HOW THE LOON BIRD GOT HIS LEGS SO FAR BACK

A LONG TIME AGO WHEN THE INDIAN GODS WERE WALKING ABOUT ON THE
EARTH, (THERE WAS) ONE INDIAN NAMED CALUPSO, WHO WAS CONSIDERED
A MIGHTY GOD, BUT A GREAT LAZY GOD. CALUPSO WAS A WOODLAND
INDIAN BECAUSE HE LIVED IN A HOUSE WHICH WAS A BARK COVERED HOUSE
WHICH WAS TYPICAL OF A WOODLAND INDIAN. CALUPSO DECIDED BECAUSE
HE WAS TOO LAZY TO HUNT AND WINTER WAS COMING AND HE WAS GOING TO
HAVE TO SET IN A SUPPLY OF MEAT AND FOOD SUPPLY FOR THE WINTER, HE
INVITED ALL THE BIRDS TO COME TO A GRAT FEAST AT HIS HOUSE.
WHEN THE BIRDS CAME, HE TOLD THEM HE WAS GOING TO TEACH THEM A NEW
SONG AND DANCE. HE TOLD THEM IN ORDER TO LEARN THIS DANCE YOU
HAVE TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DANCE AROUND ON A CIRCLE WHILE CALUPSO
SAND THE SONG. SO (HE) PROCEEDED TO SING AND THE BIRDS SHUT THEIR
EYES AND DANCED AROUND THE CIRCLE. WHAT THE BIRDS WERE DOING WAS
DANCING BY HIM WHILE HE WAS SINGING. AS THE BIRDS DANCED BY HIM,
CALUPSO WOULD GRAB A BIRD BY THE NECK, ONE AT A TIME, AND BREAK
THEIR NECK OFF THEIR BODY AND THROW THE BODY IN A PILE WHICH WOULD
BECOME HIS WINTER FOOD SUPPLY. THIS WENT ON FOR SOME TIME, UNTIL
ONE OF THE BIRDS BECAME CURIOUS. THIS BIRD WANTED TO KNOW WHAT
WAS GOING ON, SO HE DECIDED TO GET THE JUMP ON CALUPSO AND THE
BIRD OPENED HIS EYES. THE BIRD WAS THE LOON BIRD. THE LOON BIRD
SAW CALUPSO STRANGLE THE BIRDS AS THEY DANCED BY CALUPSO. WHEN
THE LOON BIRD SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON, HE SHOUTED THE ALARM AND
SHOUTED, "MY BROTHERS, CALUPSO HAS TRICKED US, HE'S KILLING US
US AS WE DANCE BY. QUICK GET OUT OF HERE, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE,
FLY AWAY." SO ALL THE BIRDS RAN FOR THE EXIT OF THE BARK HOUSE.
AS SOON AS THE BIRDS RAN BY CALUPSO OUT OF THE BARK HOUSE,
CALUPSO WAS VERY ANGRY BECAUSE THE LOON HAD GIVEN AWAY HIS TRICK.
SO AS THE BIRDS RAN OUT, THE LAST BIRD WAS THE LOON. AS THE LOON
WAS RUNNING, CALUPSO KICKED THE LOON IN HIS BUTTOCKS SO HARD
THAT HIS LEGS ENDED UP MOVING BACK ON HIS BODY SO THAT FROM NOW
ON THE LOON COULD ONLY TAKE OFF TO FLY FROM THE WATER, BECAUSE
HE NO LONGER HAD HIS LEGS WHERE THEY BELONG, IN FRONT OF HIM.
THAT'S THE LEGEND.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT