When the Terrapin won the race from the Rabbit (see the story) all
the animals wondered and talked about it a great deal, because they
had always thought the Terrapin slow, although they knew that he
was a warrior and had many conjuring secrets beside. But the Turkey
was not satisfied and told the others there must be some trick about
it. Said he, "I know the Terrapin can't run--he can hardly crawl--and
I'm going to try him."
So one day the Turkey met the Terrapin coming home from war with
a fresh scalp hanging from his neck and dragging on the ground as
he traveled. The Turkey laughed at the sight and said: "That scalp
don't look right on you. Your neck is too short and low down to wear
it that way. Let me show you."
The Terrapin agreed and gave the scalp to the Turkey, who fastened
it around his neck. "Now," said the Turkey, "I'll walk a little way
and you can see how it looks." So he walked ahead a short distance and
then turned and asked the Terrapin how he liked it. Said the Terrapin,
"It looks very nice; it becomes you."
"Now I'll fix it in a different way and let you see how it looks,"
said the Turkey. So he gave the string another pull and walked
ahead again. "O, that looks very nice," said the Terrapin. But the
Turkey kept on walking, and when the Terrapin called to him to bring
back the scalp he only walked faster and broke into a run. Then the
Terrapin got out his bow and by his conjuring art shot a number of
cane splints into the Turkey's leg to cripple him so that he could not
run, which accounts for all the many small bones in the Turkey's leg,
that are of no use whatever; but the Terrapin never caught the Turkey,
who still wears the scalp from his neck.