Coyote's married daughter was accidentally burned to death. Her husband moved away, and left Coyote alone. One night, as Coyote was sleeping, his daughter came and talked to him. "I have just come to see you," she said., " I am going on to where the dead people live. You cannot go with us, because you are alive, and we are dead." Coyote said that he would follow her. "You can come along if you throw yourself into the fire," the girl told him. Coyote threw himself into the flames; but as soon as he felt the pain, he jumped out again. He was so badly blistered, however, that his daughter allowed him to go along. "You will never see us again," she told him, "but you will hear us later. There is nothing to eat on the trail. You must stick your hand in your mouth. That will satisfy you."
The girl led the way, and Coyote followed her voice. It often led him into rocks and trees. There was the noise of laughter ahead of him, and Coyote followed the sound. Though it was daylight, Coyote could see nothing. They talked only when evening came, and then Coyote would follow the sound. They travelled for five days. At the end of that time Coyote could almost see them. In five days more they would be like people to him.
When they finally arrived at the land of the dead, they feared they would have to bar him from it, because he was alive. They made him sleep at some distance from the others. The land of the dead was very close to the sea. All about him Coyote saw all kinds of eggs. They gave him a bag full of holes in which to gather eggs. He filled the bag, and saw that all the eggs fell through the holes. Therefore he did not even tie it up. When he came back to his daughter, he had nothing at all. The girl then said to him, "Next time fill up the bag; and even if it falls together, as if there were nothing in it, be sure to tie it up. Then it will be full." -- "That is what I thought," replied Coyote. He went back to gather more eggs. He filled the bag and tied it up. He threw it on his back, but it seemed as though there were nothing in it. Soon, however, it grew heavy; and when he reached the house, it was quite full. Henceforth it became his duty to gather eggs.
Though he heard people talk, he could not see them. He would laugh over their jokes, and they would talk about him. They said that they would put themselves into a bag, which he was to carry home. When they were ready, they told him to start. He travelled over five mountains. The girl said to him, "Father, now we are going home. Four of the mountains will be easy to climb, but the fifth one will be hard. You will hardly be able to climb it, but do not under any circumstances open your pack. When you have reached the other side of the last mountain, untie the bundle, and there will be people in it. When later others die, they too will come back in a little while." Coyote promised not to untie the bag. "I may be able to cross the mountains in two days," he said. He threw the pack on his back and started on his journey. This time he had a little food with him. He crossed three mountains, and the load began to get heavy. He heard the people laugh and talk, and he was very glad. He crossed the fourth mountain, and now there was only one more to climb. He started to climb it, and managed to get within a few feet of the top. He was very tired, still he forced himself to go about four feet more, but that was as far as he could go. Though he had only about six feet to travel, he opened his pack. Those in the pack then said to him, "Father, now we must go back, and you will have to go home. Henceforth when people die, they will be dead forever." Then Coyote cried, and said, " I shall not be the only one to mourn a child. All people shall do the same as I. When a person dies, they shall never see him again." Thus he said, and went home.
That is the end.
Before the Nez Percès lived here, there were two old Indians, a man and a woman, named Opin and Mitcte'nu. They knew all the old stories that were told long before the Indians came. At that time they used to dig the ground with root-diggers that had stone points. These were the old-time tools.
