Drawn by Tosh Bibb
One time, Possum was going along visiting, enjoying
herself. In those days, Ms. Possum almost always had her children with
her. This one time, she put them in a hollow tree and didn't take them
around with her. That one day, in the beginning of time
while she was out enjoy herself, taking a little rest from looking
after her little Possum babies, she started back home and heard a strange
noise, a cluttering going on, a clattering of racket in her little tree
house.
She got there, looked up and it was the Bats --Lots
of Bats...! The Bats had picked up her little babies and were holding
them, dancing around, sporting and having a good time. The poor little
Possum babies they were all upset and didn't know what to think.
The Bats were just holding them out by their little fore feet, bouncing
them up and down and dancing around and around--having a good time laughing
and giggling while the poor little Possums were just hurting all over from
fear.
Mama Possum was a small little animal who still
had her furry tail in these days. She just did not quite know what to do.
She tried to chase the Bats away but they just flew off with her babies
then they came back and danced right in front of her. Aela, she was
very upset. She sat down on the road side and began to cry very badly.*
Soon, Ms. Turtle came along and said, "Why,
Miss Possum! What's the trouble? What's the matter with
you?" Mama Possum quickly explained how the Bats had her babies,
were playing with them and roughing them up and making great sport--just
scaring her babies to death.
Well, the Turtle looked about and said, "Well, we'll
sit here awhile and be calm and quite. Soon the Sun will be up and
the Bats will be tired. They'll put your little babies down go about
their way. Then, we shall fix that problem." "Oh," said the Possum,
"How shall we fix that problem?"
Well, pretty soon it began to get light. As
the Sun started upon his journey, all the Bats put the little Possums down,
left the little babies alone, and went on back to where it is that they
spend their daylight hours asleep. Turtle got real busy. She nipped
and tucked at Mama Possum's belly, sewed a little stuff here and there,
stitched a little stuff over and under and 'round about and soon, she had
put a great big pocket on Mama Possum's belly.
Then, Turtle picked up all the little baby Possums,
dusted them off and brushed off the dirt and smoothed down their cute little
fur and curled their little tails around in a little loop. One by
one, she put them all in Mama Possum's pocket and said
to her, "from now on you shall carry your babies in this possum pouch.
After that, Bats and the other animals will not bother your babies. I'm
glad that I could help you with this matter."
The Mother Possum said to the Turtle, "Thank you
very much. You're very slow but wise and your wisdom helps us
all." So that's how the Bats caused the Possum to have a pouch.
This is one way the Creek elders tell this story.
*If you catch them at a fortunate time, you just may be able to pursuade Mary, Kate or Sakim to sing the little song that the Bats sang when they danced with the baby possums.