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Doctor Buzzard

A long time ago, Rabbit fell sick. His village didn't know what to do. "Nothing we give him is helping! How can we ever make Rabbit well?"

Along came Buzzard. "I'm a doctor," said Buzzard. "I can cure him."

"Really?" said Rabbit's wife. "How can you do that?"

"I have powerful medicine. You'll see. Shut the house up completely, seal all the cracks, so that no one can see inside. Then my medicine will take effect."

"Okay!" said Rabbit's wife. She was very happy, and all the people were. They started singing and dancing to honor Buzzard while he was inside healing Rabbit.

Suddenly they heard Rabbit cry out. "What's the matter, Doctor Buzzard?" asked Rabbit's wife anxiously.

"Nothing, nothing," he said through the door. "It's always this way. I'm giving him the medicine and it burns him, but soon he will be well."

"Oh, okay!" said Rabbit's wife. The people began singing and dancing again.

Finally Buzzard said "Now I am finished. Open the door!"

They opened the door and Buzzard flew away just as fast as he could. In the house, nothing was left but Rabbit's bones. Buzzard had eaten him all up. Rabbit's wife cried, and the people cried too. And that was the end of Rabbit.

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Chickasaw legends
Chickasaw language
Chickasaw Indians

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Doctor Buzzard

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