2. COYOTE LIBERATES THE SALMON.
(Second Version.)
(Continued)Five Wolves smelled the fish.1 They came close to the fire and found the salmon and ate it. They were careful not to awaken Coyote. When they had eaten it all, they cut open Coyote's anus, took out the gut, and cooked it for him. When Coyote awoke, he thought, "There is my fish cooking for me." He arose, but saw that nothing was left but the bones. When he saw the guts, he said, "My grandchild must have left these guts here." He took a knife and began to eat them. A bird saw, him, and shouted, "You are eating your own guts!" Nevertheless he kept on eating. The bird called again, and he wondered what she meant. He felt behind him, and ran his hand clear up to his elbow. He found that there was but a little piece of his intestines left, which he put back. Then he hit his hip a second time, and the dung which appeared turned into boys, as before. All but the youngest went back into him. He told Coyote that the thieves were the Wolves and a Fox, who were cooking some eggs and had taken his salmon while he had been asleep.
Coyote was very angry, and started out to hunt the Wolves. He came to the place where they were cooking eggs. Not far away the Wolves were asleep. The eggs were done, and Coyote began to eat them. He did not eat all, however, but left six, one for each of the animals. He covered them up as they had been before. The Wolves and the Fox slept on. Coyote took some charcoal and painted their faces to make them look ugly. He painted Fox with the yolk of an egg, and put charcoal on the tips of his ears. When he had finished, Coyote went to a notch on the hill and waited to see what would happen. He carried five bags of black paint.
Soon one of the Wolves awoke and called the others. They went to get the eggs, and each took one. Coyote, way up on the hill, laughed to himself. When they went to get another egg, they found nothing but shells. They wondered what the trouble was. One looked at another, and said, "Why, what is the matter with you?" Then they teased one another about their looks. Fox was yellow all over. They soon came to the conclusion that this was Coyote's handiwork; and, indeed, there was Coyote laughing at them.2 They gave chase, and Fox almost caught him. Coyote, however, said, "We are friends," and with that he opened a sack of paint and disappeared in the darkness. When it cleared up, he was on the other side of the canyon, still laughing. So they decided to leave him alone.
Coyote started on his travels from Waha Lake Hilll, which used to be called Spine Hill (Kup'kup'-taxsam). When he cam to Snake River, he saw five girls swimming near the opposite shore. When they saw that he was watching them, they got up. He swam downstream, jumping up and down in the swift current.
As he swam along, he caught sight of five Swallows who lived at Dalles on Columbia River, where they had made a dam to prevent the salmon from going upstream. Coyote knew this, and turned himself into a child in a cradle, in which he floated down the river. The Swallow girls saw him coming, and he appeared to them as a crying infant. They thought that some one had been drowned, and that this was that person's child drifting down. They swam out to rescue him. They agreed that whoever succeeded in reaching him first was entitled to keep him. The eldest girl won. She took him, and they all went home.The baby grew up very quickly. The girls used to go to the hills to gather roots. They used to play with Coyote. The youngest girl, however, suspected that there was something strange about him, and came to the conclusion that it was Coyote, and no real baby at all. The others did not suspect anything. One day they went out for roots. The infant cried for water (ak'ats). One of the girls told him to go and get water himself, since it was but a short distance away. He crept down the hill. When he reached the ravine and he knew that they could no longer see him, he stood up and ran as fast as he could. Then, when he came in sight again, he went down on his knees and crept like a baby.
At last he reached the hut of the girls, which was well stocked with food. Coyote helped himself. When he had finished eating, he began to tear down the dam, saying, "There shall no longer be a dam in this river. Many Indians will come here to live." When he had broken the dam, he shouted, "Mother, come down! Our dam is broken, and the water is gone." When the girls heard this, the youngest one scolded the others, and told them that the baby was none other than Coyote. Coyote ran off, and they started to follow him.The salmon now crowded up the river. Coyote followed them. He called for one to come ashore. He wanted to catch it in his old blanket. The salmon knew that he had been the one to tear down the dam: therefore they spoke among themselves, and decided that one of their number should go and be caught. The blanket, however, was so old that it would not hold the salmon. Coyote tried repeatedly, but it tore every time. Finally Beaver advised him to get a stick and hit the salmon on the head. He killed it,3 built a fire, put the salmon on to cook, and went to sleep.
As he lay asleep, five Wolves saw him and the salmon. They wondered how they could steal the salmon without disturbing Coyote. One of them suggested that they ask him whether they might eat the salmon. They put the question, and he replied, "Mmmm!" They interpreted this as meaning "Yes!" took the fish, and ate it.
1 See pp. 5, 139.
2 BBAE 59 : 296 (note 4).
3 See pp. 68, 70, 102, 139, 141.
