Week 10 Storytelling: Rabbit's Revenge

There he goes again, that Possum. Always prancing around, showing off how long and fluffy his tail is. Oh, I see that it's already covered in ribbons--it looks like Cricket has already gotten to him. The tail is beautiful now, yes, but just you wait, Possum. Just you wait.

Let me back up--my name is Rabbit. I once had a tail that was just as bushy and extraordinary as Possum's. That is, I did until that mean old Bear pulled it out. Oh, you didn't know that rabbits used to have tails as long as any other? Yes, it's a little known fact: my tail used to put Squirrel's to shame. One day, though, I got back from a meeting with Otter and all the other animals were angry at me for some reason! I felt ostracized and tried to run away, but as I was doing so, Bear grabbed at my tail and pulled it out. So now all I have is this fluffy little stub that saddens me every time I look at it.

Rabbit, after he lost his tail. Source: Wikipedia.

Now, every time Possum goes waving his backside in my face, I just get so angry. Maybe I am a little jealous, but if I have to hear how handsome his tail is one more time, I think I'm going to scream. Just the other day, he asked me about the upcoming dance for all the animals. He had the audacity to say that he should sit at a place of honor at the table during dinner, simply because his "tail is so pretty" and he "wanted everyone to be able to see it." I mean, if that's not conceited, I don't know what is.

So that day, after I talked to that stuck-up Possum, I wanted to teach him a lesson. I went to see my good friend, Cricket. Cricket is the local groomer, and he's good at what he does. I told him to go to Possum's house on the day of the dance and cut off all of the fur on his tail.

"Cricket, I can't take this anymore," I had said to him wearily.

"Whatever do you mean, Rabbit?"

"I'm talking about Possum. I get so frustrated whenever he walks by. He's always bragging about his tail, and I don't want to hear it. Part of me gets jealous and it makes me miss my own tail, and part of me is just angry at how narcissistic he is. Is there anything you can do to make him stop?"

"Well.... I don't know."

"Please? You couldn't, maybe, I don't know... cut off all his hair or something?"

"I don't know, Rabbit. Doesn't that seem a little conniving to you?"

"Maybe a bit, but I can't deal with all of Possum's gloating anymore!"

"Well.... okay. For you, Rabbit."

The dance is tonight, so I think Possum will be headed over soon. I can't wait to see the smug look wiped off of his face when he discovers that his tail is bare. Maybe that will teach him for being so stuck-up and prideful.

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Author's note: This week, I retold the story of Why Possum's Tail is Bare. In the Cherokee folklore unit prior to this story, Rabbit has a run-in with Otter up the river and steals his coat. When Rabbit returns to the other animals, they hear about what had happened and want to reprimand Rabbit. Rabbit tries to run away, but Bear steps on his tail and rips it out.

Now without his own tail, Rabbit becomes jealous of Possum's beautiful, bushy tail. Rabbit is frustrated at the constant flaunting and bragging, and decides to teach Possum a lesson. Rabbit hires Cricket, who is known as the barber of the community, to cut off all the hair on Possum's tail under the guise that he is grooming him for his big appearance at an upcoming dance. When Possum prances around later that day, he is met with laughter and embarrassment due to the loss of his fur.

I wanted to tell this story from Rabbit's perspective because the original portrays him in a malicious light. It is true that he let jealousy get the best of him and he did do some ugly things for revenge, but Possum was also wrong in being so prideful. Because both parties could have acted more graciously, I felt that Rabbit's perspective should be told as well.

Bibliography:
Myths of the Cherokee.
James Mooney (1900).
Web Source: Project Gutenberg.