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| (This story comes from the Sioux tribe in the Great Plains region.) |
| One day Iktomi (Ik-toe-me) the Trickster was walking by a pond.
Many ducks were singing and dancing at the pond. When Iktomi saw the ducks, he got hungry. He wanted to catch a few for his
dinner. He had an idea. Iktomi filled a bag with grass (to make the bag look full) and threw it over his shoulder. Pretending
he was in a hurry, Iktomi walked close to the pond so the ducks could see him. The curious ducks saw Iktomi with the bag on
his back. They asked, "Where are you going?" "What is in your bag?"
Iktomi hurried along. "My friends, do not slow me down. I'm in a hurry!" he said.
But these ducks were very curious. They crowded around Iktomi. "All that I have in my bag is a bunch of magic songs," said
Iktomi. "Oh, please let us hear your songs!" cried the ducks. Iktomi continued with his plan to trick the ducks. "OK, but
first we must build a tepee," Iktomi said. "I can't sing my songs outside because they will escape into the air."
The ducks helped Iktomi build a tepee with sticks. Then they all went inside. Iktomi warned the ducks that they must do
what he said or he would not share his songs. The ducks said, "We will do whatever you tell us to." Iktomi sang, "Dance with
your eyes closed!" Each duck shut his eyes very tightly and danced hard. |
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While the ducks' eyes were closed, Iktomi quietly opened his bag and began
hitting the ducks on their heads. One by one he put them into his bag. Because they were busy dancing with their eyes closed,
the ducks did not see him coming. After a while, one of the ducks got very curious. He opened his eyes and saw Iktomi hurting
his friends. He yelled to the other ducks, "Open your eyes! Look at what he is doing! Run! Fly away!" The ducks in the bag
tried to get out. They bit Iktomi on the hand and on the nose. The ducks flew out through the opening of the tepee just in
time. They were almost Iktomi's dinner. |
The lesson of this story is:
Keep your eyes open to danger around you. | |
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