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September 25, 2015

The Comrades’ Pranks

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Two boys were living together as comrades. They said to their parents, “We will go to look for people.” The father of one of them raised objections, but the other consented, and they went away. On the third night of their journey one of them said, “Let us sleep in separate shelters.”

 

“Don’t say that, comrade.”

“Yes, we shall camp apart.”

They built a fire and camped apart. -Before going to bed, the one who objected to camping by himself heard the noise of chopping outdoors. It was a dark night. He went out quietly and saw his companion sharpening his legs to a point. He got scared and ran away, pursued by Sharpened-Leg. He climbed up a tree.

Sharpened-Leg said, “Now I shall catch you, comrade.” He kicked the tree, splitting it in two. It came tumbling down. He kicked his comrade repeatedly, piercing him, but not killing him. Finally, he cured him again.

They traveled on together. That night the man who had fled proposed that they camp apart.

In the night, Sharpened-Leg heard snorting outside. Looking out, he saw that his partner had turned into a large buffalo. He was scared and ran away, chased by the bull. On account of his sharpened legs he could not run very fast. He climbed a tree.

The bull hooked it until it tumbled down. Then he hooked Sharpened-Leg again and again, ripping every part of his body and nearly killing him. At last, he let him alone.

They traveled on. At nightfall, Sharpened-Leg said, ” I wish to urinate.” He went outside and turned into a big elk. The buffalo-man was scared and fled, screaming. When the elk was close to him, the buffalo man climbed a tree.

The elk uprooted the tree, and repeatedly knocked down the buffalo-man, nearly killing him. At last, it ceased, and made him well again.

The next night when they went to camp, the buffalo-man said, “Let us camp apart.”

In the night Sharpened-Leg heard a bear growling. He fled, but a grizzly pursued him. He climbed a tree. The bear followed. Both fell down, and the bear bit off half of his companion’s nose. Finally he restored him.

Sharpened-Leg said, ” I am afraid, let us stop this now, let us be friends again.”

“No, you were the one to begin.”

“Let us stop now.”

“No, let us try once more.”

Sharpened-Leg begged him to desist, and finally his companion consented. They resolved to live together as friends.

“If you try again,” said the bear-man, “I shall kill you. Now get your feet again.” Sharpened-Leg found them, but could not put them on, so the bear-man set them for him. Then they traveled on in peace.

Arapaho Legends
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