The Elk
There was once an old man, hungry and lonesome walking through the woods. While he pondered the thought of food and what he would eat, he saw a herd of elk. He told them he was alone and had no one to follow him. The elk followed him for a long while. When darkness fell upon the land, the group came to a high cut bank, however, little did the elk know below it, there was a steep bluff. The old man, knowing this, told the elk that it was a nice jump; that they would laugh. All but one cow jumped off, as a result, all the rest were killed. The old man asked her to jump as well, she replied to him, “My child is about to be born, and I am very heavy, I am afraid to jump.” For this reason, the old man told her to go on, that in fact, there would be plenty of elk again some day. So the Cow, went on and lived. The old man took the meat from the elk he had tricked into jumping and hung it to dry along with the tongues. He went away for the day and was hungry when he returned. When he went to get the meat, it was gone; the wolves had eaten it. When he went to get the tongues, they were hollow and eaten as well. The mice had eaten the meat out, therefore the old man starved yet again.

Citation
1.) The Elk." Indian Mythology. Indian Mythology. 2006. 6 November 2008.

http://www.indianmythology.org/blackfoot/bad_weapons.htm#elk.

2.) Holser, Ginger. "Elk." 2008. Photograph. Living With Wildlife. 11 November 2008 http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/elk.htm.