Why Opossum's Tail is Bare

A Cherokee Story.
A long long time ago Opossum's tail was long and bushy.
He loved his tail and spent all day cleaning and brushing it. When anyone came to visit him, he made them listen to his latest song or poem about his tail. And when all the animals got together for a dance he demanded a special seat so everyone could admire his beautiful tail.
Wow! He was so boring!
Rabbit couldn't stand it any more. He decided to play a trick on Opossum. The next dance was booked for tomorrow night. He went to Opossum's house to invite him personally. "I must have a special seat" said Opossum "Everyone must be able to see my beautiful bushy tail".
"Of course you'll have a special seat"said Rabbit. "Everyone will see and admire your tail. No other animal has one as beautiful as yours."
Opossum swished his tail proudly, not realising Rabbit was making fun of him.
"As a special treat" said Rabbit, "Cricket the barber will comb and trim your tail tomorrow afternoon, so it will look more beautiful than ever." Opossum was very pleased and Rabbit ran off as fast as he could, because he couldn't stop laughing.
The next day Cricket came to Opossum's house. "Thank you for letting me groom your beautiful tail, Opossum. I will be able to tell my grandchildren."
"Yes, combing my tail is a great honour for your family" said vain Opossum.
Cricket took his comb and scissors and a long shiny red ribbon from his bag. "This is special ribbon" said Cricket. "When I've combed and trimmed your sumptuous tail I'll wrap it in this ribbon so it won't pick up any dust on your way to the dance".
"That's an excellent idea" said Opossum "My tail mustn't get dirty."
Cricket's gentle combing of his tail soon made Opossum sleepy.
He started to snore loudly and didn't stir until Cricket woke him. Opossum looked at the bright shiny ribbon wrapped around his tail. "All the other animals will envy my beautiful tail when I unwrap it" he said.
When he arrived at the dance, Rabbit led Opossum to his special seat. When the music started he stood up and said to the others "When I remove this ribbon, you can admire my beautiful tail as I dance. There is no other tail as beautiful as mine."
Without looking behing him, Opossum loosened the ribbon, wriggled his tail free and then vainly pranced around the dance floor in time to the music.
Rabbit put a hand over his mouth to smother his laughter. Cricket began to laugh in his little high pitched voice and all the other animals joined in. Finally vain Opossum could hear them over the music.
He looked at the other animals. They were laughing and pointing at his tail! He looked down, horrified. His long beautiful bushy tail was now as bald and scaly as a lizard's tail. Cricket had cut off every hair with his sharp scissors.
Opossum was so surprised and embarrassed he couldn't speak. All he could do was roll over on his back - which is what Opossums do today if you surprise or embarrass them.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Why Bat Has No Friends

Based on a Native American Indian Legend.
Many years ago there was a great war between the birds and the animals.
No-one knows why. It just happened.
The creatures with wings flew to the battle site and made their camp. Those who had legs, walked there.
Bat joined the birds. "Hey, I've got wings. So I must be a bird. And there are more of us, so we should win!"
The first battle was long and hard, but gradually slashing claws and tearing teeth began to win over beaks and wings.
Bat could see that the birds were losing so he hid behind a bush.
When the battle was over the animals walked back towards their camp.
"Man, did we kick those birds' butts or what?" said Buffalo, spitting out a few feathers.
"Yeah! We kicked their butts" cried Bat in his high pitched voice
The animals stopped. "What are you doing with us?" shouted Beaver, slapping the ground hard with his big, flat tail. "You've got wings. You're with the other side." "Yeah, that's right" growled Bear. "And I'm going to eat you!"
"Guys! Guys! Get Real!" said Bat, pointing into his mouth. "When have you ever seen a bird with teeth? Of course I'm one of you!"
"I suppose so," grumbled Bear.
The next day there was to be another battle and Bat walked to the site with the animals. "Let's rip their beaks off!" he yelled.
This time the birds flew as an army with the sun behind them, its bright light blinding the animals. Tearing talons and flapping wings tore into furry bodies. The birds were winning. Again Bat hid behind a bush.
When it was all over and the birds started to fly back to their camp, Bat silently joined them.
"That was a good victory today", said Eagle. "Yeah! We kicked their butts" shouted Bat. "Hold on" said Crow. "You were with the other side."
"Guys! Guys! Get Real" said Bat. "When have you ever seen an animal with wings like mine? Of course I'm one of you." He flapped his wings vigorously.
"I suppose so", said Eagle.
And that's how it was in each battle.
When Bat saw that the side he was on was going to lose, he pretended he was on the other side.
Eventually the birds and animals got tired of fighting each other. They all came together while their Chiefs held a council of truce to decide how things would be settled.
It was very difficult for Bat to pretend that he belonged to both sides. The Chiefs knew what he had done.
"Friends should always help each other and not pretend to be one thing when they are another" they said.
"Bat has wings, but he is not a bird. He has teeth, but he is not an animal. From now on, Bat will only fly at night when other birds are asleep and the animals are hunting."
All the creatures nodded in agreement.
"You will always be alone, Bat. You will never have a friend among the creatures that fly or from those that walk!"
And that's why Bat always flies at night and doesn't have any friends.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Ungrateful Tiger

A Korean Tale.
A long time ago, high in the mountains, the people of a small village came together to decide what to do about tigers wandering near their home.
"We have to do something! With all these tigers wandering around we're too scared to go out of the village" said one man.
"Yes! we have to do something. Last week a tiger ate one of my legs" said another, pointing to his leg that was not there.
After much talking the villagers decided the best thing to do was to dig deep holes to trap the tigers. Everyone helped, including the bigger children and the man who's leg was not there. They dug deep holes near all the tracks leading to the village.
A few days later a young man came to visit his uncle and heard loud howling sounds as he walked along a track to the village.
"What's making all that noise?" he asked. "Whatever it is it doesn't sound very happy".
The young man followed the howling sounds until he saw a deep hole with a tiger in it. The tiger tried to jump out and each time he fell back and howled.
"Hello Mr. Tiger" said the young man. "How did you get down there?"
"I don't know" cried the tiger. "I was walking along in the forest as tigers do, looking for something to eat, when suddenly I fell into this deep hole".
The tiger pleaded with the young man to help him. "Please, please help me get out of here. My wife and children will be worried about me. If you help me I'll be very grateful".
The young man was a very kind person. He found a large tree branch that had fallen on the ground and pushed and pulled it to the side of the deep hole.
"Watch out Mr. Tiger" yelled the young man as he pushed it down inside.
The tiger sprang up the branch and out of the deep hole.
"Ah! that's better" said the tiger pleased to be free.
The young man felt suddenly very nervous, standing next to the large tiger and decided to leave.
"I must be going now. Good-bye Mr. Tiger" he said.
"Not so fast" said the tiger. "I'm going to eat you".
"But, but, you said you'd be grateful if I helped you" stammered the young man.
"I am grateful" said the tiger. "But it was humans who dug that hole to trap me and since you're a human I am going to eat you".
"That's not fair" cried the young man.
"I'm a tiger and that's what tigers do. Eat people" growled the tiger
"I helped you and now you're going to eat me just because I'm human" said the young man. "I think we should ask some one else to judge if that's fair or not".
The tiger agreed and they went to look for someone to act as a judge.
They found an Ox and told him the story. "I think it's fair for the tiger to eat you" said the Ox. "Humans treat us Oxen very badly. We're made to work all day and when you want to, you kill us and eat us"
The tiger moved closer to the young man, who quickly yelled "Let's make it two out of three".
The tiger agreed and they went to ask the biggest tree in the forest. "I think it's fair for the tiger to eat you. You humans chop us down whenever you want to and set fire to the forest and burn us".
The tiger looked pleased and showed his big teeth as he smiled at the young man.
The young man was so frightened his legs began to shake. He saw a hare hopping along. "Please Mr. Hare, help judge if Mr. Tiger should eat me".
The hare listened to their story then said "Before I can judge I must see exactly what happened".
They all went to the deep hole where the young man had rescued the tiger.
"Now show me exactly where you were" the hare said to the tiger. Anxious to hurry up and eat the young man, the tiger jumped down into the hole.
"Was this branch in the hole?" asked the hare.
"No it wasn't" answered the tiger. The young man and the hare pulled the branch out.
"My judgment is that it's not fair for you to eat the young man" said the hare. "Just because it was humans who dug the hole doesn't make it fair for you to eat him. You should have been grateful for his help".
The hare hopped away and the young man hurried off to the village leaving the ungrateful tiger howling in the deep hole.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Story Telling Stone - How Stories Began

Native American - Seneca Legend.
A long time ago, a young man called Crow lived in one of the villages of the Seneca people. His parents had died many years before and he had no one to care for him, or to cook and sew for him.
He lived at the very edge of the village in a small lodge made from bark and branches. His hair was always a tangled mess, and his clothes were old and tattered cast offs he had been given in trade.
The village children were cruel and made fun of him because of the way he looked and because he was an orphan. This was a time when people did not have stories to teach them how to respect and care for others.
Young Crow was an excellent hunter with his bow and arrows. He traded the birds and animals he killed for parched corn, other food and clothes.
As winter drew nearer, Crow had to go further and further into the woods to hunt. One day he went further than he had ever been before. Eventually he came to a clearing where there was a large flat smooth stone with another round stone sitting on top of it.
Crow sat on the flat stone and rested his back against the round one. He laid the birds he had killed next to him. Then he reached into his buckskin pouch for some parched corn, and began to tighten his bowstring.
“Shall I tell you a story?” asked a deep rumbling voice near him.
Crow got such a fright he nearly choked. He jumped up quickly, spitting corn from his mouth and looked around but could see no one.
“Who’s there?” shouted Crow. “Come out and show yourself.”
The clearing was silent. Nothing moved.
“I must be hearing things,” Crow said to himself. “And now I’m talking to myself too.”
With a laugh, he sat down again and rested his back against the round stone.
“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep voice again.
Crow sprang to his feet and shouted “Alright, that’s enough. Show yourself now!”
Again, the clearing was silent and nothing moved.
Then Crow looked at the round stone he’d been resting against. He could see a face in it. He realised it was the stone’s voice he’d heard.
“Who are you, and what are you?” asked Crow.
“I am Grandfather Stone. I’ve been here since time began,” answered the stone.
“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep rumbling voice.
“What is a story?” asked Crow. “What does it mean to tell a story?”
“Stories tell us of all things that happened before this time,” answered Grandfather Stone. “Give me a gift of your birds and I will tell you how the world came to be.”
“You may have the birds,” said Crow.
He sat down in front of the stone. Its deep voice told him of a time before this one, how Sky Woman fell to earth, how Turtle Island was made, and about stone giants. When he finished one story, the stone told another and then another. On and on he went.
As the sun began to set the stone said, “That’s enough for today. Come back tomorrow and I will tell you more stories. But don’t tell anyone about what you’ve heard today.”
Crow ran back to the village. He managed to kill a few birds on the way to trade for hot food and parched corn.
When he traded the birds with a woman in the village she asked him “Why have you brought back so few birds from your hunting?”
“Winter is getting nearer and it’s harder to find anything to hunt,” answered Crow.
Early the next morning, Crow went into the woods with his bow and arrow. He hunted for birds and then rushed back to the clearing.
“Grandfather Stone, I’ve brought you more birds as gifts,” said Crow. He put the birds down on the flat stone. “Please tell me some more stories.”
Crow sat down and the stone started telling one story after another until it was nearly nightfall. This happened for many days. Crow brought back fewer and fewer birds to the village. The children of the village were even crueler to him. They made fun of him and told him that now he wasn’t even a good hunter.
One day Crow came to the clearing, placed his gift on the stone and said, “Grandfather Stone, please tell me some more stories.”
But the stone answered, “I have no more stories to tell. You have heard all that has happened before this time. Now you must pass on the knowledge you have learned from the stories. You will be the first storyteller.
You must tell others what you have heard, and also add stories of what happens from now on. The people you tell will remember your stories. Some will remember better than others. Some will tell different versions when they pass them on. It doesn’t matter. The truths and lessons from the stories will be remembered.”
“Thank you Grandfather Stone,” said Crow. “I will make sure the stories are not forgotten.”
Crow went back to the village. He knew it was time to move on. The people here didn’t respect him and wouldn’t listen. He collected his few belongings and left the village without telling anyone. No one missed him.
Crow travelled far and eventually came to another village. The people welcomed him warmly. They invited him to come in out of the cold wind, sit by the fire and share their food.
After he had finished eating Crow said, “You have been so kind I’d like to share something with you.”
He began to tell the stories he had learned from Grandfather Stone. He told them of the time when animals could speak, and when the turtle raced the bear.
That night the lodge house seemed warmer and the sound of the first storyteller’s voice could be heard above the howling wind outside. People went to sleep dreaming of the stories they had heard.
The chief of the village sent runners to other villages, inviting everyone to come and hear the stories. They brought gifts of food and clothing for Crow to thank him. A beautiful young woman came and sat by him every time he spoke. She listened to every story. Many seasons passed. Crow stayed in the village and married the young woman.
When he had shared all the stories with the people of the village and its neighbours, Crow and his wife left and travelled to other villages further away, to tell the stories.
Eventually they came to the first village where he had lived before. The people didn’t recognise him in his fine clothes and with his beautiful wife.
The village chief welcomed them, inviting them to sit by the fire and share their food. Crow told his stories. The people listened with their ears and their hearts.
Crow told them, “You must not forget the stories and legends. You must pass them on to your children and your grandchildren, and they must pass them onto theirs. We can never again forget the stories and their wisdom.”
And that is how it has been from that day to this. The stories from Grandfather Stone have been handed down from generation to generation and storytellers are still honoured today by those who listen.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Red Dragon

A long long time ago most of the animals on earth looked very different from how they look now.
Some were thinner, some were taller and some had more legs than they have today.
The Rhinoceros and the Hippopotamus were very vain and always boring the other animals, asking them to admire their good looks.
"Haven't I got the most handsome face you've ever seen?" the Rhinoceros would ask, as he turned his head from side to side. "Don't you think my left side is as handsome as my right?".
"Look at my slim body" the Hippopotamus would answer. "Isn't this the most beautiful body you've ever seen?"
"Huuh!" the Elephant would trumpet. "Look at my beautiful ivory teeth. They're the most perfect teeth in the world". And he would smile, showing two rows of gleaming ivory teeth.
Every thing was peaceful and boring until one day a red dragon flew down from the sky shouting "The world is going to end! The world is going to end!"
"We've heard that one before" said the lion, with a bored sigh. "The chicken said the sky was falling, but nothing happened".
"It's for real this time. The world is coming to an end!" yelled the red dragon.
"How do you know" the others asked.
"A wizard told me" he replied.
"Then it must be true" they all said. "What shall we do?"
"You can all climb onto my back and I'll fly you to another world" said the red dragon.
They all rushed to get on the dragon's back except the lion.
"I'm king around here and I'm not frightened of anything" he roared. "I'm going to stay here on earth".
"I'm going to stay too" said the tiger, getting down.
"Tigers are just as brave as lions".
When the other animals were ready, the dragon flapped his wings, jumped into the air and came down again.
With such a heavy load on his back he had to try it several times before he took off.
As the red dragon flew higher it was uncomfortable for the animals squeezed onto his back and some of them became scared. They began to fight and push each other.
"Get your tail out of my eye" yelled one.
"Watch where you're putting that paw" yelled another.
"Oh, we're going very high" squeaked a mouse.
"Give me a break and sit still" cried the red dragon. "All you're fighting and shoving is making it very hard for me to fly".
The animals ignored him and finally the red dragon became so tired he couldn't flap his wings any more and started to fall out of the sky.
The animals slid off his back and fell towards the ground screaming in panic. No one was killed but they all landed with a mighty thud.
The snakes legs fell off and he slithered away in the grass.
The Rhinoceros landed on his face, making a large bump on his nose that turned into a horn.
The Hippopotamus kept rolling and bumping over the hillside, getting bigger and fatter until he finally splashed into a waterhole. He was so embarrassed at how round and fat he was, he wouldn't come out.
The elephant broke all his teeth except for two that stuck into the ground. When he tried to pull them out of the ground they stretched into the two long tusks he has today.
The giraffe caught his head in a high tree and his neck stretched and stretched until his body reached the ground.
In fact all the animals changed into how they look today.
The lion and tiger roared with laughter at how funny the other animals looked now.
"I don't see what's so funny" snapped the crocodile, whose face had been flattened by a gorilla landing on it.
The Rhinoceros was very angry about losing his good looks. That's why you have to be very careful near them, even today.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Poor Turkey Girl

A Native American - Santa Clara Pueblo and Zuni Tale.
A very long time ago in the village of Shufinne, a young orphan girl lived with her aunt.
The aunt spoilt her own children but was very mean to the little girl. She made her work from sunrise to sunset gathering wood, working in the fields, patching the mud walls of their house and looking after the turkeys.
Each morning the girl would let the turkeys out of their cages and take them into the canyons to let them search for food.
Each night she would go up into the canyons and call the turkeys to come home. They would gather round her and follow her back to their cages. Everyone in the village, including her cousins, called her Turkey Girl.
She was often sent off with the turkeys without any breakfast, and many times she went to bed hungry at night.
Turkey Girl worked hard for years. No one showed her any kindness. But she was very kind and caring to the turkeys. They loved her in return and came immediately she called them at night to lead them back to their cages.
Gradually Turkey Girl grew into a young woman. But she always looked dirty and tired from all the hard work she did. Her hair was a tangled, untidy mess and her clothes were patched and tattered hand downs from her cousins.
One day it was announced there would be a big dance in the village in four days time. Everyone was excited. Turkey Girl’s cousins began sewing new mantas or dresses for the dance. They laughed as they sewed, and talked about how wonderful they would look at the dance.
Turkey Girl knew she was not invited and even if she was, she had nothing to wear. Everyone would laugh at her dirty and patched clothes.
For the next three days as Turkey Girl walked with her turkeys into the canyons, she sighed and talked to the birds about the dance.
“It would be so cool to go to that dance.” she sighed.
The turkeys kept walking.
“But it’s never going to happen. And even if I could go I don’t have a nice dress to wear. Everyone would laugh at me,” she said to the turkeys.
The turkeys kept walking.
On the fourth day as Turkey Girl talked and thought about the dance she didn’t notice that the turkeys had led her further into the canyons than she had ever been before.
The turkeys stopped and circled her.
The oldest turkey flapped his wings, strutted up to her and said “We can help you go to the dance.”
Turkey Girl stared at the old turkey with her mouth wide open, unable to speak
Finally she screamed, “You spoke to me, you really spoke to me! Wow! My turkeys can talk!”
“Yes we can talk when we want to,” said the old turkey. “Now get over it!”
“Ok, talking turkeys! I’m cool with that,” said Turkey Girl. “Now what were you saying about the dance?”
The old turkey said, “If you trust us and do what we say, we can help you go to the dance.”
“But I’ve got nothing to wear except these old clothes, and I’m dirty,” cried the girl.
The turkeys stared at her without saying a word.
“Ok, I trust you,” said Turkey Girl. “You've been my only friends all these years.”
The old turkey told her to take off her dress and put it on the ground. He then strutted back and forth on it, picking at it with his beak and beating it with his wings.
The other turkeys circled around Turkey Girl, brushing her with their wings and combing her hair with their beaks until her skin was clean and smooth and her long black hair was shining and wavy.
When the turkeys stepped away from her, the old turkey stood there, holding a beautifully embroidered white dress in his beak. Turkey Girl put it on.
A large turkey lifted his wing and out fell a pair of the finest white moccasins.
Another turkey coughed and out came a sparkling shell necklace.
Dressed in her new clothes and with her glowing face, Turkey Girl looked truly beautiful.
She thanked the turkeys and turned to leave the canyon to go to the dance.
“Before you go” said the old turkey “You must promise not to forget us here in the canyon and come back before it is dark, to take us back to our cages.”
“I promise!” shouted Turkey Girl, as she turned and ran towards the village. “You can trust me.”
When Turkey Girl reached the village no one recognised her in her gorgeous new clothes.
All the young men looked at her admiringly, wondering who this beautiful young woman was. All the young women greeted her warmly.
At first Turkey Girl was a bit shy and found it hard to talk but gradually she joined in the dancing.
The more she relaxed, the more she enjoyed herself and danced and danced, forgetting about the turkeys.
It wasn’t until she noticed the long shadows cast by the sun as it sank behind the mountains, that she remembered the turkeys.
Turkey Girl ran from the village, ignoring all her new friends who called after her.
When she reached the canyon where she had left the turkeys it was dark and all the turkeys had gone.
Turkey Girl ran through the canyons and mountains calling out to the turkeys. She called and called but the turkeys would not answer her.
The faster she chased them the faster the turkeys ran away from her.
Brush and thorns ripped her new clothes and they became covered in dust and dirt. The beautiful necklace broke and the shells were lost in the dark.
Finally Turkey Girl stopped chasing the turkeys and walked back to the village, sobbing and dirty. She knew life would be much harder now without her good friends the turkeys.
That is why to this day wild turkeys are scattered throughout the canyons and mountains.
And because of Turkey Girl’s broken promise turkeys no longer trust humans and run away whenever we come near.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Girl who Married a Bear

Based on a Native American Indian Legend.
Peesunt was the Chief's daughter. She was vain and proud. She was always combing her long black hair, waiting for people to say how beautiful it was and how her skin was soft.
She believed she didn't have to behave like the others and that everyone should respect her because of her father.
One day she went into the forest to pick berries, with other girls from the tribe.
As they walked further and further under the trees, the others became nervous. They started to sing softly.
"Why are you singing?" asked Peesunt. "We're frightened of disturbing the animals" said one. "We need to let them know we're coming - especially the bears."
"Bears are ugly and smelly" sniffed Peesunt. "I don't care if I disturb them!" "Please don't say that" begged another. "They'll hear you and be very angry." "Let them!" said Peesunt. "I'm the Chief's daughter and I don't have to worry about disturbing smelly old bears!"
They came to a clearing and were even more scared to be in the open. Then they saw bushes full of berries and started to filled their baskets.
The day went quickly and they forgot all about the bears as they laughed and talked while they picked the fruit. When the sun began to prepare for sleep, their baskets were full.
"We must leave now" one girl said to Peesunt, "before it gets dark. The animals won't like us disturbing their sleep." "Why should I care?" asked Peesunt. "I want to pick more berries." The others were frightened and started walking.
Peesunt sighed and followed them, but then she saw another bush with the biggest and juiciest berries all over it. "I must pick those" she said to herself. "I'll go back with the best berries and people will say 'Of course. She's the Chief's daughter!"
Quickly she picked the berries until her basket was overflowing. The others were out of sight, singing and talking, not noticing that Peesunt wasn't with them.
She rushed to catch up and the strap on her basket broke and all the berries spilled onto the ground. As she bent to scoop them up, a handsome young man appeared, wrapped in a bearskin cloak.
"Can I help you, Peesunt?" he asked. "How do you know my name?" asked the girl. "Everyone knows of beautiful Peesunt, the Chief's daughter. You are so beautiful, you must be her." "That is true" said Peesunt. "Everyone knows of my beauty."
When they had filled the basket again, the young man fixed the strap so Peesunt could carry it. The sun had almost gone to sleep and the forest was becoming dark.
"It's too late for you to walk back to your village" the young man said. "My people would be honoured if you would stay with us overnight." Peesunt did not know what to do, so she shook her long black hair, vainly and said she would stay.
When they came to his village, she saw other people, all wearing bearskin cloaks. The women would not speak or look at her. They kept their eyes on the ground.
The young man led her to the centre of the village, where people were sitting around a fire. She was welcomed by their chief, who was old and wore a crown made from bear claws.
After everyone had eaten and talked, the chief stood up and looked at Peesunt. "You will stay in this village forever and marry my young nephew, who brought you here." "I will not!" shouted Peesunt. "I am Peesunt - daughter of the chief of my tribe!"
"Enough. I have spoken" said the old man. He waved to two men and they took her to her new husband's lodge. Standing inside, scared and confused, Peesunt heard a little voice squeaking "Peesunt! Peesunt!"
She looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Then she felt something tugging at her dress. Looking down, she saw the tiny Mouse Woman.
"Peesunt. Listen to me! This is very important! These are the Bear People. The chief heard you say that bears were dirty and smelly and that you weren't afraid of them - and he was angry.
You must show respect to your new husband and always obey him. If you don't, you'll be made a slave like the other women."
"And if you try to escape, the Bear People will become angry again and kill you" squeaked Mouse Woman. Peesunt understood the warning and changed her ways. She became respectful and obeyed her husband.
She noticed that when the men left the village they turned into bears and when they returned, they became men again.
She was no longer vain and proud. She worked hard and stayed with the Bear People for a long time. She gave birth to two sons, who were both half man and half bear. Peesunt's husband was kind to her and Mouse Woman taught her many things. But she missed her family.
One day, strangers were seen outside the village. Peesunt's husband told her the men were her brothers. "They found bear tracks when you went missing and they have killed many of my people since then. They will not stop looking for you."
He looked at Peesunt sadly. "I've dreamed that they will kill me. I know you love them very much, and I won't hurt them. I ask that they treat me with respect as you have, Peesunt.
They must not drag my body on the ground after they have taken my skin. My feathers must be placed behind my ears and red ochre rubbed on my back."
He stroked Peesunt's long black hair and said goodbye to his sons. Then he put on his bear cloak and started to walk out of the village. Peesunt followed him and saw him turn into a bear. Holding his arms out in front of him, he went to meet the brothers. He let them kill him without struggling.
"Peesunt, our sister! It's so good to see you again!" shouted the brothers. Peesunt cried for her dead husband and with joy to see her brothers again.
She made them treat her husband's body as he had asked and they took her and her two sons back to her father's village.
The people from her tribe looked at her closely and were amazed to see soft brown hair growing on her beautiful skin. She was no longer fully human.
Peesunt told her father, the Chief "I don't feel comfortable living with people now. May I live in the small house at the edge of the village?" "Yes my daughter, you can" said her father.
Peesunt took her two cubs and lived in the small house. One day, one of her brothers brought her some bearskins to make warm clothing for the winter. Peesunt and her children put the skins around them and turned into bears forever. She took the cubs into the mountains and they were never seen again.
The people of her tribe remembered how the daughter of their chief had married a bear and taught them to respect any bear that they killed.
They followed her teaching and were very successful hunters.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

The Boy Who Loved Bears

Native American - Pawnee Tale.
A long time ago a Pawnee hunter was returning home after a day's hunting when he saw a baby bear all alone in the forest.
The bear cub looked very frightened and was crying for its mother.
Feeling sorry for the bear cub the hunter picked it up, held it in his arms and gently stroked its fur.
“Did you lose your mother little one?” said the hunter as he stroked the fur under the cub’s chin.
The cub began sucking on the hunter’s finger.
“I think you’re hungry too,” said the hunter. He reached into his bag for the last of the food his wife had given him that morning, and fed the cub.
As he held the cub in his arms, the hunter thought about his pregnant wife and the baby they were expecting any day now.
“Little one,” he said to the cub. “If ever my son or daughter is alone, I pray there will be some one there to help them, like I have helped you.”
The hunter put the bear cub down, then tied a small medicine bag filled with sacred leaves around its neck as protection. The cub curled into a ball on the ground. The hunter stroked the cub’s fur until it fell asleep, purring.
The hunter covered the little bear with leaves to hide it.
“Sleep well, little one. I pray your mother will return by the time you wake up,” whispered the hunter to the sleeping cub.
When he returned to his village the hunter told his wife about the little bear.
“That’s really strange,” said his wife. “I saw a bear today too.”
A few days later when their son was born they decided to call him Little Bear.
As the years passed, Little Bear grew into a strong young man. He became the best hunter in the village. He could track animals just like a bear, and catch fish in the streams, just like a bear.
“He even growls like a bear when I try to wake him in the morning,” said Little Bear’s mother.
Often the young hunter would go and sit quietly, praying for hours where the bears were known to live.
“I get this really weird feeling when I’m sitting there praying,” Little Bear said to his father. “It’s as if I can feel the power of the bears.”
One day when Little Bear and other young men from the village were out hunting, braves from another tribe attacked them.
Little Bear and the young men from his village fought bravely but they were outnumbered. The battle continued until Little Bear and his friends lay dead.
Soon after the battle had finished a bear and his mate came upon the horrible scene.
The female bear recognised Little Bear.
“Look, that is the young man who prays for us. We have to help him!” she said to her husband.
‘I can’t,” said her husband. “My healing medicine only works in the light. The clouds are stopping the sun from shining its light on us.”
Just then the clouds parted and Little Bear was bathed in a single ray of sunlight.
The bear stood tall, raised his arms to the sky and cried. “Oh, Great Spirit! I ask you to return life into the body of this young man.”
The bear continued praying and slowly the life-spirit returned to Little Bear.
The bears gently picked Little Bear up and took him to where they lived. Little Bear stayed there for many months, until he was healed.
When Little Bear was well the bear walked with him to the top of a hill overlooking Little Bear’s village.
The bear held Little Bear's hands in his mighty paws and breathed his spirit into him.
“We are brothers now, and are as one” said the bear. “Whatever happens to me will happen to you, and whatever happens to you will happen to me.”
Little Bear became an even greater hunter and held Bear Ceremonies to heal others and to give thanks to the Great Spirit for the bear. As he grew older Little Bear changed his name to Bear Man.
Bear Man passed on the power of the bear to his children and grandchildren. They passed it on to their children, so even today the power of the bear is still known to the Pawnee people.
After many years, Bear Man died peacefully in his sleep. It is said that an old bear died at that very instant.
The two brothers were together again.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Rabbit The Hunter

A Native American Tale.
One day Rabbit took his bow and arrow and went hunting. He left the house where he lived with his grandmother and hopped through the forest, happy to be out and about. Suddenly he saw huge footprints in the track.
"Wow! Check out the size of this!" Rabbit said, twitching his nose. He hopped into the middle of the left footprint, then took six long hops to reach the right one.
"This dude is some giant" he said out loud, talking to himself because no one else was there. The forest was silent. He couldn't even hear a wing flap, or a bear breathing.
"I bet that giant's hunted everything!" said Rabbit angrily. And sure enough, when he checked, there wasn't anything left to hunt.
Rabbit went home to his grandmother and told her he hadn't hunted anything for dinner because the giant had been to the forest first. She patted him on the head. "Don't worry dear. I've picked some berries. We can have them for dinner."
"I don't want stupid berries. I want to eat something I've hunted!" Rabbit grumbled to himself. He didn't say it out loud because he didn't want to hurt his grandmother's feelings.
The next day Rabbit got up earlier, hoping to hunt before the giant came. No luck. Everything had gone already. "It's not fair!" cried Rabbit, stamping his feet.
Each day Rabbit got up earlier and earlier, and each day the same thing happened. The giant got there first.
Rabbit became angrier and angrier. "I will set a trap for the giant. And when I catch him, I'll shoot him with my bow and arrow." He strung a net across the track to catch anyone who walked down it. Then he went home to his grandmother, thinking "this will be the last night I have to eat berries for dinner. Tomorrow I'll be able to go hunting."
The next morning Rabbit got up extra early and went to check on his net. "Oh no!" He wailed.
"The giant has walked right throng it and made a big hole!" He went home and told his grandmother. "Don't worry dear, have a berry" she said.
"I don't want any more berries" cried Rabbit "I want to eat something I have hunted." Then he looked at his grandmother and thought for a moment. "You know some magic. Will you make me a special net?" he pleaded.
"Alright. If it will make you happy." She told Rabbit to go away because the magic was secret. When he came back she gave him a net as thin as a spider's web, but stronger than any net ever made.
Rabbit tied it across the track in the forest. The next morning, he got up extra early and rushed out into the forest. He hopped round a bend in the track and skidded to a halt. There was a blinding light coming from his magic net. It was so bright, he couldn't look at it for more than a second. "Oh No!" he wailed. "I've captured the SUN".
"Let me out of here," roared Sun in a deep load voice that shook the forest. Rabbit fell backwards onto the track, then hopped home as fast as he could to tell his grandmother.
"You must let Sun out of the net," said his Grandmother "Look how dark it is everywhere." "I'm scared" said Rabbit.
"I know" answered his grandmother, "but if you don't let Sun out of the net it will always be dark. Here's a magic knife. Go and cut the net." Rabbit hopped back into the forest.
"Let me out of here" roared Sun, thrashing around in the net with his big feet. Rabbit slowly moved forward, his little legs shaking with fright. The closer he got, the hotter it became. Closer and hotter, closer and hotter.
Little legs shaking and sweat gushing from him, Rabbit shielded his eyes and reached up to cut the net with the magic knife
Sun struggled free then jumped upwards. One of his big feet kicked Rabbit on the shoulders, almost knocking him over. The sky filled with light again and all the animals cried out in happiness.
Rabbit looked at his sore shoulders. They were scorched brown with the heat from Sun's foot - and they are still brown to this day.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Pelican Girl

Native American - Miwok Tale.
A long time ago, in the land of the South People, it was time for Pelican Girl to become a woman.
A special dance and ceremony was planned, to celebrate the event in the proper way of the South People.
All the people of the village gathered for the dance, including Little Owl, the Snipe family, and Coyote and his grandson Hawk Chief. All the right ceremonies were carried out for Pelican Girl.
“This party is so cool, ” said Pelican Girl to the Snipe sisters as they danced to the beat of the drum.
When the dance finally finished and the drums were quiet, the women of the village took Pelican Girl to the women’s house. She had to stay there until the moon had become small and then grown full size again.
When the moon had finished its cycle the women took Pelican Girl out of the house to receive her beads of womanhood. They placed the beads around her neck, wrists and ankles.
Pelican Girl was told that for the next few weeks she must stay close to the village and she was not allowed to gather food or bend down to pick up anything. This was the custom of the South People when a young maiden became a woman.
As Pelican Girl sat outside her home the Snipe sisters walked by with their pack baskets.
“Where are you going?” asked Pelican Girl.
“We're going to pick berries. Come with us and we'll tell you all the latest gossip,” answered the Snipe sisters.
Pelican Girl asked her mother if she could go, but her mother said no, because it was forbidden.
“I want to go! I want to go!” screamed Pelican Girl as she clenched her hands tightly and stamped her feet.
“It’s OK,” said the Snipe sisters to Pelican Girl’s mother. “We'll pick the berries for her.”
Finally her mother agreed. “OK, you can go but remember you're not allowed to pick any berries or bend over to lift anything off the ground.”
All day Pelican Girl did as she was told. She carried her pack basket but did not pick any berries.
Late in the afternoon, the girls headed back to the village. Pelican Girl was tired and walked slowly behind the Snipe sisters. Too busy talking to notice, the Snipe sisters got further ahead until they disappeared out of site around a bend in the trail.
Just then, Pelican Girl saw in the middle of the trail, a big goose that looked like it had fallen from the sky.
“Wow, look at that,” shouted Pelican Girl. She gently touched the goose with her foot.
“Maybe it had a heart attack or something?” she said. “Its feathers are so beautiful. My uncles could really use them.”
Forgetting her promise not to pick up anything, Pelican Girl bent over, picked up the goose and put it in her pack basket.
As she walked along the trail Pelican Girl thought to herself “This basket is becoming really, really heavy.”
Finally it became so heavy she had to put it down.
Just then she heard a strange noise and a man appeared in front of her basket.
“Little girl,” he whispered. “I want those beads around your neck and your wrists and ankles.”
Pelican Girl knew who it was.
It was Shoko, a powerful shaman from the North World where the fire-eaters lived. He had disguised himself as the goose so Pelican Girl would pick him up.
By breaking the custom of her people she had given him the power to carry her away to his land.
And that is what he did.
After Pelican Girl had removed her beads and thrown them to him, Shoko did a dance and spirited her off to the land of the North People where he hid her in a pit underneath a dance drum.
When the Snipe sisters returned to the village the people wanted to know what had happened to Pelican Girl.
The Snipe Girls were frightened. “We don’t know,” they said.
“We heard her say something about feathers, but when we went back to look, we couldn’t find her,” they cried.
So Coyote, the wise one, with some of the best trackers from the village and Pelican Girls mother, went to find her.
Coyote soon worked out what had happened.
“The people of the North World have taken her,” he said. “We must go there and rescue her.”
They ran along the trail towards the North World. When they reached the entrance to the North World valley, Coyote told everyone to stop.
Coyote knew that Shoko and the fighting men of the North World would be waiting for the South People to try and rescue Pelican Girl.
Coyote told Little Owl to take the shape of a bird and fly over the fighting men to give them a message.
Little Owl flew over where the fighting men were hiding and whispered to them “Coyote and the South People are not coming tonight. Go to sleep and rest.”
All the fighting men listened to Little Owl and went back to their house to sleep.
Coyote changed his people into mice and told them to get into his sack, which he then carried into the village.
Coyote let the mouse people out of his sack. They went round the North People, tying their long hair together. Then they chewed through their bowstrings and the sinews that held the stone heads on their spears and arrows.
When their work was done they changed back to people and looked for Pelican Girl.
Coyote found her underneath the dance drum. She was very sick and could not move.
Coyote picked her up and silently carried her through the house. But he accidentally stepped on one of the sleeping North People.
“Ooops,” said Coyote. “This can’t be good.”
The fighting man woke up and his shouts woke all the others.
But when the North People tried to stand up, they fell back again because their long hair had been tied together.
And they could not use their weapons either.
Coyote and the others escaped.
The North People had turned Pelican Girl into a fire-eater and Little Owl had to sing and dance for many days and nights to try and cure her. At last her body and spirit were cleansed and she was well again.
After time had passed, Pelican Girl married Coyote’s grandson, Hawke Chief and she became one of the women who taught the young girls of the village how to behave when it came time for them to become women.
Thanks to Pelican Girl’s experience, none of them ever made the mistake she did.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Koobor the Koala and Water

Based on an Australian Aboriginal Legend
A long time ago, animals weren't animals - they were people. Koobor the koala was a boy. His parents were dead and he lived with relatives in a very dry part of the country, where there was never enough water.
Everyone in the family was given water each evening, but Koobor was always given his drink last and he never thought it was enough.
"I'm still thirsty!" he cried, "I want more water."
"Be quiet, Koobor" shouted his relatives. "You're an orphan and we've given you a home. You should be grateful and take what you are given."
If he complained again, they beat him and called him ungrateful.
When they were going out to look for food, they hid their water buckets so that Koobor couldn't drink any more water.
Koobor learned how to take moisture from gum leaves, but it was never enough to stop him feeling thirsty.
One day when the relatives left Koobor alone and went to find food, they forgot to hide their water buckets. As soon as they were out of sight, he drank all the water his stomach could hold. For the first time he wasn't thirsty, but his body swelled up like a balloon.
When the sun started to rest for the night, Koobor knew that his relatives would come back soon. They would beat him and take all the water and he would be thirsty again.
He collected all the water buckets and climbed into the branches of a small tree.
Then he sang a special song and the tree began to grow and grow, with Koobor sitting in the middle of it, holding the buckets.
His relatives came back hot and tired after searching for food all day. They could not find their water buckets or Koobor. Then they saw him in the tallest of all the trees, with water buckets hanging from the branches.
"Koobor, bring those buckets down now, or we will beat you" they cried. "No! I'm not coming down" shouted Koobor. "It's your turn to be thirsty!"
Several men started to climb the tall tree, but Koobor threw the water buckets at them, knocking them to the ground.
Finally, two men managed to climb up, dodging the buckets. They grabbed Koobor, beat him very badly and threw him down.
His broken body smashed into the earth, where it changed into Koobor the Koala.
The animal climbed into a nearby tree and began munching gum leaves. Then he looked down at the people on the ground.
"From now on, you may kill me if you need food, but you must cook my body before you take off my skin or break my bones.
This is my law. If you don't follow it, I will come back and dry up all the rivers and lakes and you will always be thirsty."
This is why Koalas don't need water to keep alive and why aborigines always follow Koobor's law when cooking a dead koala. They are frightened that he will come back and take all their water, leaving them thirsty forever.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Kangaroo Gets A Pouch

Based on an Australian Aboriginal Legend.
"Joey! Where are you?" called Mother Kangaroo, searching for her son. "Come here now". Mother Kangaroo looked around, under all the bushes, but couldn't see her Joey.
"That boy has too much energy" she mumbled to herself "He's always hopping off." Using her paw, she shaded her eyes from the bright sun and looked around for her Joey again.
"Here I am!" an excited voice yelled behind her.
"Aaah!" screamed Mother Kangaroo hopping six feet in the air and landing with a thud. "Joey, you frightened me!" she said.
"Sorry Mother," said Joey.
"That's alright," she answered, rubbing his head fondly. "But you shouldn't hop off by yourself. It can be dangerous."
"But Mother, there are so many exciting things to see. I get bored standing here eating grass."
"Grass is good for you" said Mother Kangaroo. "Now be a good Joey, and don't go hopping off again."
She put her head down and munched the sweet grass. When she looked up, Joey had disappeared again. She gave a big sigh and started looking for him again.
Up ahead she saw the leaves on a bush shaking. "Ah! That's my Joey," she said. She hopped over quickly, and bumped into a fat old wombat.
"Ouch! Watch were you're going" yelled Wombat. "I'm very sorry" said Mother Kangaroo "I didn't mean to bump into you."
"You big animals never think about us with our short legs, closer to the ground," grumbled Wombat. "Now you're here, you can help me find some good grass to eat."
"I'd like to, but I'm looking for my Joey at the moment," said Mother Kangaroo."That's right, nearly knock me over, a half blind poor old Wombat, and now you won't even help me find food," complained Wombat.
"Of course I'll help you," said kind Mother Kangaroo. "Grab onto my tail and we'll look for good grass."
As Mother Kangaroo hopped along with Wombat holding her tail Joey came bounding by and hopped right over old wombat.
"What was that" yelled Wombat.
"That was my Joey" said Mother Kangaroo. "Come back Joey"
"Kids! No respect" grumbled Wombat.Joey kept going.
Wombat stumbled into a hole "Stop, your going to fast. I need to rest" he complained.While Wombat rested Mother Kangaroo kept looking around. She was worried about her Joey but wouldn't leave poor old Wombat. It was too dangerous for someone who couldn't see properly to be alone.
"Now I'm thirsty" complained Wombat "Take me to some water"
"All right" said Mother Kangaroo "I hope nothing has happened to my Joey" she thought to herself.
They headed towards the waterhole with Wombat holding onto Mother Kangaroo's tail and grumbling all the way.
When they reached the waterhole there was Joey asleep under a shady gumtree. Mother Kangaroo bounded over to him."That's right. Just leave me standing here all alone not able to see" yelled Wombat.Just then Mother Kangaroo saw some men coming towards the waterhole carrying spears. They were hunting something for their dinner."Quickly we have to hide! Hunters are coming. Grab my tail" said Mother Kangaroo. They rushed towards the bushes with Wombat complaining as he hung onto the tail and bounced up and down.
Hiding in the bushes Joey dug his little paws into his mothers fur, holding on as tightly as he could.
"I'm scared" said frightened Joey.
"Shh, it will be all right dear" said his mother softly.When the hunters had passed Mother Kangaroo looked around for grouchy old Wombat but he wasn't there. He had turned into Father of all Creatures. He explained to Mother Kangaroo he had disguised himself as a wombat and come down from his sky world to find the kindest animal in this land."And the kindest animal is you Mother Kangaroo. Even when you were worried about your Joey you were still kind to a grumpy complaining old wombat".
He took some bark from a tree and handed it to Mother Kangaroo. "Now I am going to give you a special present. Tie this bark around your waist"
Mother Kangaroo tied the bark around her waist and it turned into the pouch that all kangaroos have today."Now you somewhere to keep Joey from wandering off and when he gets frightened he has some where to hide.Joey climbed into his mothers pouch "This is really cool. Can I have friends over to visit?" asked Joey.
Mother Kangaroo thanked the Father of all Creatures "This is a very special present but I feel sad for all the other animals who don't have a pouch for their children"."You are definitely the kindest animal" said Father of all CreaturesBecause of Mother Kangaroo's kindness all marsupials have a pouch to carry their babies and young children.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How Tortoise Lost His Tail and Teeth

Australian Aborginal Dreamtime Legend.
When someone dies, people thought their spirit went from our world into the land of souls where they found eternal life. They thought there was a bridge over the river of death, stretching between the two worlds. But no one really knew what happened.
A long time ago, a man who had died, woke up and was glad to be alive again. He had quite a story to tell.
“I walked a long way,” he said, “until I came to a wide, rushing river. I knew I had to cross it, but the banks were steep and the water was very deep. Then further down I saw a narrow bridge and a large mound on the other side.”
“I stepped onto the bridge and it moved. It was alive. The mound was a gigantic tortoise, and the bridge was its long tail. I ran forward, trying to cross as fast as I could, but the tortoise lifted its head and looked at me. It had red gleaming eyes and rows of sharp teeth. It moved its shell and lifted its tail, and I fell into the water.”
“The water sucked me under. It was like a dark tunnel, with sharp rocks that cut and bruised me. But then I came to the surface again and saw people on the banks of the river on our side, hunting and gathering wood. I thought I knew some of them – friends who’d died earlier. Maybe they were resting on their way to the land of souls. Or they couldn’t get across either.“
“The river swept me on again, out to sea. The waves were huge but the salt water healed my wounds and the tide carried me to land. I woke up on a beach, sheltered by cliffs. I found drinking water and food and I rested. When I was stronger I climbed up and used the sun to guide me home.”
The people listening to his story were amazed and worried. “What can we do?” one of them asked. “How can we reach the land of souls when its time for us to die, if that monster tortoise stops us?”
Someone suggested they should ask the medicine man, who lived near their village. He thought about the problem. “A brave man, who has strength and power from our great spirits, must cut off the tortoise’s tail.”
Everyone looked at him, relieved that he was the talked to the great spirits and not them. “All right,” he said. “I will send my spirit to the river and find the tortoise. When I fall asleep, to let my spirit wander, put my axe in my hand so I’m ready to fight.”
The people did as they promised and the medicine man’s spirit set off on his journey. When he reached the river he climbed a tree and watched as other souls arrived and tried to cross the river on the tortoise’s tail. Each time the animal shook them off, and they were swept away in the water.
The medicine man climbed down again. Moving as lightly as the wind, he ran across the bank and out onto the giant tail. The tortoise tried to shake him off, but the medicine man was too fast. He jumped onto the enormous shell, spun round and cut off the tail with his axe.
The tortoise reared up on its back legs, twisted round and fell sideways, rolling the medicine man underneath its body. But the man wriggled out and jumped away. Then he used his axe again and cut off the head with its sharp teeth. Glad that the fight was over, the medicine man sat down for a moment on the riverbank.
He realized that souls arriving on the other side still needed a way to cross the river. He looked at the trees nearby and chopped down one with a tall, straight trunk. It fell, making a safe bridge across the river.
The body of the tortoise was still quivering in its shell, and the medicine man felt sorry for the animal. He believed that the great spirits had forced it to act the way it had. It wasn’t the animal’s fault.
He looked round and saw a snake curled on the ground, disturbed by the tree being cut down. It lashed its tail and flicked its tongue at him. The medicine man cut off the snake’s head, picked it up and cut out the poison fangs with the tip of the axe blade. Then he held the head against the tortoise’s neck, and using his healing powers, joined it onto the animal’s body.
Finally he healed the wound where he’d cut off the tortoise’s tail. He didn’t want to reconnect the long tail and risk the animal being used by the great spirits again. So he formed a neat stump under the animal’s shell.
And that is why the tortoise has a head like a snake, with no teeth, and a short, stumpy tail.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How the Bear Lost his Tail

This is the story of Bear's tail. I've heard it told in Germany, and in North America by the Iroquois Indians.
A long time ago, Bear had a beautiful, long, furry tail. He thought it was really cool. He laid it out behind him and people had to walk round it.
He asked everyone: "Don't you think my tail is the most beautiful tail you've ever seen?"
People thought Bear was very vain, but they were frightened of his big claws and didn't want to make him angry.
So they told him he looked totally cool with his big, black, shiny tail. One cold winter's day, Bear went lumbering down to the lake.
Fox was sitting on the frozen water, surrounded by fish.
He knew that Bear was hungry, and decided to play a trick on him. "Hello brother Fox" said Bear, his mouth watering. "Where did you get all those fish?"
"I caught them" said Fox, pointing to a hole in the ice. "But you don't have anything to fish with" said Bear.
"I used my tail" said Fox. Bear was totally blown away by this. "You used your Tail?" he shouted.
"Sure. It's the best thing for catching fish. Shall I show how?Then you'll always have as many fish as you want to eat."
"Yes please" said Bear in his deep, gruff voice. His mouth watered again.
Fox pointed to the hole in the ice. "There's no fish left in there. Let's go to another part of the lake where there's more."
Trying not to laugh, Fox led Bear to a shallow part of the lake. Bear dug a hole in the ice with his claws.
"Now, sit with your back to the hole and drop your beautiful tail into the water," said Fox.
"You'll feel when a fish bites. Then you can pull your tail out with the fish on the end of it."
Bear wanted the fish big time.
He put his tail into the icy water.
"Now" said Fox, "this is important. You must sit very still and only think about fish. Pretend to count the fish you catch with your tail. The more you count, the more you will catch."
The Bear scratched himself with pleasure. "My tail will catch more fish than any other."
"Sit still" said Fox. "I'll watch from those trees, so I don't scare the fish."
Bear sat very still and thought about fish jumping onto his tail. He counted each one. It was very tiring. He fell asleep.
It became very cold and started to snow. Fox went back to his house, taking his fish with him.
A few hours later, Fox came back to the lake.
Bear was still asleep and snoring. His black fur coat was white with snow.
Fox laughed so much he fell over on his back with his legs waving in the air. "This is such a cool trick" gasped Fox. Then he stopped laughing and quietly snuck up on Bear.
He shouted "Bear! Bear! I can see a fish on your tail. Can you feel it?"
Bear woke up with a fright and felt a sharp pain in his frozen tail.
"I can feel it!" he shouted. He leaped up and his frozen tail snapped off.
All that was left was a small stump where his beautiful long, black tail had been.
"My tail! My beautiful tail" he wailed. Fox, the trickster, ran away laughing.
And that's why bears now only have short tails. If you ever hear a bear groaning, it's because he remembers his big, black, beautiful tail.
And it's also the reason why you won't see Bear and Fox having lunch together! Fox knows he would be lunch.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How Terrapin's Shell Got Its Pattern

Native American - Cherokee Story.
Terrapin and Possum were friends. They liked to gather persimmon fruit and eat it together in the sun. One day they found a tree with ripe fruit in its top branches. Possum climbed up, picked the persimmons and threw them down to Terrapin, who slowly rolled them into a pile with her front claws.
A wolf sauntered through the bushes and stopped to watch behind a tree. He liked persimmons too, and these were big and shiny orange. He licked his jaws with his long tongue, imagining how tasty the fruit would be and thinking how lucky it was that Possum had already thrown them down.
The wolf trotted over to Terrapin’s fruit pile, stretched out one of his front legs and rolled two of the persimmons towards him. Terrapin pulled her head and legs inside her shell, frightened, and huddled like a stone.
“Go away” shouted Possum, glaring down through the tree branches. “This is our fruit. Find another tree”. The Wolf ignored Possum and began to eat the fruit.
Possum jumped up and down on his branch angrily. “Hey, Wolf. It’s no fun taking fruit that’s already on the ground. Are you too tired to jump and catch fresh fruit?”
He started throwing persimmons down again and Wolf leaped in the air and caught them in his teeth. Then Possum broke off a sharp piece of twig and threw it down among the persimmons. Wolf, who was excitedly catching everything that fell, snapped his jaws around the twig and a persimmon. The twig stuck in his throat and he choked to death.
Terrapin waddled over and poked him to make sure he was dead. “I’ll take his ears to use as spoons”, she said. And she cut off his ears with her sharp claws. Then she waved goodbye to Possum, who settled himself on a branch and carried on eating persimmons.
Terrapin walked into the village. Over the next two days she went from house to house, dipping the ears into the jars of gruel that the women always kept by their doors. “Yum”, she muttered. “I love gruel as much as I love persimmons”.
Soon the news went around that Terrapin had killed Wolf and was using his ears as spoons to steal gruel. Other wolves got together and followed Terrapin, and took her prisoner during the night.
“I didn’t kill Wolf,” cried Terrapin. “Yes you did,” said the wolves. “Everyone says you did – and you’ve got his ears.”
The wolves held a council meeting to decide what to do with Terrapin. They decided to boil her in a clay pot. Terrapin laughed and said, “my back feet are stronger than clay. I’ll smash any pot you put me into”.
The Wolves talked it over again. They decided to burn Terrapin in the fire. Again Terrapin laughed. “My shell will protect me. I’ll roll on the fire and put it out.”
The Wolves thought again. “We’ll take you to the river and throw you in at the deepest point, to drown you”, said their leader.
Terrapin pretended to tremble and rock in her shell. “No. Please don’t. The water is so deep and my shell is so heavy, I’ll sink!” she cried. The Wolves laughed.
They dragged her to the river and the two biggest Wolves threw her as far out over the water as they could. This was just what she wanted. Splash! She hit the water and dived down towards the weeds at the bottom. But the water was muddy and she couldn’t see clearly. She thumped into a jagged rock and her shell cracked in many places.
Stunned, she floated down into the weeds. Then she sang a healing song. “I will sew myself together, I will sew myself together.” The water washed around her and slowly the pieces of her shell came together again.
But the shell’s surface was no longer smooth. Scars formed ridges, which made a pattern. Terrapin carries this shell pattern to this day.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How the Bear Lost his Tail

This is the story of Bear's tail. I've heard it told in Germany, and in North America by the Iroquois Indians.
A long time ago, Bear had a beautiful, long, furry tail. He thought it was really cool. He laid it out behind him and people had to walk round it.
He asked everyone: "Don't you think my tail is the most beautiful tail you've ever seen?"
People thought Bear was very vain, but they were frightened of his big claws and didn't want to make him angry.
So they told him he looked totally cool with his big, black, shiny tail. One cold winter's day, Bear went lumbering down to the lake.
Fox was sitting on the frozen water, surrounded by fish.
He knew that Bear was hungry, and decided to play a trick on him. "Hello brother Fox" said Bear, his mouth watering. "Where did you get all those fish?"
"I caught them" said Fox, pointing to a hole in the ice. "But you don't have anything to fish with" said Bear.
"I used my tail" said Fox. Bear was totally blown away by this. "You used your Tail?" he shouted.
"Sure. It's the best thing for catching fish. Shall I show how?Then you'll always have as many fish as you want to eat."
"Yes please" said Bear in his deep, gruff voice. His mouth watered again.
Fox pointed to the hole in the ice. "There's no fish left in there. Let's go to another part of the lake where there's more."
Trying not to laugh, Fox led Bear to a shallow part of the lake. Bear dug a hole in the ice with his claws.
"Now, sit with your back to the hole and drop your beautiful tail into the water," said Fox.
"You'll feel when a fish bites. Then you can pull your tail out with the fish on the end of it."
Bear wanted the fish big time.
He put his tail into the icy water.
"Now" said Fox, "this is important. You must sit very still and only think about fish. Pretend to count the fish you catch with your tail. The more you count, the more you will catch."
The Bear scratched himself with pleasure. "My tail will catch more fish than any other."
"Sit still" said Fox. "I'll watch from those trees, so I don't scare the fish."
Bear sat very still and thought about fish jumping onto his tail. He counted each one. It was very tiring. He fell asleep.
It became very cold and started to snow. Fox went back to his house, taking his fish with him.
A few hours later, Fox came back to the lake.
Bear was still asleep and snoring. His black fur coat was white with snow.
Fox laughed so much he fell over on his back with his legs waving in the air. "This is such a cool trick" gasped Fox. Then he stopped laughing and quietly snuck up on Bear.
He shouted "Bear! Bear! I can see a fish on your tail. Can you feel it?"
Bear woke up with a fright and felt a sharp pain in his frozen tail.
"I can feel it!" he shouted. He leaped up and his frozen tail snapped off.
All that was left was a small stump where his beautiful long, black tail had been.
"My tail! My beautiful tail" he wailed. Fox, the trickster, ran away laughing.
And that's why bears now only have short tails. If you ever hear a bear groaning, it's because he remembers his big, black, beautiful tail.
And it's also the reason why you won't see Bear and Fox having lunch together! Fox knows he would be lunch.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How Terrapin's Shell Got Its Pattern

Native American - Cherokee Story.
Terrapin and Possum were friends. They liked to gather persimmon fruit and eat it together in the sun. One day they found a tree with ripe fruit in its top branches. Possum climbed up, picked the persimmons and threw them down to Terrapin, who slowly rolled them into a pile with her front claws.
A wolf sauntered through the bushes and stopped to watch behind a tree. He liked persimmons too, and these were big and shiny orange. He licked his jaws with his long tongue, imagining how tasty the fruit would be and thinking how lucky it was that Possum had already thrown them down.
The wolf trotted over to Terrapin’s fruit pile, stretched out one of his front legs and rolled two of the persimmons towards him. Terrapin pulled her head and legs inside her shell, frightened, and huddled like a stone.
“Go away” shouted Possum, glaring down through the tree branches. “This is our fruit. Find another tree”. The Wolf ignored Possum and began to eat the fruit.
Possum jumped up and down on his branch angrily. “Hey, Wolf. It’s no fun taking fruit that’s already on the ground. Are you too tired to jump and catch fresh fruit?”
He started throwing persimmons down again and Wolf leaped in the air and caught them in his teeth. Then Possum broke off a sharp piece of twig and threw it down among the persimmons. Wolf, who was excitedly catching everything that fell, snapped his jaws around the twig and a persimmon. The twig stuck in his throat and he choked to death.
Terrapin waddled over and poked him to make sure he was dead. “I’ll take his ears to use as spoons”, she said. And she cut off his ears with her sharp claws. Then she waved goodbye to Possum, who settled himself on a branch and carried on eating persimmons.
Terrapin walked into the village. Over the next two days she went from house to house, dipping the ears into the jars of gruel that the women always kept by their doors. “Yum”, she muttered. “I love gruel as much as I love persimmons”.
Soon the news went around that Terrapin had killed Wolf and was using his ears as spoons to steal gruel. Other wolves got together and followed Terrapin, and took her prisoner during the night.
“I didn’t kill Wolf,” cried Terrapin. “Yes you did,” said the wolves. “Everyone says you did – and you’ve got his ears.”
The wolves held a council meeting to decide what to do with Terrapin. They decided to boil her in a clay pot. Terrapin laughed and said, “my back feet are stronger than clay. I’ll smash any pot you put me into”.
The Wolves talked it over again. They decided to burn Terrapin in the fire. Again Terrapin laughed. “My shell will protect me. I’ll roll on the fire and put it out.”
The Wolves thought again. “We’ll take you to the river and throw you in at the deepest point, to drown you”, said their leader.
Terrapin pretended to tremble and rock in her shell. “No. Please don’t. The water is so deep and my shell is so heavy, I’ll sink!” she cried. The Wolves laughed.
They dragged her to the river and the two biggest Wolves threw her as far out over the water as they could. This was just what she wanted. Splash! She hit the water and dived down towards the weeds at the bottom. But the water was muddy and she couldn’t see clearly. She thumped into a jagged rock and her shell cracked in many places.
Stunned, she floated down into the weeds. Then she sang a healing song. “I will sew myself together, I will sew myself together.” The water washed around her and slowly the pieces of her shell came together again.
But the shell’s surface was no longer smooth. Scars formed ridges, which made a pattern. Terrapin carries this shell pattern to this day.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

How Kangaroo Got His Tail

Based on an Australian Aboriginal Legend
A long time ago, some animals looked different to the way they look now. Kangaroos had no tails and wombats had high, round heads.
Mirram the Kangaroo and Warreen the Wombat were good friends. They lived together in a hut that Warreen had built from tree bark.
They liked being with each other, but Mirram liked to sleep outside at night and he made fun of Warreen who always wanted to sleep inside.
"Come, Warreen, sleep outside with me" said Mirram. "It's much better to look up at the stars at night and listen to the fresh wind in the trees."
"It's too cold outside" snuffled Warreen, "and sometimes it rains. I might get wet! I like sleeping in my hut with a nice fire to keep me warm."
Mirram the Kangaroo would not accept this. "Your bark hut is dark and smelly. It is much better to sleep out in the clean air under the bright stars!" "No, thank you" said Warreen. "I will stay in my hut where I am comfortable."
Mirram was impatient. "You are too scared to sleep outside with me. You are frightened to feel a little wind." "I'm not frightened" snuffled Warreen. "I just like sleeping in my bark hut!"
Mirram kept on taunting Warreen, until one night the wombat agreed to sleep outside. During the night he got really cold and waddled back inside the hut. Kangaroo laughed at him.
All summer they played together as friends, but Mirram sometimes still made fun of Warreen's hut.
Things changed when winter came. The wind became colder at night while Mirram slept outside. At first he didn't mind. He snuggled up to a tree to protect himself, and laughed at the thought of Warreen in his smelly hut. "Wombat would not brave the wind like me" he said to himself.
The wind became stronger and colder. Mirram curled himself into a tight ball, hugging his tree.
He told himself that the wind couldn't hurt him - he wasn't afraid. When it began to rain, he muttered "a little wind and rain won't hurt me. I'm not afraid."
One night, blasts of wind lashed the kangaroo with raindrops that felt like icy needles. Mirram was so wet and cold, he couldn't take it any longer. He struggled onto his hind legs and blown by the wind, hopped slowly towards the bark hut.
"It is me!" screamed Mirram, banging on the door. "Now, let me in!" "No!" yelled Wombat. "There isn't enough room." Mirram's teeth were chattering. He became very angry and pushed hard at the door until it opened. "I'm inside now - and you aren't big enough to throw me out!"
"H'mmph" snorted Warreen. "Well, sleep over there - in the corner. You're all wet and I don't want cold rainwater dripping on me." Wombat stretched out near the fire again and went back to sleep.
Mirram lay down in the corner, but there was a hole in the wall of the hut and the wind and rain came in. He couldn't dry himself or get warm. The fire went out, but Warreen didn't notice. He snored as he slept and laughed every now and again, enjoying a nice dream. This made Mirram more angry.
In the morning his body was stiff and sore. He hobbled outside and picked up a large rock. When he came back, Warreen was stretching and yawning as he woke up. Mirram dropped the rock on Warreen's head, flattening his forehead and making his nose curl around
"This is for not helping me get warm and dry" said Mirram. "And from now on, you will always live in a damp hole. Your flattened forehead and cold home will remind you of last night."
After that, Warreen and Mirram didn't speak to each other or play together and Warreen planned revenge.
He made a big spear and waited until Mirram was busy washing himself.
Then he threw the spear with all his strength and it hit the kangaroo at the base of his spine. Mirram yelled in pain and tried to pull the spear out, but it was stuck.
"From now on, that will be your long tail" yelled Warreen, "and you'll never have a home to live in!"
That is why wombats now have flat foreheads and live in dark, damp burrows underground and why kangaroos have long tails and always sleep outside, under the stars.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Crow brings daylight

An Inuit Story.
A long time ago when the world was first born, it was always dark in the north where the Inuit people lived.
They thought it was dark all over the world until an old crow told the them about daylight and how he had seen it on his long journeys.
The more they heard about daylight, the more the people wanted it.
"We could hunt further and for longer," they said. "We could see the polar bears coming and run before they attack us."The people begged the crow to go and bring them daylight, but he didn't want to. "It's a long way and I'm too old to fly that far," he said. But the people begged until he finally agreed to go.
He flapped his wings and launched into the dark sky, towards the east. He flew for a long time until his wings were tired. He was about to turn back when he saw the dim glow of daylight in the distance. "At last, there is daylight," said the tired crow.
As he flew towards the dim light it became brighter and brighter until the whole sky was bright and he could see for miles. The exhausted bird landed in a tree near a village, wanting to rest. It was very cold.
A daughter of the chief came to the nearby river. As she dipped her bucket in the icy water, Crow turned himself into a speck of dust and drifted down onto her fur cloak. When she walked back to her father's snowlodge, she carried him with her.
Inside the snowlodge it was warm and bright. The girl took off her cloak and the speck of dust drifted towards the chief's grandson, who was playing on the lodge floor. It floated into the child's ear and he started to cry.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" asked the chief, who was sitting at the fire. "Tell him you want to play with a ball of daylight," whispered the dust.
The chief wanted his favourite grandson to be happy, and told his daughter to fetch the box of daylight balls. When she opened it for him, he took out a small ball, wrapped a string around it and gave it to his grandson.
The speck of dust scratched the child's ear again, making him cry. "What's wrong, child?" asked the chief. "Tell him you want to play outside" whispered Crow. The child did so, and the chief and his daughter took him out into the snow.
As soon as they left the snowlodge, the speck of dust turned back into Crow again. He put out his claws, grasped the string on the ball of daylight and flew into the sky, heading west.
Finally he reached the land of the Inuit again and when he let go of the string, the ball dropped to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. Light went into every home and the darkness left the sky.
All the people came from their houses. "We can see for miles! Look how blue the sky is, and the mountains in the distance! We couldn't see them before." They thanked Crow for bringing daylight to their land.
He shook his beak. "I could only carry one small ball of daylight, and it'll need to gain its strength from time to time. So you'll only have daylight for half the year."
The people said "But we're happy to have daylight for half the year! Before you brought the ball to us it was dark all the time!"
And so that is why, in the land of the Inuit in the far north, it is dark for one half of the year and light the other. The people never forgot it was Crow who brought them the gift of daylight and they take care never to hurt him - in case he decides to take it back.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)

Coyote Makes People

Based on a Native American Indian Legend.
Coyote made the world and all the animals and birds that lived in it.
When he had finished he said to himself "Now I will wander around and admire my good work."
He was amazed at the beautiful things he had created.
The shimmering lakes, high mountains shrouded in mist and broad sweeping plains covered in lush grass.
He saw the eagle gliding gracefully, high in the sky.
He watched the powerful grizzly bear lumbering through the forest and laughed at the playful antics of the otters as they splashed about in their river home.
After a few months Coyote decide that one more thing was needed.
"Hey Baldy!" he shouted to Eagle as he glided by. "Call all the animals and other birds to a meeting. I have something big to announce!"
"OK Chief, consider it done!" replied Eagle. And flapping his broad wings he soared away across the sky, shouting the news.
The animals and birds gathered in a semicircle around Coyote.
He waited until all the murmuring, scratching of fur and rustling of feathers had stopped.
"I've decided to create another creature - called human people" he announced.
"And I want suggestions from all of you on what they should look like and the special skills they should have."
The animals and birds started chattering, growling and screeching all at once.
"They Should have fur"
"No, they need feathers"
"You're wrong! They need..."
"Hold on!" yelled Coyote. "I can't understand you when you all talk at once. Now, one at a time."
Mountain Lion growled. "People should have a loud roar like mine to frighten other creatures - and strong teeth and claws."
"Huh!" snorted Grizzly Bear. "If people go around roaring like you do, they'll scare everything off and not catch anything to eat. I agree about the teeth and claws - and they should have fur to keep warm!"
Otter shouted "They should be able to swim and hold their breath when they dive under water!"
"They don't need to swim! They need to fly and have big claws" screeched Eagle. "Then they can swoop down on things from the sky and carry them off!"
"No! They don't need to fly" shouted Beaver. "Otter is right. They do need to swim - but they need a large flat tail like mine to help them build their home."
"Antlers! They need antlers" snorted Stag, proudly showing off his huge set.
"Oh great! Give them big antlers that will get caught in trees and bushes" squeaked little Grey Mouse. Everyone started talking at once again.
"Fur..."
"Teeth..."
"Wings..."
"Big tail..."
"Four feet..."
"Stop!" growled Coyote loudly. Everyone stopped yelling and looked at him.
You're all so vain. You want the human people to look like you instead of them being different."
He scratched the fur on his chin while he made some decisions.
"I'm going to give them things called hands and fingers. Fingers are flexible and can do lots of things.
Human people will be able to shape things to hunt with, make things to wear - so they won't need fur! And they'll be able to build homes to live in. They will be smart like me!"
"Oooh! Fingers!" said the animals, nodding their heads. "Oooh! Smart like Coyote!"
"And they'll walk on on two feet instead of four!"
"Two feet?" questioned little Grey Mouse. "That's a bit strange."
"What's wrong with two feet?" bellowed Grizzly Bear, stretching himself up to his full height. "I walk on two feet when I want to!"
"Now you mention it, two feet aren't that strange", squeaked Grey Mouse, edging away from those big feet that could easily squash her.
"Wait here while I get some clay" said Coyote. He went to the nearby river bank, scooped up some red clay and brought it back to the meeting.
"Watch as I shape this and you'll see what the human people will look like." He started to mould the clay.
Everyone watched as Coyote shaped a figure. Hours passed and night fell.
"It's looking good" yawned Grey Mouse.
As the stars twinkled in the sky, the animals and birds fell asleep where they sat.
Coyote did not sleep. He worked through the night, moulding and shaping the red figure.
Next morning everyone woke, snuffling and snorting and rubbing the sleep from their eyes with a wing or a paw. Coyote's new creature was alive and walking around.
"What do you think?" he asked, proudly.
"So that's a human" said Mountain Lion. "I'm hungry. I think I'll look for breakfast."
"Me too" mumbled Grizzly Bear.
Beaver and Otter decided to leave before they were eaten.
"Excuse me" said Grey Mouse to the human. "Have you seen a piece of cheese anywhere? I think I've lost a bit!" And she scurried off, twitching her whiskers.
All the animals and birds began to wander off, looking for food.
Coyote watched them then turned to the human. "I don't think they're impressed with you", he said. "Never mind. You'll find your place with them soon enough."
And that was how Coyote created people.
THE END
(Source from http://www.planetozkids.com)