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How
The Deer Got His Horns A very long time
ago, Deer had no horns, but was a very great runner.
There also was a Rabbit that was a great jumper, and all the
animals of the forest were curious to who could travel the farthest in the
same amount of time. Both the Rabbit and Deer agreed to have a set time
and date to race, and the winner would win a big pair of antlers.
They would race from one end of the thicket and go through it, then
turn around and come back. The
one who came back first would win the horns. When the day of the
race came every animal in the forest attended.
The antlers were set on the ground to mark the starting and ending
point. The Rabbit suggested
that he didn’t know the land that well and wanted to go look it over
before the race. The Rabbit
headed into the brush, after being gone for a long time they sent a
messenger to go look for him. After
the messenger had gotten back he replied that he saw the Rabbit gnawing at
the bushes and cleared a path. The Rabbit returned all the animals accused him of cheating, but he denied it. The messenger led them to the spot where he had saw the Rabbit gnawing and sure enough the brush was cleared. All the animals agreed the he was a cheater and didn’t have any right to enter the race. So the animals of the forest presented the Deer with the antlers. They also told the Rabbit that since he was so warmhearted about cutting down brush that he might do that for the rest of his life, and so to the day he does.
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