Read Online American Indian Trickster Tales (Myths and Legends) by Richard Erdoes - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Erdoes
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ever came across,” said Water Turtle.
“Don’t you know that our shells are harder than flint, harder than anything else in the world? Our shells never crack.”
“Then I’ll drop you into the nearest stream and the water will dissolve your shell and you’ll drown and then I’ll eat you!”
“Ow, ow, ow, please, please, please don’t do that!” cried Water Turtle. “It would kill me. I’d drown. My shell would melt. Water would be the death of me. Please, dear, dear Coyote, don’t put me in the stream.”
“Who is stupid now?” Coyote laughed. “You dumb Water Turtle, you’ve given yourself away!”
Coyote grabbed Water Turtle between his jaws and ran as fast as he could to the nearest stream. He dropped Water Turtle into the stream. Water Turtle stuck his head out above the surface. He was grinning. He shouted: “Thank you, thank you, dear Coyote, you’ve brought me home. You’ve saved my life!”
Coyote went off, shaking his head, growling: “Water Turtle had more brains than I thought. He has outsmarted me. Better luck next time.”
LONG EARS OUTSMARTS COYOTE
{ Pueblo }
Coyote was walking along, looking for what he could get. On the road he overtook a donkey on the way to market with a big load of fine round cheeses. Right away his mouth began to water. “Good morning, Long Ears, may I walk along with you?”
“With pleasure,” said the donkey. “I always love to have company.” They went along. They came to a river. They had to cross it, but there was no bridge.
“Señor Long Ears, I hear that you are a wonderful swimmer,” said Coyote. “I’m told you can outswim everybody. Would you take me across?”
“Gladly,” said the donkey. “Hop on my back, but be careful that none of the cheeses falls off.”
“I’ll be very careful,” said Coyote. While donkey was swimming across, Coyote ate up all the cheeses. When they reached the other shore, Coyote told the donkey: “Señor Long Ears, here our ways part. Thank you so much for ferrying me across. I hope you get a good price for your cheeses.”
“Adiós, Señor Coyote,” said the donkey. He was unaware that Coyote had eaten up all his cheeses. He arrived at the market and found a buyer for his wares. They agreed on a price, but when the buyer looked inside the bags the donkey was carrying, there were no cheeses there. “What are you trying to pull on me?” said the buyer, and went off cursing. The donkey was very disappointed. “How could Coyote repay my kindness by stealing my goods?” he exclaimed. “How could he be so evil?”
The donkey returned to his master, who cried, “You stupid beast, you’ve ruined me!” The master got a big, heavy stick and beat the donkey unmercifully. “Go, catch this thieving Coyote and bring him to me. If you don‘t, I’ll beat you some more. I’ll break every bone in your body!”
The donkey ran off in a panic. He had no idea where to find Coyote. He searched far and wide without any luck. Then he heard someone laughing, guffawing. The laughter was very loud, the side-splitting kind. The donkey followed the sound. It led him to Coyote’s cave. Inside, Coyote was bragging to his wife and his little ones: “That foolish Señor Long Ears. Hah, hah, he must have been very surprised when he got to market with an empty load. I just love to play tricks on such fools. No wonder they call a stupid person a dumb ass!”
The donkey heard it. He lay down in front of the cave’s entrance. Then he waited. After a while Coyote’s wife came out to get water. The donkey played dead. Coyote’s wife ran back to the cave. “Quick, quick,” she called, “there’s a dead donkey lying at the door. The body is still warm, the meat fresh. We’ll have a big feast.”
They all ran out—Coyote, his wife, and the little coyotes. One of them cried: “Dear father, I want the heart, bring me the heart.”
Coyote said: “All right!” It was his favorite child who had asked for it. Coyote
“Don’t you know that our shells are harder than flint, harder than anything else in the world? Our shells never crack.”
“Then I’ll drop you into the nearest stream and the water will dissolve your shell and you’ll drown and then I’ll eat you!”
“Ow, ow, ow, please, please, please don’t do that!” cried Water Turtle. “It would kill me. I’d drown. My shell would melt. Water would be the death of me. Please, dear, dear Coyote, don’t put me in the stream.”
“Who is stupid now?” Coyote laughed. “You dumb Water Turtle, you’ve given yourself away!”
Coyote grabbed Water Turtle between his jaws and ran as fast as he could to the nearest stream. He dropped Water Turtle into the stream. Water Turtle stuck his head out above the surface. He was grinning. He shouted: “Thank you, thank you, dear Coyote, you’ve brought me home. You’ve saved my life!”
Coyote went off, shaking his head, growling: “Water Turtle had more brains than I thought. He has outsmarted me. Better luck next time.”
LONG EARS OUTSMARTS COYOTE
{ Pueblo }
Coyote was walking along, looking for what he could get. On the road he overtook a donkey on the way to market with a big load of fine round cheeses. Right away his mouth began to water. “Good morning, Long Ears, may I walk along with you?”
“With pleasure,” said the donkey. “I always love to have company.” They went along. They came to a river. They had to cross it, but there was no bridge.
“Señor Long Ears, I hear that you are a wonderful swimmer,” said Coyote. “I’m told you can outswim everybody. Would you take me across?”
“Gladly,” said the donkey. “Hop on my back, but be careful that none of the cheeses falls off.”
“I’ll be very careful,” said Coyote. While donkey was swimming across, Coyote ate up all the cheeses. When they reached the other shore, Coyote told the donkey: “Señor Long Ears, here our ways part. Thank you so much for ferrying me across. I hope you get a good price for your cheeses.”
“Adiós, Señor Coyote,” said the donkey. He was unaware that Coyote had eaten up all his cheeses. He arrived at the market and found a buyer for his wares. They agreed on a price, but when the buyer looked inside the bags the donkey was carrying, there were no cheeses there. “What are you trying to pull on me?” said the buyer, and went off cursing. The donkey was very disappointed. “How could Coyote repay my kindness by stealing my goods?” he exclaimed. “How could he be so evil?”
The donkey returned to his master, who cried, “You stupid beast, you’ve ruined me!” The master got a big, heavy stick and beat the donkey unmercifully. “Go, catch this thieving Coyote and bring him to me. If you don‘t, I’ll beat you some more. I’ll break every bone in your body!”
The donkey ran off in a panic. He had no idea where to find Coyote. He searched far and wide without any luck. Then he heard someone laughing, guffawing. The laughter was very loud, the side-splitting kind. The donkey followed the sound. It led him to Coyote’s cave. Inside, Coyote was bragging to his wife and his little ones: “That foolish Señor Long Ears. Hah, hah, he must have been very surprised when he got to market with an empty load. I just love to play tricks on such fools. No wonder they call a stupid person a dumb ass!”
The donkey heard it. He lay down in front of the cave’s entrance. Then he waited. After a while Coyote’s wife came out to get water. The donkey played dead. Coyote’s wife ran back to the cave. “Quick, quick,” she called, “there’s a dead donkey lying at the door. The body is still warm, the meat fresh. We’ll have a big feast.”
They all ran out—Coyote, his wife, and the little coyotes. One of them cried: “Dear father, I want the heart, bring me the heart.”
Coyote said: “All right!” It was his favorite child who had asked for it. Coyote
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