Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 3, 2007 13:06:51 GMT -5
Fed by a Coyote - Blackfoot
Once a young man and his little brother were traveling and got lost on the
prairie. They were out of food and were starving. One day they saw a Coyote
eating. They approached him. Both of them were thin, nothing but skin and
bone. The young man spoke to the Coyote and said, "Give my little brother
something to eat, and when I hunt I will always leave the entrails for you
to eat." All right," said the Coyote, "you will be safe." Now the Coyote had
very little left when the young man came up: so he said to them, "You stay
here and eat until you are strong, then I will take you home." There was a
ridge near by, and the Coyote said, " I will see that you get more food, but
you must not watch me. Now shut your eyes." After a while they heard the
Coyote singing, "I am looking to the west for something to eat." [This is
sung in a low soft chant, like all songs in children's stories.] "Now come
over here," said the Coyote. So they opened their eyes and went over. The
Coyote had a buffalo-calf. He cut it open, butchered it, and then they ate.
So it went on from day to day. The Coyote traveled along the ridge toward
their home. Whenever the Coyote looked toward the west and sang his song,
meat would fall over the ridge toward them. Thus the Coyote took them home.
Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History, Vol. II, 1908.
Once a young man and his little brother were traveling and got lost on the
prairie. They were out of food and were starving. One day they saw a Coyote
eating. They approached him. Both of them were thin, nothing but skin and
bone. The young man spoke to the Coyote and said, "Give my little brother
something to eat, and when I hunt I will always leave the entrails for you
to eat." All right," said the Coyote, "you will be safe." Now the Coyote had
very little left when the young man came up: so he said to them, "You stay
here and eat until you are strong, then I will take you home." There was a
ridge near by, and the Coyote said, " I will see that you get more food, but
you must not watch me. Now shut your eyes." After a while they heard the
Coyote singing, "I am looking to the west for something to eat." [This is
sung in a low soft chant, like all songs in children's stories.] "Now come
over here," said the Coyote. So they opened their eyes and went over. The
Coyote had a buffalo-calf. He cut it open, butchered it, and then they ate.
So it went on from day to day. The Coyote traveled along the ridge toward
their home. Whenever the Coyote looked toward the west and sang his song,
meat would fall over the ridge toward them. Thus the Coyote took them home.
Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History, Vol. II, 1908.