It was not often that the tortoise and the eagle met, for the one spent his days in the clouds and the other in the under a bush. However, when the eagle heard what a warm-hearted little fellow the tortoise was, he went to pay a call on him.

The tortoise family showed such pleasure in his company and fed him so lavishly that the eagle returned again and again, while every time as he flew away he laughed, “Ha, ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can never reach my eyrie in the tree-top!”

The eagle’s frequent visits, his selfishness and ingratitude became the talk of the forest animals. The eagle and the frog were never on speaking terms, for the eagle was accustomed to swooping down to carry a frog home for supper.

So the frog called from the stream bank, “Friend tortoise, give me beans and I will give you wisdom.”

After enjoying the bowl of beans the frog said, “Friend tortoise, the eagle is abusing your kindness, for after every visit he flies away laughing, ‘Ha ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can never enjoy mine, for my eyrie is in the tree-tops.’ Next time the eagle visits you, say, ‘Give me a gourd, and I will send food to your wife and children too’.”

The eagle brought a gourd, enjoyed a feast, and as he left he called back, “I will call later for the present for my wife.”

The eagle flew away laughing to himself as usual, “Ha ha! I have enjoyed the tortoise’s food, but he can never come to my eyrie to taste of mine.”

The frog arrived and said, “Now, tortoise, get into the gourd. Your wife will cover you over with fresh food and the eagle will carry you to his home in the treetops.”

Presently the eagle returned. The tortoise’s wife told him, “My husband is away but he left this gourd filled with food for your family.”

The eagle flew away with the gourd, little suspecting that the tortoise was inside. The tortoise could hear every word as he laughed, “Ha! ha! I share the tortoise’s food but he can never visit my eyrie to share mine.”

As the gourd was emptied out onto the eagle’s eyrie, the tortoise crawled from it and said, “Friend eagle, you have so often visited my home that I thought it would be nice to enjoy the hospitality of yours.”

The eagle was furious. “I will peck the flesh from your bones,” he said. But he only hurt his beak against the tortoise’s hard back.

Central African

Friendship … long ago back when people were given their first instrument, the drum, there was singing, playing, pounding and listening to Mother’s heart beat (drum). They were rejoicing and feeling the joy of living. All of the birds and things gathered around to listen. They too wanted to join in, so bad, to the joy of this song. The word was given that the next day, the birds would be given song. The one that could fly the highest would be given the most beautiful song of all. That night they were all anticipating the day to see who would fly the highest. There was a little bird with wings about an inch long or so. His heart was just bursting out wanting to sing in joy. He knew he couldn’t with his little wings so that night he crept up and snuck up under the wing of the great eagle and he stayed there. When the new day came they started out. The eagle just bounded up and started to fly. He started to fly with great strength and courage. He was aware of this little bird under his wing but he paid no attention he just moved upward and upward. Then soon all the birds had been left behind. He still carried that little one higher, higher and higher. They were way up and clean out of sight. The eagle’s heart gave all the strength that he had in his wings and he lifted his wings with one last great thrust. Then that little bird leaped out, fluttered up a little bit higher and they both came down, down to earth. So the little bird flew higher than the eagle. The Creator blessed it with the most beautiful song. The great bird that carried him up so high that he touched the heart of Creator has been blessed ever since too. But the little bird felt shame and remorse. He didn’t really understand the love of Creator even though he had his song in his heart. That little bird up north, you might hear him, he will be way back in the thickets by himself. He is called the Hermit Thrush. He shares a very special place in the heart of Creator and a very special bond with the great eagle.

As soon as his life was restored, Fox went to the Buffalo head, and cut off the long pendent hair, i-yûn-e-pi-ta-ga, beneath its under jaw. Fox took this to a prairie-dog village near at hand, and told the inhabitants that it was the hair of a man, one of that race dreaded by the prairie-dogs because of its attacks upon them, which he had killed. He easily persuaded the prairie-dogs to celebrate his victory with feasting and dancing. With a stone concealed in his hand, he killed all the prairie-dogs as they circled around in the dance. Fox then placed them in a pit, and built a huge fire over them, leaving them to roast while he slept. Nîn-ko-jîn, the Wildcat, came along, and stole all the roasted prairie-dogs while Fox slept, save one at the end of the pit, leaving the tails, which were pulled off. Fox awoke after some time, and flew into a great rage when he found only the tails left; the solitary dog was thrown over his shoulder in his fit of passion. The gnawings of hunger soon induced him to search for the dog he had thrown away. In the stream close by he thought he saw the roasted body; taking off his clothes, he swam for it, but could not grasp it. Again and again he tried, and finally dove for it until he bumped his nose on the stony bottom. Tired out with his efforts, he laid down upon the bank to rest, and, as he glanced upward, saw the body of the prairie-dog lying among the branches which projected over the water. Fox recovered the coveted morsel, ate it, and set off on the trail of the Wildcat. He found Wildcat asleep under a tree, around which he set a fire. With a few quick strokes he shortened the head, body, and tail of Wildcat, and then pulled out the large intestine and roasted it. Fox then awakened Wildcat, and invited him to eat his (Wildcat’s) flesh, but to be careful to save a small piece, and put it back in its place, for he would need it. Fox then left him.

Wildcat followed Fox, intent upon revenge. He found Fox asleep, but instead of shortening that animal’s members he lengthened them; the ears were only straightened, but the head, body, and tail were elongated as we see them at the present day. The intestine scene was repeated with the Fox as victim.

Frank Russell,. Myths of the Jicarilla Apache