Coyote was travelling in the west. He heard that Moon was living in the east. When the Moon came up in the morning, it was so hot that everything was burnt and all the people were killed. In those days what is now the moon was the sun. Coyote travelled to Moon's tent, for he had heard that Moon had a son who went about killing all the people he met.
When Coyote finally met the youth, he told him that there was a fine spring on the mountain from which his grandfather always used to drink when he was out hunting. Coyote had created the spring by means of magic, and therefore Moon's son did not know of it. In fact, he did not believe what Coyote told him. He said to himself, "I wonder whether Coyote is telling the truth about the spring!" Still he went with him. On the way they passed many people, and Moon's son killed them all. He took nothing but their testicles to give to his father. When they finally reached a fine spring, he believed what Coyote had told him. Coyote suggested that they taste the water. He told Moon's son to drink first, showed him where it was coldest, and asked him to let him hold his tomahawk while he was drinking. Moon consented, and while he was drinking, Coyote killed him with his tomahawk. After that he put the claws and testicles of the dead man on himself. By the use of magic he made himself look just like Moon's son. Then he proceeded to Moon's house.
When he arrived there, he gave the old man the testicles, just as his son used to do. The old man was very glad to get them. While he was eating, he said to Coyote, "These testicles taste a little bitter, it is the first time I have eaten this kind."
Coyote lived there for some time, and Moon did not discover his identity. He tried to steal some of Moon's best-loved property. One evening when Moon was asleep, he took it and started towards the door. He travelled all night; but when morning came, he found that he had only reached as far as the door of the tent. When Moon awoke and saw Coyote, whom he supposed to be his son, lying near the door, he grew suspicious, and wondered what the trouble was, for his son had never acted that way before.
The people told Coyote that he would never make his escape from Moon's tent. The following night Coyote bothered Moon to see if he could wake him. When he found that Moon was sound asleep, he took his five knives and began to cut off Moon's head. Four of the knives broke; the fifth one, however, completed the operation. Then he said to Moon, "You shall kill no more people. You shall be nothing but the moon. The Indians will come and look at you."
Once upon a time there were five men2 and five Grizzly-Bear girls. There was also a Black-Bear who had a son and a daughter. The oldest man had married the daughter of Black-Bear. This angered the Grizzly-Bears, as they wanted the men for themselves. They became so enraged that they resolved to kill the men. They danced, and as they did so, blood spurted forth from their mouths. They said, "When spring comes, we shall kill them."
One day, when the oldest man went hunting, he saw a woman digging roots in a canyon. When she held up her head, he saw that she was good-looking. She had a high crown on her hat, and was beautifully dressed and painted. Her hair was long. He walked up the canyon toward her, wondering who she might be. She was really the oldest Grizzly-Bear girl. She asked the man to come near. As he approached her, she became a wild grizzly bear. She seized him and broke his neck. On the following day, when his brothers went to look for him, they found his body with broken neck. In the same way the Grizzly-Bears killed four of the men and took their heads to their den.
The Black-Bear's son knew all that happened. His father accused him of having killed his brothers-in-law. "You say the wrong things when you sing while you are dancing,"3 he said to him. They danced, and the boy sang, saying that he would kill the first bear that came out. He sang the wrong words. The old Bear said, "Go and look for your brother-in-law." The girl then told him that four had been killed, and only one was left. The young bear and the boy were of the same size. "Let us go and see them," the man said. "No, don't come! Let me go alone," the boy replied, "for if they kill me, they will kill you as well." He went alone, and found the Grizzly-Bear woman digging roots. As he approached her, she invited him too to come up and talk. The boy had been warned to shoot when she spoke to him. He did so and shot her. When she made for him, he shot a second arrow and killed her. Then he returned home. On the following morning he went again. This time another Grizzly-Bear was there digging roots. He approached her and killed her as he had killed her sister. The next morning he went again, and the same thing happened. Thus he disposed of all five sisters. Then the old Black-Bear put the four heads of the men back on their bodies. He stepped over them, and thus restored them to life.
1 See JAFL 21 : 152; also this volume, pp. 46, 90, 109, 188.
2 In JAFL 21 : 152 five black bears.
3 It appears from Dr. Spinden's version (JAFL 21 : 152) that the Grizzly-Bears used a formula for killing their enemies, which was chanted while they were dancing. The Black-Bear boy then induced them to use wrong words in their formula. Thus he was enabled to kill them.
