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HOW BEAVER GOT HIS TEETH

This is the Tlingit legend, as told by grandmothers to their grandchildren...

One day Beaver was out for a walk and happened to meet up with a porcupine. They looked at each other in surprise, having never seen the other before.

Beaver said, "I'm a beaver and I was out for a walk and happened upon you. Tell me, what type of creature are you?"

Porcupine stated that he was a porcupine, and then went on to say, "You sure are a strange looking creature, tell me, where do you live?"

"I live in a pond just a short way from here, do you want to come and visit me there?"
Porcupine thought about this for a moment and then, his curiousity getting the better of him, agreed to follow Beaver back to his house.

Soon they came upon a large pond with a big pile of what looked to be sticks out in the middle.
"Come on, my home is just out there", said Beaver.

Porcupine hesitated. "I can't visit you out there, I don't know how to swim."

"That's no problem", replied Beaver, "I'll carry you on my back and then I can bring you back when our visit is over".

This sounded like a good idea so porcupine carefully climbed on beaver's back. Beaver then dived in the water, careful to keep Porcupine above water.

Once there, they had an enjoyable visit, until it was starting to get late and Porcupine realized that he needed to get back home.
"I hate to break up our good visit Beaver, but it is getting quite late and I need to get back home, could you please take me back to the shore now?"

Beaver just laughed. "You foolish porcupine, you can find your own way back home." and with that remark, he dived off, leaving Porcupine stranded out in the middle of the pond.

"Oh what am I to do.. How will I ever get home?" wailed Porcupine. He sat for a long while crying softly to himself, and then the thought hit him to ask the Great Father to help him.

"Oh Great Father, I was a fool to allow Beaver to trick me into coming with him to his house, please, in your infinate mercy, help me to get back home to my family waiting for me."

The Great Father heard the wails of the miserable porcupine and took pity on him, so he sent the mighty north wind to come and blow across the pond, thereby freezing it solid so that the hapless porcupine could safely walk across.

A couple of years went by when Porcupine was again walking in the woods and happened to meet up with Beaver once again. They stood and looked at each other for a moment in surprise, and finally Beaver asked, "You're not still mad at me for playing that little trick on you, are you?"

Porcupine smiled a friendly smile and said, "Why no, Beaver, as you can see I made it back safely and I harbor no ill will towards you, however I was thinking that I could repay your generous hospitality by inviting you to visit with me at my humble home."

Beaver thought this over carefully, wondering if this might be some sort of trap, but Porcupine looked so sincere, and in fact, he had been rather generous with this gullible fool, so why not take advantage of his hospitality.
Finally, Beaver agreed.

They walked together through the woods a ways until they came to a large tree. Porcupine started to climb the tree, but Beaver just stayed on the ground.
Porcupine looked back and asked why he wasn't coming on up, and Beaver replied that he couldn't climb.

"That's no problem at all", said Porcupine, "Just climb up on my back and I'll carry you up."
He climbed back down and Beaver carefully climbed onto his back and then together they reached the high summit of Porcupine's home where they enjoyed a great visit.

Finally Beaver noticed how late it was getting to be, so he mentioned that Porcupine better take him back down to the ground so he could be getting back to his family.

Porcupine laughed, and said, "When I begged you to help me get back home all you did was laugh at me and leave me stranded, so now it's your turn to get back home on your own", and at that, he quickly climbed back out of the tree.

"Oh what am I to do.. How will I ever get home?" wailed Beaver. He sat for a long while crying softly to himself, and then the thought hit him that he could chew on the tree. So he begin to chew... and chew... and chew, until finally the tree was just a stump that he could climb off of.

He found that by chewing the whole tree, it had made his teeth grow big, and he remorsed as he quickly waddled on home, vowing never to play such tricks again.

Footnote: Tlingit is pronounced THLIN' GIT. The Tlingits are a southeastern Native Alaska tribe.

This has been a Tigershark7150/Coplove joint effort.

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Created: Feb 22, 2002

Design Copyright � Shirakhan
Story Retold by Coplove�