RABBIT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 137, 31 August 1927, Page 6

RABBIT

AN INDIAN STORY

It is a great mistake to treat hills carelessly. Some have very bad tempers, and become regular spitfires at times. Once there was one called Palie Wathahuni, who was a cannibal!

Often in the heavy rain or burning sun a traveller would take shelter in what seemed a shady cavern. Then click it would shut behind them. This was Palie Wathahuni’s mouth.

This dreadful thing might have gone on till this day if it had not been for Rabbit. Rabbit longed to be admired and famous like the great Sioux chiefs. He sought some mighty deed to do. What could be better than to overthrow the hill?

One day, when his grandmother thought he, was out dandelion-hunt-ing, Rabbit marched off to the hill and began skipping on it. calling: “Eat me, eat me, Pahe Wathahuni!” But the hill only cared for Red Indian for dinner, and he would not bother to open his mouth to devour a little animal. It was not worth the exertion. Rabbit had to watch and wait, till one day some ignorant strangers came across the dangerous heights. Suddenly a great cavern yawned under their feet, and they were swallowed up. Rabbit managed to slip in, too. It was very dark in the hill’s stomach. As Rabbit scrambled about there Pahe Wathahuni began to have queer feelings, not pangs of conscience, but the kind of pains people have in the Bay of Biscay. Presently Rabbit managed to escape from that organ, and crept about among the hill’s ribs, trying to find his way to a faint throbbing sound. At last he found what he sought: it was the heart of Pahe Wathahuni! By this time Rabbit was feeling faint from want of air, but he gathered all his strength and drove his huntingknife into the heart. There was a fearful bellow, and in his deathstruggle the hill split in twain. Then all the people who had been imprisoned in it were released, and immediately began to sing Rabbit’s praises. When all was still they discovered a heap of treasure in the .ruins, which went to Rabbit as the spoils of war; so that thenceforth he found himself not only famous, as he had desired, but rich.