Post by Okwes on Apr 14, 2008 12:33:46 GMT -5
The Panther's Children And Coyote - Yokuts / Yauelmani
Gitanemuk Shoshonean
Two women lived alone. One was a woman and the other a girl. The old woman
was the jimson weed; the girl the cottontail rabbit. They lived west above
Tejon creek. In the morning the old woman saw a dead deer lying at the door.
She did not see who brought it. She took the deer, sliced it, dried the
meat, and said nothing. She did not ask the girl about it. Next day the same
thing happened. Three times it happened. Then the girl gave birth to two
boys, twins. They saw no one. She did not see her husband. The boys grew up
and she put them into a cradle. Coyote lived at Sututaiwieyau and had seven
sons. He said: "I will go to see what they are doing." The mother of the two
boys was on the plain gathering seeds. The old woman was caring for the
children. Coyote carne to the house. He found that they had plenty of deer
meat and acorn mush. The old woman said to him: "Will you have meat and
acorn mush?" He said: "Yes." Then she gave him. the food and he ate. After
eating he was thirsty. She told him: "There is water in the pitched basket
(made with pi€ ¦ñon gum)." Coyote said: ''I do not drink from that kind. The
pitch stinks." She told him: "What kind do you drink from?" He said: "I
drink from an openwork winnowing basket (khali)." She asked him: "How does
it hold water?" He said: "Put leaves into it." The old woman went and tried
to bring water in an openwork basket. The water kept running out, but she
kept trying a long time. Meanwhile Coyote took the two boys and went off,
making a circuit. The mother was far off on the plain gathering seeds. At
night she came home. "Where are my boys?" she asked her mother. The old
woman said: "Coyote came here. I think he stole them." Now the panther came.
"Where are the children?" he said. "Coyote stole them," they told him. He
took pinenuts and puhuk and hapu in a sack and started to look for his
children. He looked all over the country. He looked for them for ten years,
for about twelve years. Now the boys were large enough to go out and hunt
rabbits. Then Coyote told them: "Do not go far. A man may come here. He is
bad. He will catch you and kill you." He was afraid their father would come.
Next day the boys went on the mountain and killed a deer. Then one day they
went to the top of the mountain Wachkiu. From there they looked down on the
plain on the other side. When they had rested, they got up to go. The
younger one was behind. Then he saw a man coming. He was dark all over with
a little white on his breast. He said: "See, the one is coming of whom our
father told us, the dangerous one." The panther called: "Where are you
going? Stop. I am your father." Then the younger brother said: "Let us
wait." They stopped. "Hello," said the anther. "Hello," they told him. He
asked them: "Why do you run away? I am your father. Coyote is not your
father." Then he took one by each hand and they went. Soon the old man
became tired and fell. He got up again, took pinenuts and puhuk and hapu
from his sack, and gave them to the boys to eat. They ate them all. Then he
asked them: "How does he do when he kills deer!" They told him: "He eats all
the intestines before he takes it home." Then their father told them: "Well,
I will do that." Now he killed a deer. Then the boys went and called Coyote
to come. They said they had killed a deer. Coyote came. "Whose track is
that?" he said. The older boy said: "It is my track," and Coyote was
satisfied. Then he went to the deer. He wanted to eat of it. He nearly bit
at it when he jumped in fear. Three times he was afraid and jumped aside.
Then he went to it and ate. Now the panther jumped on him, killed him, and
tore him to pieces. He strewed his flesh over the ground. Then he went to
the house. Coyote's children were playing in a swing. They did not work or
hunt but played constantly. The panther killed them all. He took them by the
feet and struck them on the ground. He entered the house where Coyote's wife
was, took her by the feet, and threw her out. Then he burned the house and
went off. He said: "I am going. I travel over the country."
Abstract:
Gitanemuk Shoshonean. A woman and her daughter live alone. Game is left at
their door. After a time the girl gives birth to twins. She does not see her
husband. Coyote comes there when the girl is away. He sends the old woman to
get water in an openwork basket and steals the children. He brings them up.
The panther, who is their father, cannot find them. The boys kill deer.
Coyote has warned them against their father. They meet him.
He hides and Coyote comes. The panther kills him. Then he kills Coyote's
wife and children
Indian Myths Of South Central California, By A. L. Kroeber, [1907],
University Of California Publications ,American Archaeology And Ethnology,
Vol. 4 No. 4
Gitanemuk Shoshonean
Two women lived alone. One was a woman and the other a girl. The old woman
was the jimson weed; the girl the cottontail rabbit. They lived west above
Tejon creek. In the morning the old woman saw a dead deer lying at the door.
She did not see who brought it. She took the deer, sliced it, dried the
meat, and said nothing. She did not ask the girl about it. Next day the same
thing happened. Three times it happened. Then the girl gave birth to two
boys, twins. They saw no one. She did not see her husband. The boys grew up
and she put them into a cradle. Coyote lived at Sututaiwieyau and had seven
sons. He said: "I will go to see what they are doing." The mother of the two
boys was on the plain gathering seeds. The old woman was caring for the
children. Coyote carne to the house. He found that they had plenty of deer
meat and acorn mush. The old woman said to him: "Will you have meat and
acorn mush?" He said: "Yes." Then she gave him. the food and he ate. After
eating he was thirsty. She told him: "There is water in the pitched basket
(made with pi€ ¦ñon gum)." Coyote said: ''I do not drink from that kind. The
pitch stinks." She told him: "What kind do you drink from?" He said: "I
drink from an openwork winnowing basket (khali)." She asked him: "How does
it hold water?" He said: "Put leaves into it." The old woman went and tried
to bring water in an openwork basket. The water kept running out, but she
kept trying a long time. Meanwhile Coyote took the two boys and went off,
making a circuit. The mother was far off on the plain gathering seeds. At
night she came home. "Where are my boys?" she asked her mother. The old
woman said: "Coyote came here. I think he stole them." Now the panther came.
"Where are the children?" he said. "Coyote stole them," they told him. He
took pinenuts and puhuk and hapu in a sack and started to look for his
children. He looked all over the country. He looked for them for ten years,
for about twelve years. Now the boys were large enough to go out and hunt
rabbits. Then Coyote told them: "Do not go far. A man may come here. He is
bad. He will catch you and kill you." He was afraid their father would come.
Next day the boys went on the mountain and killed a deer. Then one day they
went to the top of the mountain Wachkiu. From there they looked down on the
plain on the other side. When they had rested, they got up to go. The
younger one was behind. Then he saw a man coming. He was dark all over with
a little white on his breast. He said: "See, the one is coming of whom our
father told us, the dangerous one." The panther called: "Where are you
going? Stop. I am your father." Then the younger brother said: "Let us
wait." They stopped. "Hello," said the anther. "Hello," they told him. He
asked them: "Why do you run away? I am your father. Coyote is not your
father." Then he took one by each hand and they went. Soon the old man
became tired and fell. He got up again, took pinenuts and puhuk and hapu
from his sack, and gave them to the boys to eat. They ate them all. Then he
asked them: "How does he do when he kills deer!" They told him: "He eats all
the intestines before he takes it home." Then their father told them: "Well,
I will do that." Now he killed a deer. Then the boys went and called Coyote
to come. They said they had killed a deer. Coyote came. "Whose track is
that?" he said. The older boy said: "It is my track," and Coyote was
satisfied. Then he went to the deer. He wanted to eat of it. He nearly bit
at it when he jumped in fear. Three times he was afraid and jumped aside.
Then he went to it and ate. Now the panther jumped on him, killed him, and
tore him to pieces. He strewed his flesh over the ground. Then he went to
the house. Coyote's children were playing in a swing. They did not work or
hunt but played constantly. The panther killed them all. He took them by the
feet and struck them on the ground. He entered the house where Coyote's wife
was, took her by the feet, and threw her out. Then he burned the house and
went off. He said: "I am going. I travel over the country."
Abstract:
Gitanemuk Shoshonean. A woman and her daughter live alone. Game is left at
their door. After a time the girl gives birth to twins. She does not see her
husband. Coyote comes there when the girl is away. He sends the old woman to
get water in an openwork basket and steals the children. He brings them up.
The panther, who is their father, cannot find them. The boys kill deer.
Coyote has warned them against their father. They meet him.
He hides and Coyote comes. The panther kills him. Then he kills Coyote's
wife and children
Indian Myths Of South Central California, By A. L. Kroeber, [1907],
University Of California Publications ,American Archaeology And Ethnology,
Vol. 4 No. 4