The rabbit once went out on the prairie in winter time. On the side of a hill away from the wind he found a great company of girls all with gray and speckled blankets over their backs. They were the grouse girls and they were coasting down hill on a board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the rabbit saw them, he called out, “Oh, maidens, that is not a good way to coast down hill. Let me get you a fine skin with bangles on it that tinkle as you slide.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And away he ran to the tipi and brought a skin bag. It had red stripes on it and bangles that tinkled. “Come and get inside,” he said to the grouse girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Oh, no, we are afraid,” they answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Don’t be afraid, I can’t hurt you. Come, one of you,” said the rabbit. Then as each hung back he added coaxingly: “If each is afraid alone, come all together. I can’t hurt you all.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag. This done, the rabbit closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over his back and went home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Grandmother,” said he, as he came to the tipi, “here is a bag full of game. Watch it while I go for willow sticks to make spits.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent, the grouse girls began to cry out, “Grandmother, let us out.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Who are you?” asked the old woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Your dear grandchildren,” they answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But how came you in the bag?” asked the old woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed us in the bag for a joke. Please let us out.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out,” said the old woman as she untied the bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And lo, the grouse flock with chuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up, knocking over the old grandmother and flew out of the square smoke opening of the winter lodge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old woman caught only one grouse as it flew up and held it, grasping a leg with each hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the rabbit came home with the spits she called out to him, “Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have caught two.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he saw what had happened he was quite angry, yet could not keep from laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Grandmother, you have but one grouse,” he cried, and it is a very skinny one at that!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n