WHY THE MINK STINKS
The Mink was such a great thief that at last the animals held a council about the matter. It was decided to burn him.
So they caught the Mink, built a great fire, and threw him into it. As the blaze went up and they smelt the roasted flesh, they began to think he was punished enough and would probably do better in the future, so they took him out of the fire.
But the Mink was already burned black and is black ever since, and whenever he is attacked or excited he smells again like roasted meat.
The lesson did no good, however, and he is still as great a thief as ever.
Story Title: Why The Mink Smells
Book Title: Myths of the Cherokee
Author: James Mooney
Published: 1900
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Sacred Texts
Process: Light editing for paragraphing and punctuation.
Additional Notes: You can read about the mink's scent glands at Wikipedia.
