span>How the Rabbit lost his tail<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8be9e07 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8be9e07\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-45fcf3b\" data-id=\"45fcf3b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc254e2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc254e2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>You have heard how Glooscap came to rule over the <a href=\"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wabanaki-mythology\/\">Wabanaki<\/a> and<br \/>how he made the animals, and how at first some of them were treacherous<br \/>and disobedient. In time, however, he gave posts of honor to those<br \/>whom he could trust, and they were proud to be Glooscap&#039;s servants.<br \/>Two dogs became his watchmen, and the loon his messenger and tale-bearer.<br \/>And, because the rabbit had the kindest heart of all the animals<br \/>in the forest, Glooscap made Ableegumoch his forest guide.<\/p><p>Now in those days Ableegumooch the Rabbit was a very different<br \/>animal than he is today. His body was wide and round, his legs<br \/>were straight and even, and he had a long bushy tail. He could run<br \/>and walk like other animals, not with a hop-hop-hop as he does today.<\/p><p>One day in springtime, when the woods were carpeted with star flowers<br \/>and lilies-of-the-valley, and the ferns were waist-high, Ableegumooch<br \/>lay resting beside a fallen log. Hearing a rustle on the path, he<br \/>peered around his log to see who was coming. It was Uskool the Fisher,<br \/>a large animal of the weasel tribe, and he was weeping.<\/p><p>\u201cWhat is the matter with him,\u201d wondered the rabbit, who<br \/>was inquisitive as well as soft-hearted. He popped his head up over<br \/>the log and Uskool nearly jumped out of his fur with surprise. &quot;It&#039;s<br \/>only me\u2013Ableegumoch,\u201d said the rabbit. \u201cDo you mind<br \/>telling me why you are crying? \u00bb<\/p><p>&quot;Oh, greetings, Ableegumooch,&quot; sighed Uskool, when he<br \/>had recovered from his fright. \u201cI&#039;m going to my wedding. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cAnd that makes you cry? asked the astonished rabbit.<\/p><p>\u201cOf course not,\u201d said Uskool. &quot;I&#039;ve lost my way,<br \/>that&#039;s the trouble. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cWell, just take your time,\u201d said the rabbit sensibly,<br \/>&quot;and you&#039;ll soon find it again.&quot; \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cBut I have no time to spare,\u201d groaned the fisher. \u201cMy<br \/>future father-in-law has sworn that if I do not arrive for the wedding<br \/>by sunset today, he will marry his daughter to Kakakooch the Crow.<br \/>And, look, already the sun is low in the sky! \u00bb<\/p><p>&quot;In that case,&quot; said Ableegumooch, &quot;I&#039;d better show<br \/>you the way. Where are you going? \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cTo a village called Wilnech,\u201d said Uskool eagerly, \u201cnear<br \/>the bend in the river! \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cI know it well,\u201d said the rabbit. \u201cJust follow me. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cThanks, Ableegumoch,\u201d cried the happy fisher. \u201cNow<br \/>I shall be sure to arrive in time. \u00bb<\/p><p>So off they went on their journey. Uskool, who was not very quick<br \/>on the ground, being more accustomed to travel in the trees, moved slowly.<\/p><p>\u201cYou go ahead,\u201d he told the impatient rabbit, \u201cand<br \/>I&#039;ll follow as fast as I can. \u00bb<\/p><p>So Ableegumooch ran ahead, and sometimes all Uskool could see of<br \/>him was his long bushy tail whisking through the trees. So it was<br \/>that Uskool, looking far ahead and not watching where he stepped,<br \/>fell suddenly headfirst into a deep pit.<\/p><p>His cries soon brought Ableegumooch running back, and seeing the<br \/>fisher&#039;s trouble, he cried out cheerfully, \u201cNever mind. I&#039;ll<br \/>get you out. \u00bb<\/p><p>He let his long tail hang down inside the pit.<\/p><p>\u201cCatch hold, and hang on tight, while I pull. \u00bb<\/p><p>Uskool held on to the rabbit&#039;s tail, and Ableegumooch strained<br \/>mightily to haul him up. Alas, the weight of the fisher was too<br \/>great. With a loud snap, the rabbit&#039;s tail broke off shorts, within<br \/>an inch of the root, and there was poor Ableegumooch with hardly<br \/>any tail at all!<\/p><p>Now you would think that this might have discouraged the rabbit<br \/>from helping Uskool, but not so. When Ableegumooch made up his mind<br \/>to do something for somebody, he did it. Holding on to a stout tree<br \/>with his front paws, he lowered his hinder part into the pit.<\/p><p>\u201cTake hold of my legs,\u201d he cried, \u201cand hang on tight.<br \/>I&#039;ll soon pull you out. \u00bb<\/p><p>Ableegumooch pulled and he pulled until his waist was drawn out<br \/>thin, and he could feel his hind legs stretching and stretching\u2013<br \/>and soon he feared he might lose them too. But at last, just as<br \/>he thought he must give up, the fisher&#039;s head rose above the edge<br \/>of the pit and he scrambled to safety.<\/p><p>\u201cWell! said the rabbit as he sat down to catch his breath.<br \/>&quot;My waist isn&#039;t so round as it was, and my hind legs seem a<br \/>good bit longer than they were. I believe it will make walking rather difficult. \u00bb<\/p><p>And sure enough, it did. When the rabbit tried to walk, he tumbled<br \/>head over heels. Finally, to get along at all, he had to hop.<\/p><p>\u201cOh, well,\u201d said the rabbit, \u201chopping is better<br \/>than nothing,\u201d and after a little practice, he found he could<br \/>hop quite fast. And so they hurried on through the forest.<\/p><p>At last, just before the sun touched the rim of the trees, they<br \/>arrived at the bride&#039;s village. All the fishermen were gathered, waiting,<br \/>and they smiled and cheered at sight of Uskool and his guide\u2013all<br \/>but Kakakooch the Crow, who was far from glad to see them! In fact,<br \/>as soon as he saw Uskool take the bride&#039;s hand, he flew out of the<br \/>village in a temper, and never came back again. But nobody cared about him.<\/p><p>Ableegumooch was the most welcome guest at the wedding when Uskool<br \/>told the other fishermen what he had done. All was feasting and merriment,<br \/>and the rabbit danced with the bride so hard she fell into a bramble<br \/>bush and tore her gown. She was in a dreadful state when she found<br \/>she was not fit to be seen in company, and ran to hide behind a<br \/>tree. The rabbit was terribly sorry and wanted to help her, so he<br \/>hopped away to get a caribou skin he had seen drying in the sun,<br \/>and made a new dress out of it for the bride.<\/p><p>\u201cYou must have a fine girdle to go with it,\u201d said he,<br \/>and he cut a thin strip off the end of the skin. Then he put one<br \/>end of the strip in his mouth and held the other end with his forehead<br \/>paws, twisting the strip into a fancy cord. He twisted and twisted,<br \/>and he twisted it so hard the cord snapped out of his teeth and<br \/>split his upper lip right up to his nose! And now you see why it<br \/>is that rabbits are hare lipped!<\/p><p>\u201cNever mind,\u201d said Ableegumoch, when the bride wept<br \/>at his mishap, &quot;it can&#039;t be helped,&quot; and he gave her the<br \/>cord just as it was, to tie around her waist.<\/p><p>\u201cWait right here,\u201d said the bride, and she ran off. In<br \/>a moment she was back, carrying a lovely white fur coat.<\/p><p>\u201cThis is for you,\u201d she said shyly. \u201cIt is the color<br \/>of the snow, so if you wear it in winter, your enemies will not<br \/>be able to see you. \u00bb<\/p><p>Ableegumooch was delighted with his present and promised not to<br \/>put it on till the snow came, as his brown coat would hide him better<br \/>in summer. The wedding was over now, and he said good-bye to Uskool<br \/>and the bride, and started for home.<\/p><p>Now it happened that before he had gone far, he came to a small<br \/>pool in the woods, so smooth it was like a mirror. Looking into<br \/>it, the rabbit saw himself for the first time since his accidents,<br \/>and was agost. Was this he\u2013this creature with the split lip, the<br \/>hind legs stretched out of shape, and a tail like a blob of down?<\/p><p>\u201cOh dear, oh dear,\u201d sobbed Ableegumooch, \u201chow can<br \/>I faced my friends looking like this? Then, in his misery,<br \/>he remembered Glooscap, his Master. \u201cO Master! See what has<br \/>happened to your poor guide. I&#039;m not fit to be seen any more, except<br \/>to laugh at. Please put me back to my former shape. \u00bb<\/p><p>High up on Blomidon, Glooscap heard the rabbit and came striding<br \/>down from his lodge to see what was wrong. When he saw poor Ableegumoch,<br \/>all out of shape, he had all he could do to keep from laughing,<br \/>though of course he kept a sober face so as not to hurt the rabbit&#039;s feelings.<\/p><p>&quot;Come now,&quot; he said, &quot;things may not be as bad as<br \/>you think. You know how fond you are of clover, Ableegumooch? \u00bb<\/p><p>The rabbit nodded piteously.<\/p><p>\u201cAnd you know how hard it is to find. Well, with that long<br \/>cleft in your lip, you will be able to smell clover even when it is miles away! \u00bb<\/p><p>&quot;That&#039;s good,&quot; said the rabbit, cheering up a little,<br \/>\u201cbut it&#039;s very uncomfortable having to hop everywhere I go. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cPerhaps, for a time,\u201d said Glooscap, \u201cbut have<br \/>you noticed how much faster you hop than you used to run? \u00bb<\/p><p>The rabbit did a little hop, and a jump or two, just to see.<\/p><p>&quot;Why I believe you&#039;re right!&quot; \u00bb he cried, but then his<br \/>face fell again. &quot;But my tail, Master!&quot; I mind that most of<br \/>all. I was so proud of it. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cIt was certainly a handsome tail,\u201d admitted the Great<br \/>Chief, \u201cbut recall how it used to catch in thorns and brambles. \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cThat&#039;s right! cried the rabbit, excitedly, \u201cand<br \/>it was very awkward when Wokwes the Fox was chasing me! Now I can<br \/>slip through the narrowest places with no trouble at all! \u00bb<br \/>And he laughed with delight. \u201cWhy\u2013with my new legs, my cleft<br \/>lip, and without my long tiresome tail, I&#039;m a better rabbit than I was before! \u00bb<\/p><p>\u201cSo you are! said Glooscap, and at last he was able<br \/>to laugh. When Glooscap laughs heartily, the land shakes and the<br \/>trees bend over, so the rabbit had to hold on tightly to a tree<br \/>to keep from being knocked over. \u201cSo you are indeed! laughed Glooscap.<\/p><p>And that is why the rabbit and the rabbit&#039;s children, and his children&#039;s<br \/>children have had, ever since that day, a little white scut of a<br \/>tail, a cleft lip, and long hind legs on which they can hop all<br \/>day and never tire. And since then, too, in winter, rabbits wear white coats.<\/p><p>And thus, kespeadooksit\u2013the story ends.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anishinabe Mythology Wiki The term Ojibwe comes from Outchibou, a name given in the 17th century to a group that lived in \u2026 <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3405,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15243","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25288,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15243\/revisions\/25288"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythslegendes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}