One morning, just after sunrise, Rabbit found himself hungry for breakfast. The plains were rich with grasses, but Rabbit was very choosy. He wanted only the best grass to eat. He hopped around in search of quality grass, but everything he found was mediocre. Rabbit eventually saw Coyote and Fox talking in the distance. He wondered if they might be talking about top-shelf grass, but didn’t dare approach and risk his life to these predators. This was when Rabbit had small ears, and he couldn’t hear the two from his vantage. Rabbit decided to pull on his ears to stretch them out. The stretching hurt Rabbit, but he made his ears a medium length: long enough to hear the conversation between Coyote and Fox.
Rabbit could hear coyote ask, “Fox, this is a very specific question out of character for my species, but have you seen any good grass lately? I’m asking for a friend.”
Fox replied, “Coyote, you don’t have to be shy with me. As a matter of fact, I have found some prime grass! I’ll have to whisper the location to you, it’s in a secret place. Last time I found some good grass, Rabbit ate it all.”
Very quickly, rabbit stretched his ears even further so he could hear Fox’s whisper. Now, they were very long and stuck up like sprouts.
Fox whispered, “The best grass is just north of here, across the river.” Coyote thanked him and the two animals began another conversation completely unrelated to vegetation.
Rabbit was very happy with himself and hopped north. At the river, he stopped to look at his reflection in the water. His ears were very long now, but he rather liked the new look. Soon he found the promised grass, and ate his fill until he fell asleep happily.
This is why Rabbit now has very long ears.
Author’s note: In the Native American mythology of the Great Plains, animal species are personified as single characters. In this week’s reading, there were a few “origin stories” of some animals’ defining features. My story plays on existing stories of Rabbit, who tends to be sneaky, crafty, and a little self-serving. I decided I’d make up a story explaining how Rabbit’s ears got to be so long.
Bibliography.
Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson.
Web Link.
Photo: A rabbit eating grass, taken by M. L. Haen.
Wikimedia Commons.
