Once upon a time the fields and hills, meadows and prairies were covered with wild roses. Among the roses, the dandelions and berries, the bees and the hummingbirds buzzed from bush to bush, sucking sweet nectar from the flowers. The bees stored it in their honeycombs.

ふ⌒ШコwＷw．fAiｒY-TａLｅ．iｎｆOrひˇǖ

And oh those honeycombs! The bears and other animals ate heartily, filling their stomachs, growing large and strong. ㄖ≡Www.FAIＲＹ-TａlE。iＮｆｏㄖつpR≯し

Time passed, and the animals grew accustomed to all the gifts the Earth offered them. Some became greedy.

∈ねＷｗw。FaIRy－TａLe.ＩｎＦＯゃニiò9@

One day a family of rabbits, their stomachs empty, came upon a big patch of rose bushes. They began to nibble the flowers, which tasted so good that they called all their friends to join them in a petal feast. By the end of summer, the rabbits had eaten nearly every rose. ゑ3ＷｗＷ。Ｆａｉrｙ-ｔａＬＥ．IＮfＯJ

The bears were beginning to grumble; their honeycombs were not so plentiful as once they had been. ì∈∧WWw。ＦａIｒy－tＡＬE。ＩｎｆＯㄠZ

Now autumn came, followed by winter, and the bears went into their dens to hibernate. "We'll have roses next spring," they said. Surely by springtime the hills would be bursting with clover and dandelions, berries and wild roses. And so the animals dreamed through that winter. ¤wＷｗ．FAｉｒY－Tａle。ＩＮｆoヵzサuí

But springtime came, and though new roses bloomed, the rabbits were hungry again. They set out in search of every patch of wild roses they could find, and whenever they found them, they ate and ate, and grew fatter and fatter. ¤wＷｗ．FAｉｒY－Tａle。ＩＮｆoヵzサuí

"What is happening?" the bears grumbled, and that spring they called a meeting of all the wild creatures. ∏Ｗww．ｆａＩｒＹ-ＴAlＥ。ＩnfoЦY

"We want to know where all of our honey has gone!" one bear said. §www.ＦAiＲY-ｔaLＥ．iｎＦＯD

"Bbbbbbuttttt we don't know," the bees buzzed.

ДＷww。fＡIrＹ－ＴＡLE．IＮFｏシち9

"Nor do we," hummed the hummingbirds. The deer and the raccoons shook their heads. ㄈサみkУｗＷW.fAIｒｙ－TAlＥ。iＮｆoC

Then suddenly the bears looked at the rabbits and saw how fat their bellies looked. "It's you, isn't it? You're eating all our rose bushes!" はカ7αüＷＷw.faｉrｙ-Talｅ．ｉＮＦoجمν

When the others heard this, they fell upon the rabbits and began to cuff them and pull at their ears. "Stop, wait!" the rabbits cried.

Now everyone knows about Nanabush一the trickster god of many names, son of a mortal woman and the west wind. And everyone knows the great creator, Gitchi Manitou, sent Nanabush to watch over the creatures of the Earth. Sometimes, of course, Nanabush liked to play tricks, that is true, but always he did this in the spirit of love.

But the animals had not expected to hear the voice of Nanabush call out to them. "Stop," he thundered. "Stop hurting the rabbits and listen!" g∪úｗwW．ｆＡＩRY-Tａle。ｉNｆOР

The rabbits were relieved to be free. "Nanabush, we've lost our roses. The rabbits have eaten every one."

ゐㄌ々ｗwＷ.ｆａIRY－tALｅ．inFｏJㄛ%SСも˙

"Not every one," Nanabush said. He led the animals to his garden, a secret and beautiful spot where every sort of flower, plant and tree bloomed. There in the center grew wild roses.

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"Go ahead, rabbits, eat the blossoms," Nanabush said.

テＷWw.ｆＡiＲＹ－ＴＡle.ＩＮfｏ∞З

"Don't let them do that!" the bears moaned, but Nanabush only smiled. とㄡwｗＷ。fAiＲy－tＡｌＥ．InｆＯìㄌ♀ュ』αた

"Roses, delicious roses," the rabbits exulted as they ran, and then they reached the first rose bush and settled down to eat. But suddenly they let out a scream.

々WWW。fＡＩＲy－tＡＬE.inＦＯfㄈㄋ

"What's this?" the rabbits cried, touching their noses where little drops of blood had suddenly appeared.

"Thorns!" Nanabush said, laughing. "I have given the roses thorns to protect them from your greed. And now, the roses will bloom in peace." НWＷＷ．ｆAＩRY-ＴAＬE.ｉNfoㄉУηゥη

Ever since that day, wild roses have been covered with sharp, protective thorns, and rabbits' ears have grown long from being stretched. And everyone remembers Nanabush, the playful god, transformer and trickster, protector of everyone and everything on Earth. ＷｗW。ＦAiRY－ＴaLＥ．ｉｎｆo