Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: None known
Category: Mountain dweller
The Myth
The Rubberado is a peculiar, enormous spherical creature that roams the deserts, distinguished by the strange facial features attached to its otherwise round body. Friendly and cheerful by nature, it is known for its lively laughter, which echoes across the desert landscape. Rather than running like ordinary animals, the Rubberado prefers to bounce from place to place, its springy body allowing it to leap over rough terrain with ease.
Its remarkably resilient body serves as natural armour against jagged rocks and sharp cacti. Bullets fired from a flintlock are ineffective against its rubbery hide, which causes projectiles to ricochet harmlessly away. Even rocks and other objects rebound from its tough, elastic surface, making the creature almost impossible to injure through ordinary means.
Despite its cheerful disposition, the Rubberado becomes dangerous when someone attempts to eat it. Those who dare to make a meal of its mysterious flesh suffer a bizarre fate: they suddenly dart downward before shooting off in another direction, continuing to bounce uncontrollably while laughing constantly. Their strange movements persist until their ultimate unrest is finally undone. Thus, the Rubberado is a bouncing desert oddity whose playful nature conceals a peculiar punishment for anyone foolish enough to hunt it for food.
Sources
Schwartz, Alvin, and Glen Rounds. Kickle Snifters and Other Fearsome Critters. New York: Bantam Books, 1978. Originally published in 1976. https://archive.org/details/kicklesniftersot00schw