Post by Okwes on Mar 28, 2007 12:00:30 GMT -5
Coyote Trots Along - Apache / White Mountain
Long ago, when all the animals were talking like people, Coyote was living. He was traveling along. It must have been summer time then. As he went along, he said, "I wish I was traveling with wet sand under my feet." When he said that, under his feet the ground was wet. A little further on he said, "I, wish I was traveling on muddy ground, so it would squeeze up between my toes." When he said this, he was traveling in mud. A little further he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my knees," and right away he was going along in water up to his knees. Later on he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my belly," and then he was traveling in water up to his belly. Now he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my neck," and when he said that, he was traveling in water to his neck. Pretty soon he said, "I wish it would come to my ears," and then it came to his ears. Coyote was on his way to some people's camps. He said, "I wish the water would carry me to where those camps are," and the water carried him along to where the people from the camps he was going to came down to get their water.
When Coyote got there, he gathered some tl'o'ts'o-z (a grass) and stuck some in his anus, in his ears, nose, mouth and eyes. Then he lay down. This way he was just pretending that he was dead, as if the water had washed him up there, so the Jack Rabbits would come close to him and he could catch them.
Then two Jack Rabbit girls came down to get some water. They saw Coyote lying there and stopped. "We all thought Coyote was like a white man. But here he is now, lying dead, with lots of worms in his anus and his mouth, ears, eyes and nose. So we are just as well to go near and look at him." They thought the tl'o''ts'o-z was worms. "If we make a dance around him, he will come alive maybe." The Jack-Rabbit girls said this just for fun because they thought that at last Coyote was out of the way and would make them no more trouble. Now they sang, "Jack-Rabbit stops and squats quickly," and danced as if they were pushing him. They sang and danced about him because they were glad he was dead. Then all the Rabbit People came there, because they heard the girls singing. They sang and danced back and forth in front of Coyote.
All kinds of Rabbit people and Rat people and Bird people, all the ones that Coyote was always after, felt good because they thought Coyote was dead. Next came Wood Rat and he sang, "I'm going through iron arrow points and that's why I have sore places on my belly." That's the way he sang to Coyote as he danced. Then Rock Squirrel came next and sang, "I'm always thinking about that North Country and I'm lonesome for that rocky point I know up there," all the while he was dancing to and from Coyote. Now Chipmunk came and sang, "When that big Coyote is on the ground, I always hide and whistle," as he danced back and forth in front of Coyote. After him came Mouse and danced in front of Coyote and sang, "I am inside the camps. I have broad ears and sharp eyes that shine bright."
Then all the small animals all over the earth were glad because they thought Coyote was dead. They all came there and danced and sang. Black Tail Deer came there and danced and sang also. He sang, "I'm a big deer, I go to water and stick my muzzle in the water till it comes to my eyes." Then Dove came and sang and danced back and forth in front of Coyote, "I pick up my red shoes and put them on," he sang. Then Mearn's Quail sang and danced, "Spotted quail, I'm spotted on the belly, my hair is cut short to my ears, no tail I have," he sang in front of Coyote. Next was Gambel's Quail "I always walk against the hill," he sang as he danced back and forth to Coyote. Now Red-shafted Flicker, "Red-shafted Flicker you might as well go home now," he sang as he danced. Pretty soon Skunk got to that place. He was on Coyote's side and sang to him, "My cross-cousin, wake up and bite lots of these birds and we will taste them again." He kept on singing, "I will squirt my water in the bird's eye and we will taste them again." When Skunk sang this way, Coyote jumped up and ran around, trying to bite the birds and animals. But he did not get any at all. Then he chased one cottontail. After a long way Cottontail went in a hole. Coyote got to the hole and looked in. He hollered down it, "My cross-cousin, I want you to come out before I set fire to you with sulphur wheat." Then Cottontail said, "That bush is my feed." "All right, then I will set fire to you with tl'o'didjige (a grass)," Coyote said. Cottontail answered him, "That's my good feed." "All right then I will set fire to you with pitch," said Coyote. "That one is not my feed," answered Cottontail. "I'm going off to get some pitch and I want you to wait for me there till I get back," Coyote said. Coyote had to go far off to get pitch, and after he had gone. Cottontail came out. He threw his moccasins back in the hole and said to them, "If Coyote comes back here, I want you to talk to him, my soles," and then Cottontail left there. After a while Coyote came back with the pitch and hollered down the hole, "Are you still there, my cross-cousin ?" "Here I am," Cottontail's moccasins answered. "I'm going to set fire to you with pitch now," Coyote said, and he started in to build a fire in the hole with the pitch. When he got the fire started, he said, "My cross-cousin, has that melted pitch run down to you yet ?" "No, not yet," the moccasins answered. Coyote waited a while and then said, "Has that melted pitch run down on you like water now?" "A little way yet," the moccasins answered. In a little Coyote hollered, "Is the pitch on your body yet V There was no answer this time, so Coyote said to himself, "It is on him now, sure," and he started in to dig. He dug hard and finally came to where Cottontail's moccasins were. When he found these moccasins had holes in their soles, he threw them to one side and went on.
After a while Coyote came to a tree. Right there somebody had set up a rabbit hide filled with sand to fool Coyote because they knew that Coyote was not smart and was crazy. That's why they had done it. When Coyote got close, he saw the stuffed rabbit skin. He jumped on it and grabbed it, biting and chewing on it. Then he found out he was chewing sand, and it was all over the inside of his mouth. "This is a sand rabbit. I don't want this," he said, and he threw it away. Now his teeth hurt. He kept on his way and after a while a rabbit came out in front of him. He saw it, but he said to himself, "I don't want any sand rabbit," and he wouldn't even look at it. This was a real live rabbit though. In a while Coyote got to where he saw a rabbit lying underneath a yucca plant. He did not take care about the yucca leaf points, but just made a jump for the rabbit. The leaf points stuck all in his chest and he never got the rabbit. Some time after that Coyote came to life again. When he was a little stronger, he looked down on the ground and saw his own blood there. "What's the matter with that rabbit. He must have lots of blood," he thought.
He got up and kept on his way. Then he saw a bird sitting on a tree. He wanted to catch this bird and eat it up. The bird said to Coyote, "I'm cold, my cross-cousin, I'm freezing, and I'm poor also. I want you to put me under your arm pit so my fat will get warm. Then you can suck the grease out of my body." Coyote took this all in and put the bird under his arm. Now the bird was getting warm and it said, "My cross-cousin, don't squeeze me so Lift up a little." So Coyote raised his arm a little. When he did this, the bird was good and warm and flew away. He lit in a tree close by. Coyote went over there and said, "My cross-cousin, come down here," but the bird would not come, so Coyote went on his way. Further on he came to Locust, who was resting on a tree limb.
Coyote picked him off and was going to stick him in his mouth, but just before he did it, Locust said, "My cross-cousin, don't eat me up right away. Take me to where there is a crack in the ground. When I get good and warm is the best time to suck out my grease, and while you are doing that I will dance around your lip and go in your mouth. I want you to understand this." So Coyote took him over to where the ground was cracked and laid him down there. Then Locust told him, "Here is where I'm going to tell you a good story, so put your head down near me and listen. Before you eat me, lay me on this crack, open your mouth and close your eyes. This is the best way to eat me, and when I am hot you can suck all the grease out of me. Then while you are doing that, I will dance around your lip. That's the way you will chew me." Coyote listened to all this and believed it. Now Locust stood on Coyote's hips and danced and sang, "I am Locust, I am Locust." "Make your mouth wide," he told Coyote, and Coyote did. Now Locust was getting good and warm, but he still kept on singing and dancing Then he was hot, "tc'id, tc'id, tc'id," and he flew right into the crack in the ground. Coyote snapped at him, but missed. Then Coyote said, "I was going to eat that bug a little while ago."
My yucca fruits lie piled up.
Told by Bane Tithla
Taken from Myths and Tales of the White Mountain Apache by Grenville Goodwin, 1934
Long ago, when all the animals were talking like people, Coyote was living. He was traveling along. It must have been summer time then. As he went along, he said, "I wish I was traveling with wet sand under my feet." When he said that, under his feet the ground was wet. A little further on he said, "I, wish I was traveling on muddy ground, so it would squeeze up between my toes." When he said this, he was traveling in mud. A little further he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my knees," and right away he was going along in water up to his knees. Later on he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my belly," and then he was traveling in water up to his belly. Now he said, "I wish I was traveling in water up to my neck," and when he said that, he was traveling in water to his neck. Pretty soon he said, "I wish it would come to my ears," and then it came to his ears. Coyote was on his way to some people's camps. He said, "I wish the water would carry me to where those camps are," and the water carried him along to where the people from the camps he was going to came down to get their water.
When Coyote got there, he gathered some tl'o'ts'o-z (a grass) and stuck some in his anus, in his ears, nose, mouth and eyes. Then he lay down. This way he was just pretending that he was dead, as if the water had washed him up there, so the Jack Rabbits would come close to him and he could catch them.
Then two Jack Rabbit girls came down to get some water. They saw Coyote lying there and stopped. "We all thought Coyote was like a white man. But here he is now, lying dead, with lots of worms in his anus and his mouth, ears, eyes and nose. So we are just as well to go near and look at him." They thought the tl'o''ts'o-z was worms. "If we make a dance around him, he will come alive maybe." The Jack-Rabbit girls said this just for fun because they thought that at last Coyote was out of the way and would make them no more trouble. Now they sang, "Jack-Rabbit stops and squats quickly," and danced as if they were pushing him. They sang and danced about him because they were glad he was dead. Then all the Rabbit People came there, because they heard the girls singing. They sang and danced back and forth in front of Coyote.
All kinds of Rabbit people and Rat people and Bird people, all the ones that Coyote was always after, felt good because they thought Coyote was dead. Next came Wood Rat and he sang, "I'm going through iron arrow points and that's why I have sore places on my belly." That's the way he sang to Coyote as he danced. Then Rock Squirrel came next and sang, "I'm always thinking about that North Country and I'm lonesome for that rocky point I know up there," all the while he was dancing to and from Coyote. Now Chipmunk came and sang, "When that big Coyote is on the ground, I always hide and whistle," as he danced back and forth in front of Coyote. After him came Mouse and danced in front of Coyote and sang, "I am inside the camps. I have broad ears and sharp eyes that shine bright."
Then all the small animals all over the earth were glad because they thought Coyote was dead. They all came there and danced and sang. Black Tail Deer came there and danced and sang also. He sang, "I'm a big deer, I go to water and stick my muzzle in the water till it comes to my eyes." Then Dove came and sang and danced back and forth in front of Coyote, "I pick up my red shoes and put them on," he sang. Then Mearn's Quail sang and danced, "Spotted quail, I'm spotted on the belly, my hair is cut short to my ears, no tail I have," he sang in front of Coyote. Next was Gambel's Quail "I always walk against the hill," he sang as he danced back and forth to Coyote. Now Red-shafted Flicker, "Red-shafted Flicker you might as well go home now," he sang as he danced. Pretty soon Skunk got to that place. He was on Coyote's side and sang to him, "My cross-cousin, wake up and bite lots of these birds and we will taste them again." He kept on singing, "I will squirt my water in the bird's eye and we will taste them again." When Skunk sang this way, Coyote jumped up and ran around, trying to bite the birds and animals. But he did not get any at all. Then he chased one cottontail. After a long way Cottontail went in a hole. Coyote got to the hole and looked in. He hollered down it, "My cross-cousin, I want you to come out before I set fire to you with sulphur wheat." Then Cottontail said, "That bush is my feed." "All right, then I will set fire to you with tl'o'didjige (a grass)," Coyote said. Cottontail answered him, "That's my good feed." "All right then I will set fire to you with pitch," said Coyote. "That one is not my feed," answered Cottontail. "I'm going off to get some pitch and I want you to wait for me there till I get back," Coyote said. Coyote had to go far off to get pitch, and after he had gone. Cottontail came out. He threw his moccasins back in the hole and said to them, "If Coyote comes back here, I want you to talk to him, my soles," and then Cottontail left there. After a while Coyote came back with the pitch and hollered down the hole, "Are you still there, my cross-cousin ?" "Here I am," Cottontail's moccasins answered. "I'm going to set fire to you with pitch now," Coyote said, and he started in to build a fire in the hole with the pitch. When he got the fire started, he said, "My cross-cousin, has that melted pitch run down to you yet ?" "No, not yet," the moccasins answered. Coyote waited a while and then said, "Has that melted pitch run down on you like water now?" "A little way yet," the moccasins answered. In a little Coyote hollered, "Is the pitch on your body yet V There was no answer this time, so Coyote said to himself, "It is on him now, sure," and he started in to dig. He dug hard and finally came to where Cottontail's moccasins were. When he found these moccasins had holes in their soles, he threw them to one side and went on.
After a while Coyote came to a tree. Right there somebody had set up a rabbit hide filled with sand to fool Coyote because they knew that Coyote was not smart and was crazy. That's why they had done it. When Coyote got close, he saw the stuffed rabbit skin. He jumped on it and grabbed it, biting and chewing on it. Then he found out he was chewing sand, and it was all over the inside of his mouth. "This is a sand rabbit. I don't want this," he said, and he threw it away. Now his teeth hurt. He kept on his way and after a while a rabbit came out in front of him. He saw it, but he said to himself, "I don't want any sand rabbit," and he wouldn't even look at it. This was a real live rabbit though. In a while Coyote got to where he saw a rabbit lying underneath a yucca plant. He did not take care about the yucca leaf points, but just made a jump for the rabbit. The leaf points stuck all in his chest and he never got the rabbit. Some time after that Coyote came to life again. When he was a little stronger, he looked down on the ground and saw his own blood there. "What's the matter with that rabbit. He must have lots of blood," he thought.
He got up and kept on his way. Then he saw a bird sitting on a tree. He wanted to catch this bird and eat it up. The bird said to Coyote, "I'm cold, my cross-cousin, I'm freezing, and I'm poor also. I want you to put me under your arm pit so my fat will get warm. Then you can suck the grease out of my body." Coyote took this all in and put the bird under his arm. Now the bird was getting warm and it said, "My cross-cousin, don't squeeze me so Lift up a little." So Coyote raised his arm a little. When he did this, the bird was good and warm and flew away. He lit in a tree close by. Coyote went over there and said, "My cross-cousin, come down here," but the bird would not come, so Coyote went on his way. Further on he came to Locust, who was resting on a tree limb.
Coyote picked him off and was going to stick him in his mouth, but just before he did it, Locust said, "My cross-cousin, don't eat me up right away. Take me to where there is a crack in the ground. When I get good and warm is the best time to suck out my grease, and while you are doing that I will dance around your lip and go in your mouth. I want you to understand this." So Coyote took him over to where the ground was cracked and laid him down there. Then Locust told him, "Here is where I'm going to tell you a good story, so put your head down near me and listen. Before you eat me, lay me on this crack, open your mouth and close your eyes. This is the best way to eat me, and when I am hot you can suck all the grease out of me. Then while you are doing that, I will dance around your lip. That's the way you will chew me." Coyote listened to all this and believed it. Now Locust stood on Coyote's hips and danced and sang, "I am Locust, I am Locust." "Make your mouth wide," he told Coyote, and Coyote did. Now Locust was getting good and warm, but he still kept on singing and dancing Then he was hot, "tc'id, tc'id, tc'id," and he flew right into the crack in the ground. Coyote snapped at him, but missed. Then Coyote said, "I was going to eat that bug a little while ago."
My yucca fruits lie piled up.
Told by Bane Tithla
Taken from Myths and Tales of the White Mountain Apache by Grenville Goodwin, 1934