2. COYOTE LIBERATES THE SALMON.
(Third Version.)
(Continued)Coyote was sound asleep. One of the younger Wolves went up to him from behind, slit up his anus, and cut out his bowels. Even then he did not awaken. Then the Wolves ran away. When Coyote awoke, he saw that his salmon was gone and that in its place lay his own guts. They were on a stick roasting over the fire, as the Wolves had left them. Coyote thought to himself, "My grand-daughter has been here, and has left some food for me." He began to eat, and liked them so well, that he said to himself, "My grand-daughter ought to have left more." He had not quite finished eating when the Wolves, who were watching him from the brush, called out, "You are eating your own guts!" Coyote heard what they said. He felt behind him, and his hand went right into the cavity left by his bowels. He took the piece of gut that was left and put it back. Then he gave chase to the Wolves, for he suspected them and was very angry.
He followed them up the river to the place where they lived. He found them all fast asleep. They had cooked eggs in the ground. Coyote uncovered the eggs and ate them all up, leaving but one for each of the Wolves and the other animals that were there. Then, while they were still asleep, he remodelled their faces, pulling out their noses, pushing in their cheeks, and making them gray, just as wolves are now. He rubbed Fox with the yolk of an egg, and gave him the color he has now. He made Skunk black and white. Then he went off a short distance and watched to see what would happen.
"Our eggs must be ready now," said the animals when they awoke. They sent Ground-Hog to see if they were done. Ground-Hog saw the egg-shell and an egg, and announced that all the eggs were cooked. The animals uncovered the oven, and found nothing but shells. While they were doing this, they noticed one another's faces, and made fun of one another, saying, "You look very curious." -- "Look at Fox, he is all red!" and many similar things. Then they espied Coyote on the hill. He was laughing and making fun of them. They all ran after him. Fox was the swiftest, but he was Coyote's best friend. When he caught up to him, they sat down together and talked and laughed. Then they went on.
Coyote went on up the river. He heard a noise, and saw what he believed to be a duck flying above him. It came nearer, and, as he turned around to look at it, it slapped him in the eye and stuck there. Only with the most strenuous efforts could he dislodge it. When he finally succeeded in removing it, he looked at it, but even then he did not know what it was. He threw it into the river and went on his way. After a while he heard the same noise, and was hit again in the same way. It required the same violent wrench as before to remove what had hit him. Then he threw it into the river. This happened four times. When it struck him the fifth time, he decided to cook it. He pulled it off, cut it up, made a fire of pine-cones, and broiled it on a stick. It smelled just like fat meat. When it was done, he tasted it, and found it tasted like cow-teats. It was a vulva that had struck him. He ate it all up. When he had finished, he regretted that he had eaten it. He was thirsty, and looked for water. Soon he found a good spring, and stooped over to drink. As he opened his mouth, all his teeth fell out; not a single one was left. So he went his way without any teeth.2
He came to a place where five white geese had their camp.3 They had flown over the river to hunt deer, and had left their pretty sister at home alone making clothes. Before leaving her they had told her that any man who chanced to come to their camp would be her husband, no matter whether he was old or young. Coyote came along; and when he saw the big tent, he peeked in through a hole. There he saw the girl sitting making fine things. He saw how handsome she was, and deliberated how to get in. He went back some distance, and by magic procured five eagle's feathers tipped with black, five fine dresses for men, and five bows and arrows. He left these outside and entered the house. He had previously made himself a handsome man with nice long hair. The girl received him and told him where to sit. She put her work away; and, after cooking food for him, she set it before him and gave him a fork made of bone. Coyote took a big piece, for he had forgotten all about the loss of his teeth. He could not bite it, and had to be satisfied with pounded meat.
When he had finished eating, he lay on his back and sang a song. Soon after he fell asleep. As he lay there, he moved about. His mouth was open, and the girl saw that he had no teeth. She took a set of teeth of a mountain-sheep and put them into his mouth. Then she awakened him. She gave him more food, and he found he could eat with ease. He said to the girl, "My teeth always do that, they grow while I sleep." He soon finished all she had placed before him.
Then he said to her, "Here are some clothes that I brought for your brothers." She thought well of his liberality, and told him that her five brothers would be home in the evening. Soon they heard them approach. The eldest came in and threw down his deer. Coyote thought what a handsome man he was. He told Coyote to move over, and Coyote moved closer to the girl. The second one came in, and the same happened. So with each one of them, until finally the fifth came in and told him to move still closer. By this time he was almost on the girl's lap. The eldest said, "Don't be mean!" Then Coyote married the girl.1 Variations contained in a second version are given in footnotes.
2 An object strikes first his jaw, then his face, forehead, and mouth. He throws it aside. Finally he cooks and eats it, and loses his teeth.
3 From here on see also JAFL 21 : 149.
