Show 0 HAVE RINGED TAILS WHY WI-IY RACCOONS 1 I I Out In any zoological park next summer summer sum sum- mer you will see a small animal known as the raccoon running around in wire netting It resembles a squirrel squirrel rel but aroun around its t tail il you will see dark rings Several hundred thousand years ears ago there were raccoons but none with rings around their tails How they came to have them is a queer story In those days hundreds days hundreds and thousands thousands thousands' thou thou- sands sands' of years ago there ago there lived in the forest a a kind spirit called Kushpa Kushpa hated anything like cruelty and was always glad to punish those who treated others unkindly Now in this same woods was a hut hutin hutin in which two blind brothers lived Their friends had fixed up comfortI comfortably comfort comfort- ably the cabin in which they dwelt and provided them with meat meal and game ame as well as wild fruits So they got on very well for no one ever dis disturbed them But one da day a hungry raccoon came creeping by the door Within he saw the two blind men sitting before a bowl of hot meat This meat had been cut up p into eight pieces so that each could have tour four The men seemed to be enjoying their meal and were chatting merrily Not Nota a sound except their talk disturbed the hut The sunshine danced on the floor a bird hopped about on the window window win win- dow sill but they saw nothing not even en the hungry thievish raccoon slinking slyly at the open door I can slip a bit of meat out and they will not know who did it said the animal to hims himself So he crept close took out six pieces and ran away out of the door laughing loudly The poor blind men knew not what to do They had lost part of their dinner and th the robber was gone was nothing to do but wait for more food Now about a mile down the road the raccoon met a warrior On his tall form was a war bonnet of bright feathers and his dress was of tanned skin rich painted then decorated deco deco decorated rated with beads on his feet Hand Handsome and and- some moccasins and in his his' hand a aI beautiful golden bow with a silver arrow arrow ar ar- I row whose tip Up shone with a flash as if f it were a diamond I The raccoon stopped in awe and hid the bag of meat behind his back What are you hiding asked Kushpa for Kushpa for this was the great good spirit of the forest Some worthless beggars were eating eat ing their meal just now nov and I took a aDart apart part Dart of it stammered the raccoon raccoon No doubt they were thieves Besides they were idle fellows and and did no work for their living livins Kushpa knew th the raccoon was telling telling tell tell- ing a falsehood Come back with me at once he said in a voice of thunder So the two started back through the path jath The raccoon went in front as the spirit made him do and at last the they reached the hut Within they heard the moaning of the old blind men who had been robbed Kushpa asked them the trouble and they told of what had happened They took up the pot In rn which l- l chwe meat had been cooked and shook It by bythe he the ring which held it on the hook over the fire Then they dropped the iron pot It broke roke Into bits only the ring remaining remain remain- ing ng perfect Th The raccoon raccoon looked much Tightened frightened and slunk Into a corner I know the thief said Kushpa in ina ina a thundering voice and he shall b be punished On his tail as long as h he lives ives he snail bear the the- th print of six circles which will tell the story of how low he stole six bits of m meat at And Kushpa threw over the raccoon the Iron ring In second there appeared on the creatures creature's tail six six rings Ings just the color of iron Then the kind cind spirit touched the mens men's eyes and they saw perfectly Home ran raccoon with the rings around the tail I of himself and family forever I |