American Indian Trickster Tales (Myths and Legends) (9 page)

“Uncle, I am a very poor rider,” said Rabbit Boy. “I cannot do without a saddle.”

“Why, sure, of course not, little brother,” said Coyote. “I live nearby. I’ll get a saddle for you, and not only a saddle, I will also get a bridle to make things easier for you.”

“That will be fine, uncle. Make it a strong bridle.”

Coyote ran off as fast as he could to get these things. During the short time when Coyote was away on this errand, Rabbit Boy plucked two long, sharp thorns from a thornbush, hiding them in his fur. Soon Coyote was back, crying: “Here I come, little brother, saddled and bridled.”

“You will make a fine horse for me, uncle,” Rabbit Boy told him.

“Please face the other way, so that I can mount you from behind.” Coyote turned around and, quick as lightning, Rabbit Boy fastened the two large thorns to his heels, intending to use them as spurs. Then he hopped onto Coyote’s back.

“Off you go, uncle,” he cried. “Get a move on! Run!” And he jabbed his spurs into Coyote’s flanks. “Faster, faster!”

Coyote howled with pain: “Ow, ow, ow,! Little brother, have pity on me!” Coyote arched his back, bucked, twisted, and tried to shake off his rider, but Rabbit Boy stuck to him like a burr. Thus they arrived at the home of Rabbit Boy’s aunt. In a flash, Rabbit Boy jumped off Coyote’s back and, at the same time, tied the bridle to a pinon tree. He did this in the twinkling of an eye, in one blurred motion.

All of Rabbit Boy’s relatives were there. Already they were feasting. Tied to the tree, Coyote had to watch the rabbits stuffing themselves with good food, having a good time, eating, drinking, and telling stories. The feast lasted a long time. When it was over at last, Rabbit Boy went over to Coyote, accompanied by a cousin, another rabbit, of course.

“As soon as I’m on this ugly fellow’s back,” Rabbit Boy told his cousin, “untie him and throw the bridle to me!” His cousin did as he was told. At the moment Coyote was untied, Rabbit Boy dug in his spurs. Again and again he struck at Coyote’s sides.

“Off with you, back to my home, faster, faster, you lousy Coyote!”

Again Coyote howled with pain: “Ow, ow, ow!” he was helpless. He was thinking: “I won’t stop at this evil rabbit’s place. I’ll rush right by it, back to my den. There my wife will help me get this pest off my back. Then he won’t be able to escape us. My wife and I will catch that no-good rabbit. I’ll skin him alive. I’ll put him in my pot. I’ll make soup of him!”

It did not work out this way. As soon as they were passing his home, Rabbit Boy jumped off Coyote’s back and, quick as lightning, dashed into his hole, shutting the door behind him. In vain Coyote tried to get in. In vain he pounded at the door, scratched, and dug. He could not get in. He heard Rabbit Boy laughing at him from behind his door, calling him names. At last Coyote gave up.

When Coyote got home, his wife asked him: “What’s the matter with you, husband? You are in a cold sweat. You are foaming at the mouth. Your sides have blood all over.”

“Old woman, mind your own business,” said Coyote.

{
Hopi
}

Coyote and Fox are not very fond of each other, because they are always competing for the same kind of food. So whenever he has a chance to play a trick on Fox, Coyote will do it.

One day Fox managed to catch a prairie dog. He killed it. He said: “This is a fine, fat prairie dog. It will make a tasty meal.”

Fox got some wood and made a fire. When the wood had been reduced to glowing embers, Fox pushed the prairie dog under the hot ashes to roast it. “It will take a while until the meat is done,” Fox said to himself. “I think I’ll have a little nap in the meantime.” So he went to sleep.

Not far away, Coyote came walking along, scrounging for something to eat, sniffing around. The wind brought to him a scent of roasted meat. Coyote’s nose quivered with delight. “Ah,” he said, “I am smelling something good.”

Following his nose, Coyote came to the spot where Fox was sleeping. He dug out the prairie dog from under the still-glowing embers. He ate it up in no time at all. He said: “This meat is very tender, cooked just the way I like it.” He left only the bare bones. He took a little of the fat and smeared it around Fox’s mouth. Then Coyote went off laughing.

Fox woke up. He noticed that his mouth was greasy. He said: “I must have eaten the prairie dog. Funny, I don’t remember it.” He dug underneath the ashes and pulled out what was left—the prairie dog’s bones. “I was right,” he said, “I did eat the meat, even though I don’t remember it.”

Fox sat down on a rock. He was thinking. He said to himself: “If I had eaten that prairie dog, I should feel sated. Instead I am hungry, very hungry. Therefore I did not eat that meat.” He jumped up: “Now I know what happened. That evil trickster, that no good Coyote, has stolen my meat. I will find him and kill him!”

Fox followed Coyote’s tracks. Coyote saw him coming. Coyote said to himself: “Fox is faster than I am. I cannot get rid of him by running away.” So Coyote stood up and leaned against an overhanging cliff. Fox came running. “Watch out, Coyote, you miserable trickster,” he cried. “I’ve come to kill you!”

“Fool,” Coyote cried. “Halfwit! Don’t you see that I’m holding up this overhanging cliff, which is about to crush us both to death? Here, you lean against the cliff and hold it up while I go for a tree trunk to wedge against this rock wall, so that we both can get out from under it without being crushed. Lean against it real hard or it will flatten you. I’ll be right back!” Fox leaned against the cliff real hard. He waited and waited, but Coyote did not come back. “This evil Coyote has tricked me again,” said Fox, as he jumped away from the rock wall, still looking up to see whether it would fall down on him. “Yes, Coyote has made a fool out of me.”

Once more, Fox followed Coyote’s tracks. He found him sitting on a tree stump near a stream. Again Coyote did not try to flee. Fox came running, foaming at the mouth: “Watch out, Coyote, this time I’ll make an end of you, once and for all. I’ll tear your throat out!”

It was sunset. The red setting sun was reflected in the stream’s water. “Nitwit!” Coyote shouted, pointing at the sun’s reflection. “Idiot, look at this hunk of fine red meat in the water. Instead of bothering me, you should try to get it before the current sweeps it away. Here, I’ll hold on to your tail to pull you up after you’ve grabbed the meat!”

Fox fell for it. As he jumped into the water, Coyote quickly tied a heavy rock to Fox’s tail. Fox drowned. “Finally I’m rid of this pest,” said Coyote. But of course he was wrong. No matter how often Coyote and Fox kill each other, they always come to life again.

{
Arikara
}

The Coyote was going along when he saw an old Buffalo bull sitting down on the side of a hill. The Coyote went up to him and said, “Well, my grandfather, are you sitting here sunning yourself?”

The Buffalo said, “Yes.”

The Coyote said that he was hungry, that he would like the Buffalo to give him something to eat.

The Buffalo said, “Why are you not like myself, a big Buffalo eating grass?”

The Coyote said, “Well, my grandfather, I wish that you would make a Buffalo out of me.”

So the Buffalo said, “All right. You will then have to break up your bow and arrows, for you will need them no more.” So the Buffalo placed the Coyote, and said, “Now you must keep a strong heart; do not get scared.” The Buffalo rushed at the Coyote, and just as he was about to hook the Coyote, the Coyote jumped sideways. Then the Buffalo said, “Why did you get scared? Now stay right at this place, and I will come and make a Buffalo out of you.” But every time the Buffalo ran toward him, the Coyote would jump away.

The last time the Coyote stayed, and as the Buffalo went up against him there were two Buffalo bulls. They locked horns. Then the Buffalo told the Coyote-Buffalo to eat grass. The Coyote-Buffalo obeyed and ate until he was filled. Then the Buffalo said, “We must go to the Buffalo herd, for there is one bull there who has control of all the female Buffalo, and we will fight him, and when we have killed him we can have all the female Buffalo.” So they went to the Buffalo herd. The Buffalo bull was going around among the Buffalo. They were waiting to fight him when it should come time. They fought, and they killed the Buffalo bull.

Now each bull took many cows to look after. When they all came together they lay down in a hollow for the night. The next night the Buffalo all jumped and traveled toward the western country. When the Coyote-Buffalo got up he saw that he had been left behind, all alone. He arose, but did not follow the other people. The Coyote-Buffalo came across a Coyote and said, “Why are you not as I am? I was a Coyote once, but now I am a Buffalo.” The Coyote-Buffalo told the Coyote to throw his bow and arrows away, for he was going to make him into a Buffalo. He sat the Coyote in a certain place and made a rush at him. The Coyote jumped sideways. Three times did the Coyote-Buffalo try to run into the Coyote, but every time the Coyote jumped sideways. The last time, the Coyote-Buffalo said, “Now you must close your eyes and let me run over you.” The Coyote obeyed and the Coyote-Buffalo ran into him, and there were two Coyotes instead of the Buffalo-Coyote and the Coyote. So the Coyote-Buffalo turned back into a Coyote.

{
Hopi
}

Water Turtle was walking one day, nibbling at moist leaves and succulent plants. He was so wrapped up in eating that he didn’t notice how far he had strayed from the water. He got farther and farther away. The sun rose in the sky. It grew hotter and hotter. At noon it was unbearable. Water Turtle could not stand the heat. A cool stream was his home. The heat was about to kill him. He crawled toward the water, but his crawling was very slow and the stream was too far. Water Turtle crawled into a hole and started to cry: “Ow, ow, ow.”

Coyote was coming along. He heard Water Turtle crying. He said, “Somebody is singing.” He followed the sound. He found Water Turtle in his hole. Coyote said, “Your song is very pleasing.”