William J. Owl (born ca. 1883) graduated from Carlisle in 1911. He was employed at the Cherokee Indian School in North Carolina in 1912. (Littlefield and Parins, Biobibliography: Supplement, 262)
The beautiful bird was in existence many, many moons ago, and at that time, the Cherokees claim he was the most beautiful of the fowls of the air, and that he was also the ruler of all the birds. He was adored for his good looks and praised for his courage.
The time came, however, when he began to exaggerate his authority in everything. At all feasts he was the first to be served, and no one could touch a bit of food without his presence and permission. He had been so rude that he had created an ill feeling in the hearts of all towards him. Finally they were unwilling to provide or contribute to his wants or needs.
The birds called a council to decide whether to banish him as their ruler or to put him out of existence. His ill behavior had impressed the hearts of all in such a way that they at once decided to get rid of him. Some thought it best to ostracize him entirely, while others thought it wiser and more of a punishment to degrade him by causing a change to come upon him, which would make life a burden to him the remainder of his days.
They arranged to have a great feast in his honor. The day was set and all preparations were made for the occasion. The eatables were set opposite the trap which was laid for him. The food was so arranged that in order to get anything to eat he must take it through the trap. Any time they wished they could spring the trap on him.
After a long and tiresome journey he arrived very hungry. He never once thought that a plot had been planned to punish him. He began eating his meal in the usual way and after he had nearly finished, the trap was sprung and the fun was on. He found his head was caught and he fought desperately for his release.
After a long and terrible struggle he succeeded in freeing himself, but only to be scorned and laughed at the remainder of his days, for in his desperate effort to free himself he had worn away all the beautiful feathers and plumes on his head and neck. He was so ashamed and humiliated, he tucked his head under his pinion only to find his wing feathers all worn away too. He demurely walked away never again to associate with the other birds.
When they realized the effect his conditions had upon him it was hard for them to decide what he should do to obtain a livelihood. They finally decided that he and all his descendants should forever lead the life of scavengers. This was considered the most degraded life any bird could lead. It would be necessary for him to be continually on the lookout for food, as there were just certain kinds of food which he could feed upon and only during a short time in the year.
After he was changed he became the turkey buzzard. His descendants are shy and always fly at considerable height. They are continually on the alert for carrion to feed upon. If a turkey buzzard is seen sailing around overhead it is a sure indication of a carcass in that locality.18
Many, many winters ago, before the great snow, as the Indians termed the glacial period, the opossum derived his name from the tricks he played on the other animals.
He is a crafty looking little animal with a long tail, with which he can hang or suspend himself from a limb by winding it about the limb. He can climb trees and cling to the branches and the strongest winds cannot dislodge him.
Once upon a time there lived in his neighborhood a deer family with whom he became acquainted, because of Mr. Deer’s beautiful daughter, and it was there that he met the panther, and because of the deer’s daughter they became enemies. The panther was in the habit of making frequent calls at the deer’s and the opossum met him there. The panther’s jealousy became so great that he was led to try and kill the opossum.
When Mr. Deer learned of the rivalry between the two, he thought that he would settle the question, and do it in a quiet way, by keeping it a secret from the panther. So one day he told the opossum he would give him his daughter if he would ride the panther by his house, never thinking the opossum would have courage enough to attempt a task of that kind.
The opossum at once began planning for the ride. He knew the days and hours the panther made his calls at the deer’s home. After thinking seriously he decided to meet the panther and have a talk with him; but when he saw the panther coming he decided to deceive the panther in such a way that probably he would have pity on him and help him.
While the panther was quite a distance away the opossum lay down in the path and began to roll over and over as if suffering from pain. When the panther came up he laughed and started on his way, for he was glad to see the opossum who was, as he believed, dying. After he had passed the opossum called to him for help, asking the panther to carry him home. The panther only laughed, but after a second thought he decided it would be a good scheme, for he could prove to the deer family that he was not an enemy to all the other animals as some had thought. The panther returned and took the opossum upon his back and started off to the home of the opossum for he was sure the opossum could not live.
In order to reach the home of the opossum they would have to pass the deer home and that was what both were anxious to do. Just as they came to the deer home all the deer family came out to see the opossum ride the panther. As they passed, they heard some of the deer remark about the courage of the little opossum. Upon hearing that the opossum sat up straight and began kicking the panther in the sides as if he were a horse, and then cried out, “See me ride the panther!” Upon bearing that, the panther became very angry and tried to catch the opossum, but he escaped in the branches of some trees nearby.
When the panther learned of the trick he was enraged and was more eager than before to kill the opossum, but he could not catch him because he could not climb a straight tree or one that had many limbs on it.
In those days the rain gods were not so numerous and water was scarce, there being only one pool from which the Indians and all animals received their water. The panther knew the opossum would have to have water to drink, for he could not live without it, so he went to the pool to lie in wait for him, for he was sure of getting him when he came for drink.
After a time the opossum became thirsty and knew that he would have to have water or else he would perish; so he began to plan another trick by which he might deceive the panther. One day he went down hoping to find the panther absent or asleep; but he was neither; so he was at a loss as to what he should do. As he was going down to the place he called home, he saw an Indian maiden coming toward him carrying a water pot. As he thought she was going for water, he stepped aside and awaited her return. She soon appeared, as she had only gone to a neighboring village for some maple syrup, which the Indians were accustomed to make.
While the maiden was gone the opossum planned a way to deceive her and thus get a drink; so when he saw her coming he lay down in the path and acted as if he were dead.
The maiden kicked him to one side as she passed him and went on. But when she was out of sight the opossum got up and took another path and so came in ahead of her and repeated the act, only to be kicked aside again, for the maid thought that two opossums did not amount to much as their meat was never eaten and their pelts were too small to make into robes, so she would not bother with them. The opossum did not give up, though his first two trials had been failures. He tried his trick again and this time he succeeded in deceiving her, for she thought that three opossums would be of some use; so she set her pitcher down beside him and went to search for the other opossums. While she was gone the opossum dipped his paws into the pitcher, and to his surprise he found that it contained syrup, and that he could not quench his thirst with it, so he started off very discouraged. When he walked off he stepped into some dried leaves, and the syrup caused them to stick to his feet, so he had another idea which would enable him to deceive the panther at the pool. The opossum went back and upset the pitcher and the syrup ran out, and he rolled in it until he was covered with it; then he went and rolled in the dried leaves until he was covered with them; then he headed for the pool and on his arrival he found the panther still waiting.
When he came up the panther asked who he was, and he told him that he was the porcupine, and that he had fallen from a tree and his quills had pierced the leaves and remained on him; so the panther let him help himself to the water and leave the pool unharmed.
After the opossum had gained a safe distance, he called to the panther and made known who he was. The panther did not chase him, but remained at his station, for he knew he would have to come again. The panther stayed at the pool until he was almost starved, in hopes of catching the opossum, but Mr. ’Possum never showed up, so the panther was forced to go in search of food.
While the opossum had a chance to drink water he drank all he could, then filled the pocket on his stomach with water, which would last a long time. The panther did not know that the opossum had a pocket or pouch in which he could carry things, so that was another way in which the opossum fooled the panther.
After the opossum had fooled the panther three times, the panther disappeared and was not seen for a long time, and then it was rumored that he had died in his den of starvation. All the animals had congregated about his den, but they were afraid to look in. After a few days the opossum came by and saw the other animals there and asked what was the trouble. They told him, so he went to the entrance and looked in and noticed that all seemed to be true; and then the opossum asked the crowd if the panther had kicked and breathed harshly when he died, but they did not know.
The opossum stated an instance when his grandmother died, how she had breathed and kicked, etc. Upon hearing this, the panther began to kick and groan. The opossum just laughed and said, “Dead panthers never kick or groan.” The panther could not work the opossum’s own tricks on him. The opossum derived his name because of his excellence at “playing ’possum.”19