4. Coyote's visit to So'iep¹

Coyote made up his mind to visit a wicked people who lived in an underground lodge² on the far side of a large river.  The chief man of these people was called So'iep³, and his right-hand man's name was Kualu'm.⁴  Both were noted for being highly gifted in magic.  The chief had a daughter, but he would not allow her to marry any of the young men.

Coyote took his son along with him, and, reaching the river, they shouted to be taken across. An old woman⁵ came with a canoe, and they jumped into it.  She told them that the people whom they intended to visit were very bad, and that So'iep, their chief, had two large and fierce dogs, -- Grizzly Bear and Rattlesnake, -- that he made devour every young man who came to seek his daughter's hand.  Coyote's son told her that he wished to marry So'iep's daughter: therefore the old woman told him what tests they would put him through, and how they would try to kill him.  She also gave him much advice, and full directions how to act in each emergency.

When Coyote and his son entered So'iep's house, he put on an immense fire, expecting to overcome them with heat; but they put lumps of ice on their foreheads and remained unhurt.  When So'iep saw that his visitors were endowed with magic, and that the dogs had been afraid to bite them, he gave his daughter in marriage to Coyote's son, but swore in secret to kill him if he could.

That night So'iep said to Kualu'm, "Take my son-in-law hunting tomorrow." Next morning Kualu'm did as directed, and while they were hunting, and separated from each other, he set fire to the grass, intending to burn the lad; but the latter stepped in the middle of a large trail, and remained unharmed.

Kualu'm returned, thinking he had burned the boy, but the latter arrived shortly afterwards.  Then So’iep said, "Take my son-in-law to gather firewood to-morrow."  So Kualu'm took him to gather fire-wood.  They came to a dry tree, and the lad began to split it.  The tree opened suddenly, and the lad's wedge fell inside.  The tree was very large and hollow in the centre.  As the lad was going in through the crack, Kualu'm made the tree close together so as to squeeze him, but the lad placed his wedge crossways in the crack and remained unhurt.  Then he spat out red and white paint from his mouth into the cracks of the tree, so that the paint oozed out and ran down on the outside.  Kualu'm, thinking that the white paint was his brain., and the red paint his blood, made sure he had killed him this time; but, shortly after Kualu'm had reached home and reported his death, the lad arrived carrying a load of fire-wood.

    1 Compare this story with the latter part of No. 7 Coyote tale in 'Traditions of the Thompson River Indians"
      p. 38.
    2 Some say there were four underground lodges.
    3 Meaning of name unknown, but may be derived from s'oil'p ("flame").
    4 Meaning of name unknown.
    5 Some say Short-Tailed Mouse, who was noted as being very wise, and able to look into the, future. She was also a great linguist, and could speak all languages.
 
 

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