Oban's Myths & Legends
Why The Deer's Teeth Are Blunt (continued)
Native American - Cherokee Legend
retold by Oban
Deer took another run, leapt at the grapevine and ended up flipped on his back again.
“Are you alright?” asked Rabbit, pretending to be concerned. He hopped over to where Deer lay, bruised and hurt on the dusty trail. Again Deer struggled to his feet and dusted himself off.
“Let me see your teeth” said Rabbit.
“Ah, there’s the problem, your teeth are long but not sharp like mine.” He twitched his nose and opened his mouth to show Deer how long and sharp his teeth were.
“Let me show you how sharp they are” he said, hopping to the side of the trail.
He picked up the black locust twig he had gnawed earlier, and held it up for Deer to see. Then he bit into the middle of it and cut it in half, as easily as if he had used a knife.
“Let me sharpen your teeth and you will easily chomp through vines and wood like I can” said Rabbit. Deer nodded his head and agreed.
Rabbit picked up a hard rough stone and Deer crouched down on the ground and opened his mouth wide.
But instead of sharpening Deer’s teeth, Rabbit began to grind them down.
“Ow, Ouch!” cried Deer. “That hurts!”
“Sharpening your teeth always hurts” said Rabbit. “But it’s worth it.”
Deer didn’t complain again and Rabbit kept grinding down the teeth until they were blunt.
“Ah, they’re perfect now!” said Rabbit to Deer. “Try to bite through the grapevine again.”
Deer tried, but this time he couldn’t bite at all. Rabbit laughed.
“Now you’ve paid for your antlers!” he shouted as he hopped away.
That is why to this day Deer’s teeth are blunt and he can only eat grass and leaves.The End
