Fox and Jaguar



Well, I'm on a roll, so here's another perplexing Toba
Indian story from the same book;

"Fox and Jaguar

Fox was walking along with his gourd rattle: chas, chas, chas
(the sound of the gourd). Jaguar heard Fox singing, and said:
I'm going to intercept that one; I'm going to frighten Fox, 
the one who goes about the whole day singing. I'm going to 
get him." And he crouched down behind a tree.

Here came Fox, who said to Jaguar: "You've got good clothes, 
Sir Jaguar. Where did you get them?" The jaguar answered: "I 
got them from another country." "No," said Fox. "Stop lying."
"It's true. I got them from another nation." "Quit lying, 
quit lying," said Fox. Then they talked between themselves: 
"When is Fox coming back?" "Tomorrow." "All right. And where 
do you come from?" "I am from far away." "What's your name? 
I'm called Kedok, Jaguar." "I am called Wajakalacigi, Fox." 
"Do you have a big heart?" asked Jaguar. "No. My heart is a 
little thing," said Fox. "And you?" "I have the same as 
yours," answered Jaguar. But then Fox said: "No, your heart 
is a great big thing." So then Jaguar asked: "Do you have a 
strong heart?" "No, my heart is very small." "Your heart is 
very small because you come from far away. Because you are 
strong you can walk all day. And how many hours can you 
sleep with a small heart?" asked Jaguar. "I don't sleep," 
said Fox. "And you, how many hours do you sleep with your 
big heart?" "Uh! I wake up at six o'clock in the morning, 
and I go about at night," said Jaguar. "Do you go out at 
night, Fox?" "No, because I have a small heart. I go out in 
the daytime only." And then he said: "Well, Kedok, I'm 
going." "All right. Farewell. When are you coming back?" 
"Oh, sometime." You see, he did not say day after tomorrow
or anything."

Joel T.
(Note: The Toba have another myth in which Fox tricks Jaguar
into letting Fox pull Jaguar's heart out of his body, which 
might explain why they're talking about their hearts so 
much...)