How the Black-Bear Lost His Tail
A Story of the Cherokee Peoples:
Told By: ShaunaSay WhiteFeather
Cherokee Legend Keeper/Storyteller
Back in the old days of my ancestors, when earth mother was still very young, the Creator of all gave animals the gift of man's speech. Also, the animals were much larger in size than what we see today. Some animals even had longer tails than shorter ones as we see them today; this story is how the black bear that once had a long tail, now has a short tail.
Black Bear had a tail, which was his proudest possession, it was long and black and glossy and bear use to wave it around for everyone to look at it. Fox, as everyone knows, is a trickster and liked nothing better than fooling others. So, it was that he decided to play a trick on Black Bear. This was the time when the days of Harvest-Time for all peoples. The days were not very warm, but; the nights were cold and frosty and sometimes here in the great Appalachian Mountains, the ponds and river started to freeze solid.
This is how it all began one day�.
Black Bear liked very much to walk in the cool crisp air of a new day, especially when the fog was rising off of the ponds and mountain streams. The fog at times here, looks very much like phantoms or ghosts swirling and twisting, as if rising up from their watery depths beneath. That is why the mountains are often referred to being called: "The Smokey Mountains" As I said, Black Bear particularly enjoyed these kinds of mornings, because he then could use the fog to his advantage to catch the local trout and perch, without the fish seeing the massive bear hovering over them in the waters.
On this day, Black Bear had noticed brother Fox sitting on top of the frozen pond, with his tail lowered down into a hole Fox had cut into the ice on the pond. Fox had already spied Black Bear coming up the trail to the pond, so Fox started to twitched his tail in the hole he cut into the frozen pond, so as to be sure Black Bear would see him do it! Black Bear meandered up to where brother Fox was�. "Greetings, Brother," said Fox. "How are you doing this fine day?" "Greetings and salutations to you my brother," answered Black Bear, "I am well, Brother. But what are you doing?"
" I am catching lots of fish, so I can go trade in the man's village for some beautiful turquoise hair combs I had seen, so that I may be the most handsome at the dance of the Harvest Moon two nights from now. I have already caught so many! And have stored them in my den so far, I only want to catch a few more, then I think I will have enough to trade! 'Cause ya know I am the best fisherman in all these parts! Even better than you! Old friend!
Black Bear started to grow angry, because Black Bear had been bragging for weeks, how he was to be dressed in the finest at the dance with those same combs in his long Black glossy tail! Brother Fox knew of this, and this is where he played the trick on old brother Black Bear�. Fox had already tied a fish to his tail, which he had caught from the river weeks ago, and had saved it just for this trick on Black Bear. Fox pulled the fish up out of the hole he had cut in the ice, "See, I have caught another fine fish to trade with! Said he, "I told you, I was the best fisherman in all these parts!"
Black Bear trying to keep his anger down to a quite growl, "Brother Fox, just how many fish have you caught already?" Fox trying his hardest not to laugh and ruin the trick, "Oh, reckon a couple of dozen or so," said he. "Oh, that's all!" said Black Bear. "I think maybe it might take more than that! to trade for such fine hair combs as those turquoise ones at the man's village." Said he. "Oh, really." Says Fox. "You think so?" asked Fox. "Well, then, why don't we have some fun?" " Why don't we have a contest?" "I seem to remember, you liked those hair combs too, and how fine they might look in your tail for the Harvest Moon Dance to show off to all that would be there."
Black Bear thought this would be easier than falling off a long, "I'll take you up on that!" said he. "I know I can beat you! I can catch fish all day and night, and I will surely catch more fish than you can shake a stick at!" Brother Fox had to chuckle this time, the trick was going far too easy, "Well, I have already caught so many, so I don't have to stay out here and fish any more, I am already ahead of you in winning! You can even use the very hole I have already cut in the Ice.," said he. "It is a beautiful day, and I think I will go and visit the man village, just to go admire the new hair combs I will win!" Off trotted Brother Fox, but; before he was out of hearing range, he shouted, "I will come and check on you in the morning! Good Luck Brother Black Bear!"
Black Bear was already growling louder now, almost to a complete roar! "Fox thinks he is so smart!" "I am the best of all fisherman in these parts!" "Who does he think he is?" "I will have twice as many, and I will win the trade on those turquoise hair combs!" says he. "Everyone in all the villages, knows those belong to me!" "I made sure to tell everyone, I did!" So, all day did Black Bear sit on the cold ice on the pond, with his long beautiful glossy black tail in the hole. All afternoon did black bear sit with his long beautiful glossy black tail in the hole, on the cold ice of the pond. All evening and well into the late, late night did Black Bear sit with his beautiful long glossy tail in the hole in the cold, cold ice of the frozen pond!
Yes, Frozen pond, it had turned off so cold that night, that the pond that was already ice, had frozen completely solid by the next morning! The hole in which Brother Black Bear had his tail in all night long, had sealed shut around his long beautiful glossy black tail! Brother Black Bear, had not noticed what had took place over night, because just being a bear, he had fallen asleep hours ago when it started to turn so cold!
As the sun started to shine into Brother fox's warm and very cozy den, he started to awaken� Brother Fox stretched and yawn, and stretched some more, when all of a sudden, he became fully awake! "Oh my!" "Oh my, my!" said he. "I almost forgot all about Brother Black Bear, and; the grand and marvelous trick I had played on him!" "I must hurry and see what has transpired!"
So, he ran as fast as a fox could run, till he came to the path that leads to the pond. There as he came into view of the a site to truly behold! There upon the ice pond, which had completely frozen solid during the night, was a massive Black mound laying still on top of the ice, and snoring quite loudly to say indeed! "I say, I say!" yelled Fox as he came closer and closer to rather large Black object, making such a hideous noise to say the least! "I say Brother Black Bear! Wake up! Wake up I say!" "Rise and shine! It is another glorious day!" yelled fox in Bear's ear! Brother Black Bear, started to stir very slowly as bears do from a very deep sleep like coming out of hibernation in the springtime. He stretched, moaned, and groaned and yawned, then blinked his eyes towards the bright sunlight! "What is happening brother Fox?' asked Black Bear still stretching as hard as he could to come fully awake.
"Oh dear, Brother Black Bear, I think you fell asleep during the night and forgot all about the contest we had!" said Fox. "What?" asked Brother Black Bear. "I think you are right, I got awfully cold during the night, and I could not feel any fish biting on my tail, so I decided to take a nap." Said Black Bear. "Well, dear friend, looks like you slept all through the night, and you have a problem right now as big as you are I believe"�. "Looks like the ice has frozen solid around your tail while you took your nap." Said Fox. "Try and lift your tail out of the hole in the pond."
Brother Black Bear leaned forward, and tried to pull his most treasured possession, his beautiful black glossy tail, he had always made quite sure, everyone took a look at some time or another on his travels around. As hard as he tried, over and over he tried, he could not free himself from the iced over hole in the pond!
Brother Fox tried not to laugh out loud at this point, as his trick was coming to an end�. "Well, well," said Brother Fox. "I am quite certain you are stuck in the frozen hole of solid ice, of this pond we are on." "I might have a suggestion for you my Brother, why don't I go way over to the other side there, and take a running start, and push you as hard as I can?" "Maybe, then you will pop out of the hole in the ice." Said Fox.
"Do you really think so?" asked Brother Black Bear. "I am in such a pickle here!" "I just don't know what else to do!" said Black Bear so sadly. Brother Fox laughing all the way across to the other side of the pond, thought of how silly the old Black Bear was to fall for such a trick! "Here I come!" shouted Brother Fox, as he came running as fast as his small legs could go upon the icy pond. Brother Fox skidded and slid right into Brother Black Bear so hard, he sure enough did pop out of that frozen hole of ice! And as he came out, they both slid together right into the bank on the other side! Heads first of all things!
As they got their composure's about them again, Brother Fox was the first one to notice, that Brother Black Bear no longer had his most prize possession! His long black glossy tail!
Brother Fox then could hold back the laughter no longer! He laughed so hard, so very hard did he laugh! That Brother Bear was still not aware of what had happened. Brother Fox rolled around still laughing so hard, that Brother Black Bear had had enough!
He, Brother Black Bear, picked himself up to shake the dirt and ice off of his fur. When all of a sudden, there was heard the most horrible of roars, that ever had come from any Bear of any kind, indeed it did!
Brother Fox stopped his laughing quite suddenly, and looked in the direction the horrible sound had emerged from�Brother Black Bear had sat back down as quickly as he had gotten up! Again there came such a whaling sound from this massive Bear! That Fox was not so sure his trick was so funny any more, even to him.
Brother Black Bear's tail that he was so very proud of, was now so very, very short! There could never be any more beautiful hair combs put into such a short tail now! " Ohhh Fox!" he roared! "Look what you have done to my beautiful black glossy tail!" "I will get you for this!" But Fox, he never had a chance to tell Black Bear how sorry he was, for playing such a horrible trick. Because even to this day, Fox will run as hard and as fast, as his little legs will carry him, far away from even the very sent of Bear!
And Brother Black Bear still remembers the horrible trick of Fox, and from that day; Bear never called the old trickster Fox a brother to him again.
