Read Online American Indian Trickster Tales (Myths and Legends) by Richard Erdoes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard Erdoes
Ads: Link
opened the donkey’s jaws wide and stuck his head way down its throat to tear the donkey’s heart out. The donkey promptly clamped his teeth down hard upon Coyote’s neck. Coyote was caught.
In the meantime, Coyote’s wife and children had gone back inside the cave to make a fire and get pots and pans ready for a big feast. They had not seen that Coyote’s head was stuck fast between the donkey’s jaws. While they were inside, the donkey dragged Coyote off. When Coyote’s wife came out again with her great big butcher knife, she could find no trace of her husband or the donkey. She didn’t know what to make of it. “What could have happened?” she said to the little coyotes. “It must be witchcraft.”
The donkey dragged Coyote all the way back to his master. “You no-good thieving trickster!” cried the master. “Now you must pay for my cheeses!” Then he tore Coyote’s pelt and skin from his back, saying: “This will make a nice rug before my bed.”
Coyote ran back to his cave, all naked, without his fur. His wife did not recognize him. “Stranger,” she said, “you are surely the ugliest creature I’ve ever met. You have a coyote’s shape, but you are pink and hairless like a pig. You are truly ugly.”
“Stupid woman,” said Coyote, “it is me. Don’t you recognize your own husband?”
Coyote was ashamed. He went deep inside to the farthest corner of the cave. He wanted nobody to see him until his fur had grown back.
OLD MAN COYOTE AND THE BUFFALO
{Crow}
Driving buffalo over the edge of a high cliff was a
hunting technique practiced by Plains Indians
for hundreds of years.
Once, when Old Man Coyote saw some buffalo, he wanted to eat them and tried to think of a scheme to do this.
He approached the buffalo and said to them: “You buffalo are the most awkward of all animals—your heads are heavy, your hairy legs are chopped off short, and your bellies stick our like a big pot.”
The buffalo said to him: “We were made this way.”
Old Man Coyote said to them: “I’ll tell you what let’s do—we will run a race.” And all went to a level place with a steep cut bank at the end.
Old Man Coyote said to himself: “I will go and put my robe over the edge of the bank,” and turning to the buffalo, he said: “Just as we get to the place where my robe is, we will all shut our eyes and see how far we can go with our eyes closed.”
The race was started, and just before getting to the robe, all of the buffalo shut their eyes and jumped over the steep cut bank and were killed; and Old Man Coyote feasted off the dead buffalo.
COYOTE AND BOBCAT HAVE THEIR FACES DONE
{Ute}
At the beginning of time, Bobcat had a long nose and tail. One day he was sleeping in front of his den when Coyote happened to be passing by. “Ah, Bobcat is sound asleep,” Coyote said to himself. “Here is my chance to play a trick on him.” Coyote pushed Bobcat’s face in and cut off most of his tail.
When Bobcat woke up, he felt different. He felt behind him for his long, bushy tail and there was nothing, just a little stump. Bobcat felt his face, and where his long nose used to be, there was nothing. “How could this have happened?” Bobcat lamented. He had been so proud of his long, bushy tail and he did not at all like his new, stubby nose. “It must have been that evil prankster, Coyote, who has done this to me,” he thought. “But I’ll get even with him.”
Now, in those long-gone days, Coyote had a short nose and just a little stump of a tail. One day he was sleeping in front of his lodge. He was dead to the world. A thunderclap could not have awakened him. Bobcat happened to be passing by. He saw Coyote sleeping, smiling in his dreams. “Here is my chance,” said Bobcat. He pulled hard at Coyote’s nose and tail. He made them long.
When Coyote woke up, he noticed that something was not right. He said: “What is there dragging behind me?” he felt around and discovered that
In the meantime, Coyote’s wife and children had gone back inside the cave to make a fire and get pots and pans ready for a big feast. They had not seen that Coyote’s head was stuck fast between the donkey’s jaws. While they were inside, the donkey dragged Coyote off. When Coyote’s wife came out again with her great big butcher knife, she could find no trace of her husband or the donkey. She didn’t know what to make of it. “What could have happened?” she said to the little coyotes. “It must be witchcraft.”
The donkey dragged Coyote all the way back to his master. “You no-good thieving trickster!” cried the master. “Now you must pay for my cheeses!” Then he tore Coyote’s pelt and skin from his back, saying: “This will make a nice rug before my bed.”
Coyote ran back to his cave, all naked, without his fur. His wife did not recognize him. “Stranger,” she said, “you are surely the ugliest creature I’ve ever met. You have a coyote’s shape, but you are pink and hairless like a pig. You are truly ugly.”
“Stupid woman,” said Coyote, “it is me. Don’t you recognize your own husband?”
Coyote was ashamed. He went deep inside to the farthest corner of the cave. He wanted nobody to see him until his fur had grown back.
OLD MAN COYOTE AND THE BUFFALO
{Crow}
Driving buffalo over the edge of a high cliff was a
hunting technique practiced by Plains Indians
for hundreds of years.
Once, when Old Man Coyote saw some buffalo, he wanted to eat them and tried to think of a scheme to do this.
He approached the buffalo and said to them: “You buffalo are the most awkward of all animals—your heads are heavy, your hairy legs are chopped off short, and your bellies stick our like a big pot.”
The buffalo said to him: “We were made this way.”
Old Man Coyote said to them: “I’ll tell you what let’s do—we will run a race.” And all went to a level place with a steep cut bank at the end.
Old Man Coyote said to himself: “I will go and put my robe over the edge of the bank,” and turning to the buffalo, he said: “Just as we get to the place where my robe is, we will all shut our eyes and see how far we can go with our eyes closed.”
The race was started, and just before getting to the robe, all of the buffalo shut their eyes and jumped over the steep cut bank and were killed; and Old Man Coyote feasted off the dead buffalo.
COYOTE AND BOBCAT HAVE THEIR FACES DONE
{Ute}
At the beginning of time, Bobcat had a long nose and tail. One day he was sleeping in front of his den when Coyote happened to be passing by. “Ah, Bobcat is sound asleep,” Coyote said to himself. “Here is my chance to play a trick on him.” Coyote pushed Bobcat’s face in and cut off most of his tail.
When Bobcat woke up, he felt different. He felt behind him for his long, bushy tail and there was nothing, just a little stump. Bobcat felt his face, and where his long nose used to be, there was nothing. “How could this have happened?” Bobcat lamented. He had been so proud of his long, bushy tail and he did not at all like his new, stubby nose. “It must have been that evil prankster, Coyote, who has done this to me,” he thought. “But I’ll get even with him.”
Now, in those long-gone days, Coyote had a short nose and just a little stump of a tail. One day he was sleeping in front of his lodge. He was dead to the world. A thunderclap could not have awakened him. Bobcat happened to be passing by. He saw Coyote sleeping, smiling in his dreams. “Here is my chance,” said Bobcat. He pulled hard at Coyote’s nose and tail. He made them long.
When Coyote woke up, he noticed that something was not right. He said: “What is there dragging behind me?” he felt around and discovered that
Similar Books
