Logan Dancer, a soon to be thirteen-year-old boy, could trace his heritage back to Crazy Horse. But unlike Crazy Horse who was a great warrior, Logan lived on a small cattle ranch with his parents. Only rarely did he dream of the greatness of those former times.

Sometimes the old men of the tribe told stories that had been passed down, of the days when the range was all open and bison roamed freely across the land in great herds. Men prided themselves on their hunting prowess and on the wild ponies they could capture and train. Those days were long gone now but the People had adjusted to modern times.

Logan liked ranching. He loved being outdoors no matter what the weather was. He had an older brother named Raven who went off to college. Raven never returned. He married some white girl and joined the world of the whites, as many native people did.

Winter was approaching and that meant at least three months of living mostly indoors. Logan hated the winter. The boy was moving the last of the cattle into the pens. The cattle, some five hundred head not counting the brood cows and bulls, would be spending the winter in the pens. The breeding stock was kept separately in barns.

The cattle were pure Angus and could not survive the winter on the range in the Dakotas. Longhorn cattle could survive the harsh conditions but their meat was considered to be too tough nowadays. But spending the winter in the pens was a good thing. The pens were connected to a large barn that was filled with hay and corn.

The cattle would put on a lot of weight over the winter gaining the family much needed profit. The profit would be used to pay off the debts the family had incurred over the past two years, two lean years. It takes about twenty four months before a beef cow can be ready for the feed lot or slaughter.

During that time the family sometimes had to borrow money for basic needs like food, electricity, and heat. During more prosperous years when beef prices were up they were able to stay out of debt. They worked hard to stay ahead but often it was difficult to do.

Logan closed the pen. He could feel winters chill in the air. He looked at the sky and saw snow clouds on the horizon. It would snow tonight. He walked to the house hoping his mother had good news for him. He had been hoping the family could afford to buy him a new horse of his own. His last horse had grown old and had to be put down.

Logan was now using one of the ranch horses. The ranch only had three good horses now and all three belonged to his father. His father was in town buying the last of the needed supplies for the winter and he would not be home until well after dinner.

Logan paused at the house entryway. He took off his dirty boots and put them in a plastic box that was next to the door. His mother would have a fit if he walked into the house wearing muddy boots.

He took off his coat and hung it on a hook that was just above his boots. Later after dinner he would get a burlap bag and go to the barn wearing his house boots. There he would clean his work boots so they would be ready for tomorrow.

He walked past the living room and into the kitchen. His mom turned around and said, "Wash your hands, Logan. Dinner is ready."

"Okay mom," he answered. Logan washed his hand and returned to the kitchen. His mom served him beans with ham hocks and corn bread. For dessert there was lemon cake. His mom sat down and they ate dinner together.

As Logan ate dinner he already knew from the look on his mom's face that he would have to wait until spring for his new horse. He would try very hard not to look disappointed when his mom told him the bad news. He finished his dinner and put his glass and dish in the sink.

"Logan," his mom said, "I am very sorry son, but your horse will have to wait until we sell the herd."

He smiled and said, "It's okay mom, I understand."

His mom knew that he was disappointed but she did have a surprise for him. "Logan, you're a good son and someday you will be a good rancher."

"Thanks mom."

Logan started to leave the kitchen but his mom said, "Logan, I do have something for you."

"You do?"

"Yes. She is in your room. Take good care of her."

A dog? His own dog, Logan thought. He smiled and said, "Thanks mom," and hugged his mother. He quickly left the kitchen and went to his room. When he entered the room he was shocked. There was no dog but there was a small brown rabbit in a cage.

"A rabbit!? My mom gave me a rabbit," he said under his breath.

When Logan was on the range tending to the cattle herd he would sometimes hunt rabbits for food. So why did his mom give him a rabbit? He could only wonder. 'Oh well, ' he thought, 'there has to be some lesson in this but what it is I do not know.'

He decided to clean his boots. He put on his good boots and retrieved his work boots. He went to the barn. In the barn he took his time. There was not much of anything else to do this evening but watch reruns on TV.

His parents had blocked all the good satellite TV channels. It was truly dumb he thought.He knew all about sex ever since he was seven when saw the bull fucking the brood cows. His dad let him watch that but he would not let him watch soft-core porn.

'Cows, women, what's the difference?' he thought as he cleaned his boots. The male put his cock in the female, deposited his seed and that's all there was to it. "Yeah no mystery to that," he whispered and finished cleaning his boots.

When he was done he walked back into the house. He went to his room. He did not even look at the rabbit in the cage. He wanted no part of it. He picked up a book he had started but never finished.

He flopped onto the bed and started to read. He closed his eyes but intended it just for a moment. About one hour later he woke up. It was dark outside now. He looked at his watch. It was only 8:10 p.m.

Too early to go to bed, too late to finish the book he was reading. He tossed the book on the night stand. 'May as well feed the rabbit, ' he thought. He turned around and looked where the rabbit cage had been but it was gone.

In its place was a new pair of blue jeans. He shook his head and went to the living room.

In the living room he found his mom and dad watching TV. "Mom," he asked, "What did you do with the rabbit you gave me?"

"Rabbit? What rabbit?" his mom asked and looked at him very strangely.

"The rabbit you gave me earlier this evening."

"Son," his dad said, "Why would your mother give you a rabbit? True they are good for eating but there is not that much meat on them anyway."

"Logan, are you feeling okay?" his mom asked very concerned.

"I am fine mom," Logan answered and shook his head.

Maybe he had fallen asleep and dreamt his mom had given him a rabbit. But he could have sworn he saw a rabbit. He wondered. "Mom," he said, "I must have been dreaming or something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes mom."

"There is some lemon cake left over in the kitchen, have some."

"Okay mom."

After Logan left the room his dad whose name was Bear Claw turned to his wife and said, "What have you been feeding that boy, peyote?"

"Of course not! I think it's his age. Do you suppose he is Ma--."

"Well," he said interrupting his wife, "I sure did at his age. How about you?"

"I don't remember." She answered in a slight huff.

"Well then, what do you say we go to bed early and make some love farts."

"Bear! Sometimes you can be downright crude."

"Well you did feed me beans for dinner, dear. And you know what happens when we eat beans." He smiled.

"All right you, you greasy bear, let's go to bed. But you better take good care of my rabbit."

"Rabbit? What rabbit?"

"The little furry one right between my legs, silly bear." She smiled.

"Oh that rabbit! Why, I'm going to gobble that rabbit right up."

"Better watch out, you big, greasy bear. My little skunk may let loose."

"Well if it does, I'll add some skunk odor of my own." He took his wife's hand and off to bed they went.