Crawfish one evening was wandering along a river bank, looking for something dead to feast upon. Raccoon was also out looking for something to eat. �Raccoon spied Crawfish and formed a plan to catch him. Raccoon lay down on the bank and feigned to be dead. �By and by Crawfish came near. �"Ho", �he thought, "here is a feast indeed; but is Raccoon really dead. �I will go near and pinch him with my claws and find out". So Crawfish went near and pinched Raccoon on the nose and then on his soft paws.� Raccoon never moved. Then Crawfish pinched Raccoon on the ribs and tickled him so that Raccoon could hardly keep from laughing. �Crawfish at last left him. �"Raccoon is surely dead", �he thought, and he hurried back to the Crawfish village to report his find to the Chief.� All the villagers were called to go down to the feast. �The Chief bade the warriors and young men to paint their faces and dress in their gayest for a dance. �So they marched in a long line, �first the warriors with their weapons in hand, then the women with their babies and children to the place where Raccoon lay. �They formed a great circle about him and danced, singing:� "We shall have a great feast on the spotted-faced beast with soft smooth paws. �He is dead ! �He is dead ! �We shall dance ! �We shall have a good time. �We shall feast on his flesh". �But as they danced, Raccoon suddenly sprang to his feet. �"Who is that you say you are going to eat ? �He has a spotted face, �has he ? �He has soft smooth paws, has he ? �I'll break your ugly backs, �I'll break your rough bones. �I'll crunch your ugly, rough paws". �And Raccoon rushed among the Crawfish, killing them by scores. �The Crawfish warriors fought bravely and the women ran screaming, all to no purpose. �They did not feast on Raccoon, � Raccoon feasted on them.
The lesson is that all is not always as it seems.

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