Post by Okwes on Apr 1, 2007 22:15:12 GMT -5
Coyote's Wars - Nez Perce
Coyote was traveling up the river. He heard some one calling to him from far off. A woman's voice said to him, "Come here and finish killing him for me!" He looked, and saw a girl standing at the top of a cliff. She had bow and arrows, but could not use them; and she was trying to kill Mountain-Sheep. So Coyote went up to help her. Besides the bow and arrows, she had a forked stick. She asked Coyote to look over the cliff and see how best they could get at Mountain-Sheep; and while he was doing this, she caught his neck with the forked stick and pushed him over the cliff. Then she went down where he had landed; and when she saw that her victim was only Coyote, she threw the body into the river.
Coyote floated down the river a bend and a half, and stranded. Magpie came flying up the river; and when he saw Coyote, he thought to himself, "I wonder if there is matter in his eyes!" When Magpie began pecking at the eyes of Coyote, however, the latter came to, and said to Magpie, "Why are you flying around here? I myself have just been to battle, capturing women." Magpie replied, "You were in no battle; you were pushed over the cliff and killed by Mountain-Sheep Girl." Then Magpie told Coyote what to do to play even.
So Coyote traveled upstream a second time, and again he heard her call. He went up to her; and when she asked him to do the same thing, he replied, "Now, let me take the stick, and then you show me just where I have to stand in order to see Mountain-Sheep plainly." When she went to show him, Coyote caught her with the forked stick, pushed her over the cliff, and killed her.
Then Coyote resumed his journey up river; and by and by he heard another woman, who called to him to come and lie with her. He arrived where the woman was. Then he embraced her and began to copulate. His boy thingy was cut off, and he died. When the woman saw that it was only Coyote she had killed, she threw the body into the water, and it drifted down the river.
Again Magpie saw the body, and came to feed on the matter in the eyes. Coyote came to, and said, "Why did you wake me up? I have been to war, capturing women." Then Magpie answered, "No, you were over there with Mussel-Shell Woman (sewisyeye), who cut off your boy thingy and killed you." So again Magpie told him what to do to kill her in turn. He went up the river, and at the same place the woman called to him again; but now Coyote had a bone which he used instead of his boy thingy. So he killed her, and said, "You will be only a mussel-shell, and Indians will eat you, but you will not be able to hurt any one."
Nez Perce Tales, By Herbert J. Spinden, 1907
Coyote was traveling up the river. He heard some one calling to him from far off. A woman's voice said to him, "Come here and finish killing him for me!" He looked, and saw a girl standing at the top of a cliff. She had bow and arrows, but could not use them; and she was trying to kill Mountain-Sheep. So Coyote went up to help her. Besides the bow and arrows, she had a forked stick. She asked Coyote to look over the cliff and see how best they could get at Mountain-Sheep; and while he was doing this, she caught his neck with the forked stick and pushed him over the cliff. Then she went down where he had landed; and when she saw that her victim was only Coyote, she threw the body into the river.
Coyote floated down the river a bend and a half, and stranded. Magpie came flying up the river; and when he saw Coyote, he thought to himself, "I wonder if there is matter in his eyes!" When Magpie began pecking at the eyes of Coyote, however, the latter came to, and said to Magpie, "Why are you flying around here? I myself have just been to battle, capturing women." Magpie replied, "You were in no battle; you were pushed over the cliff and killed by Mountain-Sheep Girl." Then Magpie told Coyote what to do to play even.
So Coyote traveled upstream a second time, and again he heard her call. He went up to her; and when she asked him to do the same thing, he replied, "Now, let me take the stick, and then you show me just where I have to stand in order to see Mountain-Sheep plainly." When she went to show him, Coyote caught her with the forked stick, pushed her over the cliff, and killed her.
Then Coyote resumed his journey up river; and by and by he heard another woman, who called to him to come and lie with her. He arrived where the woman was. Then he embraced her and began to copulate. His boy thingy was cut off, and he died. When the woman saw that it was only Coyote she had killed, she threw the body into the water, and it drifted down the river.
Again Magpie saw the body, and came to feed on the matter in the eyes. Coyote came to, and said, "Why did you wake me up? I have been to war, capturing women." Then Magpie answered, "No, you were over there with Mussel-Shell Woman (sewisyeye), who cut off your boy thingy and killed you." So again Magpie told him what to do to kill her in turn. He went up the river, and at the same place the woman called to him again; but now Coyote had a bone which he used instead of his boy thingy. So he killed her, and said, "You will be only a mussel-shell, and Indians will eat you, but you will not be able to hurt any one."
Nez Perce Tales, By Herbert J. Spinden, 1907