IKTOMI AND THE TURTLE
THE huntsman Patkasa (turtle) stood bent over a newly slain deer.
The red-tipped arrow he drew from the wounded deer was unlike the arrows in his own quiver. Another's stray shot had killed the deer. Patkasa had hunted all the morning without so much as spying an ordinary blackbird.
At last returning homeward, tired and heavy-hearted that he had no meat for the hungry mouths in his wigwam, he walked slowly with downcast eyes. Kind ghosts pitied the unhappy hunter and led him to the newly slain deer, that his children should not cry for food.
When Patkasa stumbled upon the deer in his path, he exclaimed: “Good spirits have pushed me hither!”
Thus he leaned long over the gift of the friendly ghosts.
“How, my friend!” said a voice behind his ear, and a hand fell on his shoulder. It was not a spirit this time. It was old Iktomi.
“How, Iktomi!” answered Patkasa, still stooping over the deer.
“My friend, you are a skilled hunter,” began Iktomi, smiling a thin smile which spread from one ear to the other.
Suddenly raising up his head Patkasa's black eyes twinkled as he asked: “Oh, you really say so?”