One day, once upon a time, Mr. Fox slipped into a watermelon patch and stole a melon. He saw Mr. Skunk coming, so he ran and climbed a tree to hide and eat his melon. But Mr. Skunk walked right under the tree and spoiled Mr. Fox’s melon.

“I shall get even with Mr. Skunk for spoiling my watermelon,” said he; and down he jumped from the tree. He was so angry that he ran up to Mr. Skunk to have a battle with him. Very soon he found that he could not whip Mr. Skunk, so he decided to make friends with him.

They walked along together for a short distance and then Mr. Fox looked up and said: “It is going to rain. Let me make a bag to put you into, Skunk-Man, to keep you dry. I can find a hole somewhere for myself.” And the fox made a bag for the skunk. All the time he was making it, Mr. Skunk was jumping around singing and dancing with joy. When it was finished, Mr. Skunk crawled in and Mr. Fox tied him in and fastened him up to the limb of a tree.

Then the fox picked up a handful of pebbles and threw them over the bag, to make the skunk think that it was raining. He took another handful of pebbles; then a handful of larger rocks; and then still larger rocks, until he threw big rocks that hurt Mr. Skunk.

“Ouch,” he cried; but Mr. Fox threw bigger and bigger rocks until he had bruised Mr. Skunk all over. Then he left him to get out the best way he could.

“Now,” said Mr. Fox, “I can have all the watermelons I want and there is no one to spoil them.” And he trotted off for another melon.

But while Mr. Fox was selecting his watermelon, an Indian boy, who owned the patch, came along and pierced him with his arrow. And to this very day Mr. Fox carries the scar from that arrow in his right front shoulder.

Note: Santo Domingo Pueblo