II. COYOTE AND FOX
(Continued)Coyote became a spirit. Whenever any woman came out to urinate or a couple to cohabit, he would call them by name. They grew tired of this, and finally resuscitated him. After this Coyote went off by himself. He came to the place where Polecat and his sister were living. He suggested to Polecat that he play sick.1 "Then your sister must go and call in the Deer brothers to see you. When they come in, you can kill them with your stick." -- "All right!" said Polecat. Coyote then told Polecat's sister to follow the Deer's trail, and when she came near them to call out, "My brother is nearly dead and wants to see his friends!" She started out; and as the Deer came by, she cried, and said what Coyote had instructed her to say. The Deer said, "We will come soon." The sister then ran home and announced that the Deer were, coming. Polecat played sick, and Coyote stepped out and said to the Deer, "Go in and see your friend! This is the last time you will see him." The five Deer went in, and Polecat turned loose and killed them. Coyote cut up the meat; and after that was gone, they did the same to the White-Tailed Deer.
The sister, whose name was Virgin (k'adetstimai), went out to meet them. "What is the matter?" they asked. She told them and then ran home. Polecat was ready for them, and Coyote stood outside as before. He spoke to them as he had done to the others. When they entered, Polecat killed them. Coyote heard Polecat call, so he went on and butchered the Deer.
After that Coyote said, "Let us kill the Mountain-Sheep!" So they tried that. The sister played the same part as before. Everything happened as on the previous occasions. Coyote was outside, and addressed them in the same manner; and Polecat killed them as he had the others.
Next Coyote proposed trying the Elk. He told the sister to go and wait on their trail. She did everything just as she had done previously. The youngest Elk said he had something with which to kill them. They talked to the girl just as the former victims had done. The youngest, however, told his brothers all that had happened, and that the only way to get rid of Polecat was for him to take the lead. "I have only one antler, and must take it off, anyway. I will kill him with that," he said.
They came to Polecat's tent, and Polecat got ready. Coyote spoke as before. The Elks, though, had everything arranged. The youngest one passed the others, and as Polecat raised his tail, he ran him through with his antler. Then Elk ran out of the tent. When the sister and Coyote saw the Polecat sticking on Elk's antler, they could not help laughing. Finally Elk beat Polecat against a stump, and left him. His sister and Coyote came, and found him dead.
The Moon and his son lived together. The boy used to hunt people just as we are hunting for deer. He took the bodies home to the old man, who ate the testicles of all the men the boy killed. Coyote heard of this, and decided to kill. him. One day, when the boy was out hunting, Coyote stole up from behind, and said, "This is not the place you are looking for. Follow me, and I will show you where I used to hunt. Your father is my brother." The Moon boy did not know what to say. Coyote said to him, "We used to build a fire near here. I will show you the place. There is a fine spring near by." Coyote said this, and, lo! there was a spring. He guided the Moon there, and showed him the spring, which was exceedingly cold. Coyote said, "I am very thirsty. Where is your tent?" Moon's son pointed it out. "What do you take to the old man when you go home?" he asked. Moon's son replied, "I give him testicles; he eats them." Moon's son carried the club with which he used to kill people. Coyote said to him, "Drink while I look at your club!" Then, as the youth stooped over, Coyote killed him with his own club. Coyote stripped him and put on his clothes.3 "I look just like him," he said. Coyote carried a rawhide sack, into which he put the body of the youth. It began to grow dark just as he reached Moon's house. He entered, and saw a great fat old man. The house was filled with fine ornaments. The old man untied the pack and ate his own son's testicles. "They do not taste very good," he said; "they are too strong." Coyote decided to leave the house that night and take with him the ornaments he saw. He ate some of the flesh of the Moon's son, but soon threw it aside. Then he lay down and waited for the old man to go to sleep. Soon he slept soundly. He did not even awaken when Coyote coughed. Coyote then took the ornaments and prepared to leave.4 He went as far as the door. It was evening, and he would have to travel all night. He was very tired, however, so he decided to rest a while and go on later. He placed the ornaments at the head of his bed, and soon fell asleep. The old man awoke, and saw Coyote lying near the door. Coyote had not even passed through the ring around the moon. He told the old man that he had walked in his sleep and that he was feeling very sick. The third day he tried again, but still he could not get out, he could not get farther than the door. Finally the old man decided that this was not his son. He said to Coyote, "You have killed my son and brought me his body to eat. I thought so at the time. Why did you kill him?" Coyote said to him, "Henceforth you shall be a good moon and not kill people. They will know you, and you shall be good to them. The moon shall be up above and give light. People shall pass by unmolested hereafter." The Moon agreed, and told him to go. He gave him clothes and presents and sent him away. The old man told him, "It is daytime now, and you can travel far." Then Coyote travelled, having first put the moon in the sky. Thus Coyote killed the Moon boy.
1 Kathlamet BBAE 26 : 79.
2 See p. 186.
3 BBAE 59 : 302 (note 2).
4 BBAE 59 : 298 (note 2).TOP
