my for-
tune to sit next him, having his great general or war captain on my other hand.
The house is as dark as a dungeon, and as hot as one of the Dutch stoves in Holland.
They had made a circular Are of split canes in the middle of the house, it was one
man's employment to add more split reeds to the one end as it consumed at the
other, there Vicing a small vacancy left to supply it with fuel. 1
i Lawson, Carolina, 67-68, reprint 1860.
THE MYTHIC ANIMALS 231
belong tlic shorter animal myths, which have
lost whatever sacred character they may once have had, and are told
now merely as hu rous explanations of certain animal peculiarities.
While the >acred myths have a constant bearing upon Eormulistic
prayers and observances, it is only inand poor in intel-
lect, came upon the earth later, and are not the descendants of the
mythic animals, hut only weak imitations. In one or two special eases.
however, the present creature is the descendant of a former monster.
Tree- and plants also were alive and could talk in the old days, and
had their place in council, but do not figure prominently in the myths.
Each animal had his appointed station and duty. Thus, the Wala'si
frog was the marshal and leader in the council, while the Rabbit was
the messenger to carry all public announcements, and usually led the
dance besides. He was also the great trickster and mischief maker, a
character which he bears in eastern and southern Indian myth gener-
ally, as well as in the southern negro stories. The bear figures as
having been