Huge Squirrel

Native American Giant Animal Stories: When Squirrels Were Huge

It is said that long ago the squirrel was huge, and he walked all over the place, in the valleys, in the woods, and the big forests. He looked for creatures that he could eat. He would eat just anything, animals, even snakes.

Suddenly one evening he saw a two-legged creature running along. So he ran after that two-legged creature, and finally he caught that person, and when he snatched him up he began to tear him to pieces. Finally he ate that person all up except for the person’s hand which the giant squirrel was carrying in his hand.

While he was still busy chewing, all at once this person, an enormous person, was standing nearby. That person had a very white light shining and shimmering all around him, and when he said anything he roared like thunder and the earth shook and the trees fell down. He was the Creator.

The Creator said to the squirrel, “Now, truly you have done a very terrible deed. You have killed my child. Now, from this time on it is you who will be little and your children and your great grandchildren will be eaten, and the shameful thing you did will always be seen (by a mark) under your forearm.” Oh, the squirrel was scared, and he trembled with fear. He wanted to hide the man’s hand, and he placed it under his upper arm. This story must be true because for a long time I have cut up and cooked many squirrels, and I have seen the hand under the squirrel’s upper arm. We always cut that piece out before cooking the squirrel.

Nora Thompson Dean, 1975

Source: culture.delawaretribe