The First Jumper (first draft version)

The First Jumper 22: Rabbit Magic

“There.”

“I don’t see anything,” Tiger grumbled.

“Just to the left of the tree.”

“We’re in a forest!”

“Here.”  Little Bear took hold of Tiger’s main spear, pointing it.  “See it now?”

“Yes,” said Tiger, “but how did you see it?”

“Never mind that.  Can you hit it?”

“Maybe.  It’s a long cast.”

“Tiger, we can move closer, if you will stop when I tell you to stop.”

Tiger looked contemptuously at Little Bear, and said, “You are lucky I don’t kill you now, Little Bear.  You don’t tell a warrior how to hunt.”  Then he turned to look back at the rabbit, balancing carefully, and testing the wind.  He let fly, then . . .

“Got it!” Tiger said.

As he started toward it, Little Bear said, “Wait!  There are others.”

Tiger hesitated, then said, “More rabbits?”

“Yes.  The next one is perhaps a little closer, but it is across the wind.”

Tiger looked around.  “I don’t see it.”

“It’s behind a tree.”

“I can’t throw through a tree!”

“I know.  We’ll circle around, but Tiger, I can tell when the rabbit has noticed us, and is about to run away.”

“How can you tell that?”

“Rabbit magic.  Let’s go.”

They circled around, downwind of the rabbit.  This time, Tiger was unsettled enough by what Little Bear was doing, that he let him continue to lead him in closer than before, but was able to make the kill.  

Tiger went forward to retrieve the rabbit.  Little Bear went in the opposite direction, for the first rabbit.  They were only fifty feet apart or so, but Tiger could not see Little Bear, when he turned around.  He looked around, and realized he wasn’t sure where the hemlocks were.  If the wind hadn’t changed, they had to be in that direction.  If that was so, then the first kill should be that way--and there was Little Bear, trudging back with the first rabbit and Tiger’s other spear.

Tiger got his spear ready, but Little Bear just handed the spear back to Tiger, and said, “We can get a couple more, but one apiece is about all we can carry, I think.”

As Tiger watched in astonishment, Little Bear began carrying the other rabbit in the direction of the hemlocks.

Before they got to the trees, Tiger snatched the other rabbit from Little Bear, saying, “My kill.”  

Little Bear let him take it, and followed Tiger into the group around the fire.  Tiger was welcomed with appropriate gratitude by the tribe, but Little Bear sat quietly by the fire and ate his share, while Tiger boasted of his kills.  When Willow tried to get others to recognize his part, he hushed her.  After the tribe ate, Little Bear explained that Willow could make hand protectors for two people from the two rabbit furs, but those two people should work to make the snow walls higher.

“How high?” asked Ringtail.

“As high as you can reach,” said Little Bear.  “Make the walls curve out, like they are now, but make them as high as you can.  The higher you get them, the warmer you will be.”

After a long pause, Ash said, “Did Rabbit teach you this?”

“Yes,” said Little Bear, “When I ate him.”

Before the tribe had a chance to recover from this, Little Bear said, “As soon as Tiger and I are warm enough, we will go back out and get more rabbit, so we have more furs for our hands.  When we are ready to move South, we tie the furs in the way Willow will show you over our feet, as well.”

“Did Rabbit teach you that, too?” said Apple.  

Little Bear smiled.  “No,” he said.  “Willow came up with that on her own.”

As he finished his rabbit, Little Bear thought it just might work.  They were now convinced that any special knowledge he brought from his Tarshen background and education would be a “gift from the rabbit.”

“You will lead us,” said Ash, “in worship of the Rabbit.”

Oh, no, thought Little Bear, hiding his dismay behind a blank mask.

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