For thousands of years, Native Americans have passed down legends in the oral tradition. Their stories were a vital educational tool for younger generations that imparted knowledge of the past, taught valuable life lessons for the future and, provided entertainment.  Though these stories were being told long before the Europeans landed in the New World, many have striking similarities to the values and teachings in the Christian Bible.

In the Lakota legend of “The Buffalo and the Field Mouse”, pride and selfishness are viewed negatively, just like in Bible teachings.  The basic characters and story are different, but the warning message and resulting repercussions from engaging in these behaviors, are the same.  (As with many Native American stories, there is no reference as to the exact origin or original storyteller for this tale.)  

Here is a paraphrased recount of the Lakota legend,
“The Buffalo and the Field Mouse”:

A field Mouse was out in a meadow, gathering food for winter, when a Buffalo came down to graze.  The Mouse did not like the Buffalo’s intrusion because his grazing would destroy the tall grasses that the Mouse used for hiding.  The little Mouse decided to battle the Buffalo.

“Hey, Buffalo, I am challenging you to a fight!” he announced in his squeaky little voice.

The Buffalo continued grazing, not paying any attention to the Mouse.  The little Mouse announced his challenge again, but the Buffalo just kept chomping on the grasses.  The Mouse continued his tirade and began laughing in contempt.
The Buffalo finally lifted his head and spoke.

“Quiet down and keep still or I will come over there and step on you with my hooves and there will be nothing left!”

“I don’t believe you will do it!” the Mouse taunted.

“If you choose to continue bothering me, I will put an end to you!” the Buffalo insisted, angrily.

“I dare you to try!” the Mouse said, in a provocative manner.

The Buffalo had had enough and rushed towards the Mouse’s voice.  His hooves tore up the earth and trampled the grasses.  Once he had reached the area where the Mouse had stood, he looked around, but did not see the Mouse anywhere. 

“I warned you that if I stepped on you there would be nothing left!” he shouted.

Suddenly, the Buffalo felt a scratching in his right ear.  He began to shake his head and twitch his ears but could not rid himself of the gnawing that kept going deeper and deeper into his ear.  He became wild with pain and began pawing at the ground with his hooves and tearing up the dirt with his horns.

The pain forced him to bellow loudly and run in circles.  Exhausted, he finally stopped and stood trembling.  The Mouse jumped from his ear and said:

“I am the master and you must tell me so!”

“No!” the Buffalo yelled.  He tried to trample the Mouse again.  After several minutes, the Mouse was nowhere to be found.  The Buffalo suddenly felt the gnawing pain again, in his other ear.  He ran over the prairie, leaping high in the air, and finally falling to the ground.  Once his body was still, the Mouse emerged from the Buffalo’s ear and stood proudly upon his lifeless body.

“I have killed the greatest of beasts and this will show to all that I am the master!” the Mouse yelled.  He called across the meadow for someone to bring him a knife to dress his game.

A very hungry red Fox was searching for mice in another part of the meadow when he heard a faint call: “Bring me a knife!  Bring me a knife!”

The Fox waited, and then heard a second call.  He started to move in the direction of the call but then all went silent.  Just as the Fox had decided to return to foraging, he heard it again and ran as fast as he could toward the voice.

As the Fox approached the Buffalo’s body, he spied the Mouse, triumphantly standing upon it.

“I need you to dress this Buffalo for me,” the little Mouse ordered, “and I will share some meat with you.”

“I am very hungry,” the Fox replied, “so I will gladly do this for you.”

The Fox began dressing the Buffalo as the Mouse sat upon a nearby mound of dirt, barking orders.

“The meat must be cut into small pieces!”

“As you wish, my friend.”

Once the Fox finished cutting everything up, the Mouse offered him a small piece of liver.  The Fox gulped it down, smacking his lips.

“May I please have another piece?” the Fox asked.

“That was quite a large piece!  My, you are greedy!” the Mouse exclaimed.  “Fine, you may take some of the blood clots.”  He snickered as the hungry Fox devoured the blood clots and licked the grass.

“Would it be alright if I took home some of the meat?’ the Fox begged.  “I have six children at home and I have nothing for them to eat.”

“Take the Buffalo’s four feet, that should be enough for all of you!” the Mouse snapped.

“Thank you, my friend!  But I also have a wife and hunting has been very bad, couldn’t you spare a few more pieces?” the Fox pleaded.

“You have already been overpaid for the work that you have done!” the Mouse said sternly.  “But go on and take the head, too.”

The Fox immediately pounced upon the Mouse and with a faint squeak, disappeared.  The Fox smacked his lips and smiled.

If you are proud and selfish, you will lose all in the end.

For more information on this and other Lakota legends, please visit:

http://www.akloakota.org