Part 13 (1/2)

Presently Hare called, ”Man Coyote, how are you going to kill me?”

”I know how,” said Coyote. ”I will kill you with fire.”

”Where is the wood?” asked Hare, for he knew there was no wood at his house.

”I will bring gra.s.s,” said Coyote, ”and set fire to it. The fire will enter your house and kill you.”

”Oh,” said Hare, ”but the gra.s.s is mine. It is my food; it will not kill me. It is my friend. The gra.s.s will not kill me.”

”Then,” said Coyote, ”I will bring all the trees of the wood and set fire to them.”

”All the trees know me,” said Hare. ”They are my friends. They will not kill me. They are my food.” Coyote thought a minute. Then he said, ”I will bring the gum of the pinon and set fire to that.”

Hare said, ”Now I am afraid. I do not eat that. It is not my friend.”

Coyote rejoiced that he had thought of a plan for getting the hare. He hurried and brought all the gum he could carry and placed it at the door of Hare's house and set fire to it. In a short time the gum boiled like hot grease, and Hare cried,

”Now I know I shall die! What shall I do?” Yet all the time he knew what he would do.

But Coyote was glad Hare was afraid. After a while Hare called, ”The fire is entering my house,” and Coyote answered, ”'Blow it out!”

But Coyote drew nearer and blew with all his might to blow the flame into Hare's house

Hare cried, ”You are so close you are blowing the fire on me and I will soon be burned.”

Coyote was so happy that he drew closer and blew harder, and drew still closer so that his face was very close to Hare's face. Then Hare suddenly threw the boiling gum into Coyote's face and escaped from his house.

It took Coyote a long time to remove the gum from his face, and he felt very sorrowful. He said, ”I am very, very stupid.”

Coyote and the Quails Pima (Arizona)

Once upon a time, long ago, Coyote was sleeping so soundly that a covey of quails came along and cut pieces of fat meat out of his flesh without arousing him. Then they went on. After they had camped for the evening, and were cooking the meat, Coyote came up the trail.

Coyote said, ”Where did you get that nice, fat meat? Give me some.”

Quails gave him all he wanted. Then he went farther up the trail. After he had gone a little way, Quails called to him,

”Coyote, you were eating your own flesh.”

Coyote said, ”What did you say?”

Quails said, ”Oh, nothing. We heard something calling behind the mountains.”

Soon the quails called again: ”Coyote, you ate your own meat.”

”What did you say?”

”Oh, nothing. We heard somebody pounding his grinding-stone.”