One day in the old times when we could still talk with other creatures,
while some children were playing about the house, their mother inside
heard them scream. Running out she found that a rattlesnake had
crawled from the grass, and taking up a stick she killed it. The
father was out hunting in the mountains, and that evening when
coming home after dark through the gap he heard a strange wailing
sound. Looking about he found that he had come into the midst of
a whole company of rattlesnakes, which all had their mouths open
and seemed to be crying. He asked them the reason of their trouble,
and they told him that his own wife had that day killed their chief,
the Yellow Rattlesnake, and they were just now about to send the
Black Rattlesnake to take revenge.
The hunter said he was very sorry, but they told him that if he
spoke the truth he must be ready to make satisfaction and give his
wife as a sacrifice for the life of their chief. Not knowing what
might happen otherwise, he consented. They then told him that the
Black Rattlesnake would go home with him and coil up just outside
the door in the dark. He must go inside, where he would find his wife
awaiting him, and ask her to get him a drink of fresh water from the
spring. That was all.
He went home and knew that the Black Rattlesnake was following. It
was night when he arrived and very dark, but he found his wife waiting
with his supper ready. He sat down and asked for a drink of water. She
handed him a gourd full from the jar, but he said he wanted it fresh
from the spring, so she took a bowl and went out of the door. The
next moment he heard a cry, and going out he found that the Black
Rattlesnake had bitten her and that she was already dying. He stayed
with her until she was dead, when the Black Rattlesnake came out
from the grass again and said his tribe was now satisfied. He then
taught the hunter a prayer song, and said, "When you meet any of us
hereafter sing this song and we will not hurt you; but if by accident
one of us should bite one of your people then sing this song over him
and he will recover." And the Cherokee have kept the song to this day.