On warm days the animals liked to go to the creek and talk with friends. The wind was blowing and it was cool by the creek. As the animals were talking to each other, turkey ran by as fast as he could run.

Turkey said, "I can run faster than anone in the woods."

The animals looked at Turkey, but they did not talk to him.

"Fox, I can catch you," Turkey said.

"Wolf, I can catch you," Turkey said.

"But no one can catch me, I can run too fast!" shouted Turkey.

The animals did not look at Turkey. The animals did not talk to Turkey.

Turkey said, "You won't talk to me because I can run faster than you," and he laughed at the animals. Then turkey ran away. After Turkey had gone, tha animals talked about what he had done.

Fox said, "Turkey should not make fun of us."

"We know he can run fast," said the Rabbit. "Why does he want to come here and show off?" The animals talked about Turkey.

'Possum said, "We are all animals and we should be friends. When Turkey shows off and makes fun of us, he not being a friend."

"What do we do?" the animals asked.

And 'Possum said, "Let's choose someone that Turkey can't catch."

Turtle said, "Let Turkey try to catch me."

'Possum said, "But Turtle, you can't run fast."

"But I can trick him and he won't catch me," said Turtle.

So Turtle went home and asked his brothers and sisters to help him trick Turkey. The Turtles put feathers on themselves so that they would all look alike. Each time Turkey would almost catch one turtle, another turtle would jump from behind a tree and yell, "Here I am!"

Turkey chased the turtles all day long and never caught them. He thought he was chasing only one turtle.

Turkey said, "I give up. I can't catch Turtle because he runs too fast."

The animals said, "Turtle tricked you. That's why you couldn't catch him." Everyone began to laugh.

Then Turkey said, "I won't make fun of anyone any more."

And they were all friends again.

All Choctaw stories are included in the "Choctaw Language Program," book, which is copyrighted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Permission was granted for reprint, 31 July 2003, by Gergory E. Pyle, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.