of the hunter. Kana'ti at one time kept the
game animals, as well as the pestiferous insects, shut up in a cave
under ground, from which they were released by his undutiful sons.
The primeval animals — the actors in the animal myths and the pred-
ecessors of the existing species — are believed to have been much
larger, stronger, and cleverer than their successors of the present
day. In these myths we find the Indian explanation of certain pecu-
liarities of form, color, or habit, and the various animals are always
consistently represented as acting in accordance with their well-known
characteristics.
First and most prominent in the animal myths is the Rabbit ( Tsisfat),
who figures always as a trickster and deceiver, generally malicious,
but often beaten at his own game by those whom he had intended to
victimize. Theconnection of the rabbit with the dawn god and the
relation of the Indian myths to the stories current among the southern
negroes are discussed in another place. Ball players while in train-
ing are forbidden to eat the flesh of the rabbit, because this animal so
easily becomes confused in running. On the other hand, their spies
seek opportunity to strew along the path which must be taken by
their rivals a soup made of rabbit hamstrings, with the purpose of
rendering them timorous in action.
In a ball game between the birds and the fourfooted animals (see
story) the Bat, which took sides with the birds, is said to have won the
victory for his party by his superior dodging abilities. For this rea-
son the wings or sometimes the stuffed skin of the bat are tied