Week 10 Story: "I'm hunting Wabus"

Wabus the Rabbit (story inspiration)

Long ago, in the lush forests of the Mississippi Valley, there was a cunning, yet extremely boisterous rabbit whom all the animals despised due to his arrogant nature. This rabbit's name was Wabus and he claimed to be the greatest healer in the entire forest, but that wasn't the claim that boiled all the other creature's blood. Wabus claimed to be the fastest runner in not only the forest, but the entire world. This was a much bigger deal for the animals than us humans as it was vital to the survival of a species, whether it be hunting down a meal for the night or running to save one's own life.
Among these rather upset animals was the mighty mountain lion known as Elmer.
Elmer swore to all the creatures that would listen that he would catch the "pesky Wabus," with his raw speed as he felt he was the fastest creature in the land himself, but seemed to have a bit of a biological advantage over the small hare that he despised.

Elmer set out for Wabus' wigwam that he had set up on one of the forest's largest hills so that he could see any potential predators and run off in time. With this in mind Elmer came up with the brilliant idea to sneak up on the wigwam late at night with his night vision, while Wabus slept and was vulnerable. Elmer lurked up to the wigwam with feet as light as the still night air until he was right up next to the wigwam's back door.

Elmer looked into the dark room and couldn't believe his luck, as there was Wabus sound asleep in his bed with his back turned to the big cat. Elmer gleefully pounced on the figure laying in bed and dug his claws right into its back with a triumphant roar. Elmer, proud of ridding himself of Wabus, was shocked out of his victory to the sound of an all familiar chuckle from below him. Wabus was poking out a hole he dug and pointing at what Elmer now realized was a decoy laying under Wabus' blankets and couldn't believe that he was so easily tricked.

Wabus popped back into the hole right as Elmer lunged for him, and to Elmer's surprise the hole was much deeper than the initial entrance conveyed and he fell snoot first into a surprisingly deep hole. Elmer raged and tried to claw up the dirt walls, but was only dragging more dirt down into the hole. In a final attempt to persuade Wabus to let him out Elmer tried to claim that he was merely trying to help Wabus with his medicinal work and claimed that he too was a medicine man that aspired to learn from the "Prolific Wabus."Wabus laughed to himself as he went away from the hole while Elmer threw a fit and brought back a large rock.

"Sorry 'Doc'," Wabus called down as he laughed to himself.

Wabus then slid the rock over the hole and left Elmer to think about coming after him again, while he hopped in bed with a carrot and a grin.


Bibliography:
(http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/mslakes-two-rabbit-stories.html from the UN-Textbook)

Author's Notes:
Initially the big cat hunting Wabus was a panther, which didn't make since at least to me, as someone who is from a town right on the Mississippi River in Illinois, so I changed it to a mountain lion. Also changed the plot by making it a bit more whimsical such as making Wabus act like Bugs Bunny (hence Elmer the mountain lion) as he was killed instantly by the panther in the original story as he was overconfident.