r me," he said.

He took the kettle off the fire. He poked a stick into it and found
only bones. Then he said, "Indeed, the meat has all fallen off." So he
took a spoon and dipped it out; nothing was there but bones.

This is the story of Unktomi and the Bad Songs.

HOW THE PHEASANT BEAT CORN

_Cherokee_

Once Pheasant saw a woman beating corn in a wooden mortar in front of
her lodge.

"I can do that, too," said Pheasant.

"I don't believe you," said the woman.

"Yes, I can," said Pheasant. So Pheasant went into the woods behind
the lodge. He flew to a hollow log and drummed with his wings until
the people thought he really was beating corn.

That is why the Indians have the Pheasant dance, as a part of the
Green-corn dance.

WHY THE TURKEY GOBBLES

_Cherokee_

In the old days, Grouse had a good voice and Turkey had none.
Therefore Turkey asked Grouse to teach him. But Grouse wanted pay, so
Turkey promised to give him some feathers for a collar. That is how
the Grouse got his collar of turkey feathers.

So the Grouse began to teach Turkey. At last Grouse said, "Now you
must try your voice. You must halloo."

Turkey said, "Yes."

Grouse said, "I'll stand on this hollow log, and when I tap on it, you
must halloo as loudly as you can."

So Grouse climbed upon a log, ready to tap on it, but when he did so,
Turkey became so excited that when he opened his mouth, he only said,
"_Gobble, gobble, gobble!_"

That is why the Turkey gobbles whenever he hears a noise.

OMAHA BELIEFS

_Omaha_

Song was an integral part of Omaha life. Through song, the Omaha
approached the mysterious Wakoda; through song he voiced his emotions,
both individual and social; through song he embodied feelings and
aspirations that eluded expression in words. In one of their
ceremonies, the Wa' wa, "to sing for somebody," songs are one of the
chief characteristics.

In this ceremony, the eagle is "Mother." She calls to her nestlings
and upon her strong wings she bears the message of peace. Peace and
its symbol, the clear, cloudless sky, are the theme of the principal
songs. The curlew, in the early morning, stretches its neck and its
wing as it sits on the roost, and utters a long note. The sound is
considered an indication that the day will be cloudless.

Green represents the verdure of the earth; blue is the color of the
sky; red is the color of the sun, typifying life. The eagle is the
bird of tire