Blind Men and Raccoon Story

Two old Indian brothers lived together in a wigwam by a lake. Every day, they took turns getting water and cooking food. First, one cooked and the other got water, then the next day, they switched. This was fair. They were fair in all they did, always truthful to each other and sharing all things evenly.

As they knew just how much food they required for each meal, the quantity prepared was equally divided, but was eaten out of the single bowl which they had.

As they aged, their eyesight began to fade. Understanding that one day they would not be able to find the lake, they stretched a cord from the door of the wigwam to a post in the water, so they would have no difficulty in helping themselves.

After several years, they were completely blind, but still able to get water and cook their food. Of course, their relatives in the village brought them food periodically because they could not hunt for themselves.

One day, Raccoon was following the water’s edge looking for crawfish when he came to the cord stretched from the lake to the wigwam. The Raccoon thought it strange to find a rope here and wondered what it was.

He followed the path along which the cord was stretched until he came to the wigwam. He saw the two old men sitting on the ground in the entrance to their home, making arrowheads by touch. They did not seem to notice Raccoon, so he learned they were blind. Raccoon could smell good food and he was very hungry so he decided to wait and find an opportunity.

Soon, one said to the other, "I am getting hungry. Let's make food."

The other replied, "You go down to the lake and fetch water while I prepare the fire."

Raccoon ran quickly to the water ahead of the man and untied the cord from the post. He pulled it to a clump of bushes and tied it again.

When the old man came along with his kettle to get water, he stumbled around the brush until he found the end of the cord. He dipped his kettle down upon the ground for water. Finding the ground hard and dry, he returned to his home and cried, "The lake is dried up and the brush is grown where we used to get water. What shall we do?"

"That is not possible," responded the other man, "We have not been asleep so long that brush could grow. I will go to find water." So, he took the kettle and followed the rope.

Raccoon quickly moved the cord back to the post in the lake and tied it tight.

The second old blind man followed the cord into the lake and filled his kettle. When he returned to the wigwam, he said, "Brother, there is plenty of water. Why did you tell me a story?"

The first old man could not understand what had happened.

The old men cooked their food, put eight pieces of meat in their bowl and sat down to eat with the bowl between them. They each took a piece of meat and talked about things while they ate.

Raccoon snuck up and took four pieces of meat from the bowl, moved away and began to eat. One old man reached in the bowl for more meat and noticed that there were only two pieces left. "Brother, you must be very hungry," he said. "I have had only one piece of meat and there are only two pieces left."

The other replied, "I have had only one piece. Perhaps you have eaten them yourself." And this began an argument. While the old men were becoming angry, Raccoon saw an opportunity for more fun. He snuck up and tapped each of them on the cheek, causing them to think the other had hit them.

The men began to fight, rolling on the ground and knocking over the bowl. Raccoon picked up the two remaining pieces of meat and laughed as he walked away and called out, "Silly old men!"

The old men instantly ceased their struggles, for they now knew they had been deceived. Raccoon called back to them, "I have played a nice trick on you; you should not find fault with each other so easily." Then Raccoon continued his travels down the lake shore.