t, a snake in a zig-zag shape. The title text is in between them: Baby Rattlesnake. Chickasaw Folklore By Amy Bluemel. Illustrated by Mantageri. Below the panel, text: Everyone, fingers up, and sway along with our baby rattlesnake! Panel 2: The snake passed by many kinds of trees. Text: Once upon a time, there was a baby rattlesnake. Panel 3: The snake curls up in the grass. Text: He is small. He is gray. He is not very scary. Between panels, text: However... The next four panels each show a snake with their relation in text: his daddy, his mommy, his brother, his sister...

aces a bigger snake, who tells him, in the Chickasaw language, Iskanno'si. Text: He goes to his mom. She says, No, you are too little. Panel 11: he faces another bigger snake, who tells him Iskanno'si. Text: He goes to his dad. He says, No, you are too little. Panel 12: He faces two bigger snakes, who tell him Iskanno'si. Text: He goes to his uncles. They say, No, you are too little. Panel 13: He faces another big snake, who tells him, Iskanno'si. Text: He goes to his auntie. She says, No, you are too little.

hinking for a moment, she says... Panel 15: The baby snake looks joyous, with music notes over him and sparking lines from his new rattle at the end of his tail. Text in quotes: Give him the rattle! In the next three panels, the rattle sways left and right, and the baby snake proclaims, I have a rattle. I have a rattle! I have a rattle!! Panel 19: The baby snake with a rattle slithers through the grass among apple trees. Text: The baby snake brings his rattle to the forest.

is tail and springs out from the bushes. Chokfi' jumps in surprise and hurriedly scurries away. Panel 24: The snake curls around, looking at his own tail, a heart in a speech bubble from his mouth. Panel 25: He proclaims, Today is the best day of my life!

el 30: The snake hisses at the raccoon, who stands in shock. Text: The baby snake shakes his tail and springs out from the grass. Shawi' jumps in surprise and hurriedly scurries away.

d passing Nita'!

nd beautiful. Panel 35: white birds with black heads flying in the blue sky. Panel 36: a hand reaches for a red apple among green foliage. Panel 37: The snake sees the woman from behind a bush. Text: If I can startle her... Panel 38: The snake lunges at the woman's feet. Text: ... I'll be the bravest rattlesnake of all!

his rattle!

y snakes, one just hatched from an egg. Text: And that's why all baby rattlesnakes don't have rattles. Panel 43: A woman in a red dress and two children walk through the forest, white birds flying overhead. Text: And Chickasaw children always listen to their elders.

Read more about Chickasaw storyteller Amy Bruton Bluemel, who performed daily at the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, on the Festival Blog.

Zihan Zhang is an illustration intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and a graduate student at Savannah College of Art and Design. Under the artist name Mantageri, she hopes to use images to bridge language barriers and better disseminate folklore and culture.