How Fox and Raccoon Tricked One Another

It is said by the wise men of old, my nephew, that Non-gwat-gwa, the Fox and Joeagah, the Raccoon, once played tricks on each other, which made them enemies for life. It was all an affair over swamping hum-houses and fireballs, and it ended in Raccoon making his home in the treetops.

Fox was walking down the woodland trail one warm sunny day. He was feeling in good humor because a plump grouse had gone down his throat.

“Now, then”, said he, “I would be perfectly satisfied if I had one of those rare magic pawpaws to eat!”

Now it must be explained that in those days before the great era of Man, all animals ate what they pleased, and each knew there were magical things that, once eaten, would make them great hunters. Fox knew there was a wonder bush on which grew magic pawpaws. Should a fox eat one, it would render him invisible.

Thinking how fine it would be to become an invisible hunter, Fox ran down the trail. Suddenly he paused, for there, hanging on a low bush, was something shaped like a turnip. Fox ran around in a circle and then nosed up to the thing. It was gray and queer, and had a thin wall with a hum inside it.

Fox looked shrewdly at this hum-house, and with blinking eyes watched the hum-stingers fly in and out of the little round door at the bottom of their house. Fox had a good idea. When all the hornets had gone inside to sing, he stuck a wad of clay over the door opening and then picked the hum-house off the bush.

“Yak-yak!” thought he, “I now have something fine to trade for pawpaws when I meet some blunder-head fruit picker.”

Fox was happy and scampered through the tall grass, through the swamp, and then up by the woods edge where the bushes grew.

He began to nose around among the big trees until he saw a round black hole between two gnarled roots. He knew that this was the doorway to Joeagah, the raccoon. He also knew that Joeagah was a clever fellow who ought to be trimmed good and proper, for Joeagah was not only smart, but knew it, which is a sin, even in the animal world.

To attract attention, Fox began to laugh. “Ho, ho, ho ho,” he laughed. “Here I am! Know ye I have a treasure I will trade for a treasure. If any man trades me, he’ll win magic hum-house.”

So saying, Fox trotted away to a mossy hillock and waited, well knowing that every fur and feather brother knew his voice.

Down in the black hole beneath the tree of gnarled roots was Joeagah, the raccoon, looking for adventure in the dark tunnels under the ground. Raccoon was a curious explorer and had felt of everything in the woods except a certain gray thing with a hum inside. Raccoon wanted that hum-house, but as yet he had nothing to trade for it.

Raccoon crawled out his back door like a runaway woodchuck and crept cautiously to the swamp, where he pulled up the root of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, which the old folk always called fireball.

Raccoon took the fireball and rolled it in yellow mud to make it look like a delicious fruit. He rolled it and rolled it until it was dry, for Raccoon was clever with his hands and liked to roll things. He then took the yellow-coated fireball under his arm and sauntered down the trail, making believe that he didn’t know that anyone was about.

Coming to a mossy hillock where the ferns grew tall, he began to laugh.

“Ho, ho, ho, ho ho!” he laughed. “Here am I! Know ye that I have treasure I will trade for a treasure. If any man trades me, he’ll win magic seedpod.”

Out from his hiding place stepped Fox, his eyes a glitter and his teeth showing white through his affable smile.

“Good morning,” said Fox.

“Good morning,” returned Raccoon.

“Where are you going?” inquired Fox

“Somewhere,” answered Raccoon. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere,” replied Fox. “What have you there?”

“Something,” answered Raccoon. “What have you there?”

“Something,” replied Fox. “What are you going to do with yours?”

“Swap it,” answered Raccoon. “What’re you going to do with yours?”

“Swap it,” replied Fox. “What’ll you give me for mine?”

“I don’t know,” replied Fox. “What is the name of your treasure?”

“Better guess,” answered raccoon. “What is the name of your treasure?”

“Better guess,” replied Fox. “Come, let’s swap.”

Raccoon looked at the gray thing with the hum inside and inquired, “Is your treasure the magic bottle with hum inside?”

“Goodness, how you can guess!” exclaimed Fox.

How did you know that I had the magic bottle with hum inside? Why, it is worth so much I never did dare tell anyone I had it, because he who owns it will become the greatest hunter in the whole world.”

“I’ll swap for that poor thing if you can guess what I have,” Raccoon said.

Fox looked at the yellow thing and then inquired, “Is your treasure the magic pawpaw?”

“Goodness, how can you guess!” exclaimed Raccoon. “How did you know that I had the magic pawpaw? Why, it is worth so much that I never dared tell anyone I had it, because he who eats it will become invisible and turn into the greatest hunter in the whole green world.”

“All right, let’s swap,” said Fox, with his eyes blinking and his tongue hanging out with eagerness.

So they swapped, and each went away with his prize, both well pleased.

Pretty soon Raccoon looked at his gray bottle and began to wonder about it. He picked away at the clay stopper of the door. In an eye wink the stopper came out and with it the whole tribe of hum-stingers! The hum-stingers gave one look and then dashed at Raccoon, stinging him all around his eyes and all over, especially around his tail.

Continued next week...