Great Plains Quarterly

Muskrat’s morning search for food was side-lined when he was captivated by the thump, thump, thump sounds emanating from a hollow log under his feet. He was so enchanted that he began beating on the log with a tree branch, and enjoyed the resulting sound. Soon the sound reached his friend Skunk, who came to see what was happening. Skunk joined Muskrat in beating on the log; Muskrat beat bonk, bonk, and Skunk beat a bam, bam, bam. The two friends developed a rhythm, and continued with their beating on the log. The rhythmic sounds filled the air, and reached other creatures—first the birds who bobbed and swayed to the sounds, then the rabbits and squirrels who joined the birds’ dance. Then coyotes, antelope, and deer joined in. Soon all the animals were moving and dancing to the sound and rhythm—even the clumsy buffalo and finally the great bear, who danced straight and tall on his hind legs. Muskrat and Skunk’s beating on the log was the origin of the drum, which echoes the heartbeat of Mother Earth.

Donald Montileaux is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. His award-winning work as an artist, illustrator, and consultant on Lakota culture has contributed to this beautifully illustrated and onomatopoetic traditional tale. Muskrat and Skunk will transfix young readers and listeners, and engage them in making the thump, bonk, bam, and boom sounds along with the story as they learn about Lakota traditions. While the book would benefit from a pronunciation guide for non-Lakota speakers, the Lakota translation by Agnes Gay [End Page 97] enriches this tale of the drum’s origin and its meaning to Lakota culture.