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YASHPEH
International Folktales Collection

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Story No. 2693


Jack-Rabbit and Cottontail

Book Name:

Zuñi Folk Tales

Tradition: Zuni, American Indian

Anciently the Jack-rabbit lived in a sage plain, and the Cottontail rabbit lived in a cliff hard by. They saw the clouds gather, so they went out to sing. The long-legged Jack-rabbit sang for snow, thus:

"U pi na wi sho, U pi na wi sho,

U kuk uku u kuk!"

But the short-legged Cottontail sang for rain, like this:

"Hatchi ethla ho na an saia."

That 's what they sung – one asking for snow, the other for rain; hence to this day the Pók'ia (Jack-rabbit) runs when it snows, the Â'kshiko (Cottontail) when it rains.

Thus shortens my story.

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