64. THE COYOTE AND THE HUMMING-BIRD. 1

The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com

p. 192

Ishyaoí! The Coyote was living at Íshmovala, west of Oraíbi, and a Humming-bird was living at Tohchipchook'pu. They both had children and were good friends. One time the Coyote went to visit his friend, and as he also wanted to find some food for his children, he went north of the village to the place where the refuse of the village was thrown, and looked for some pieces of skin, old moccasins, remnants of hides, etc. The bird seeing it, went to a place close by and quickly buried itself so that the bill only was protruding. When the Coyote came to the place where the bird had buried itself, he saw something protruding from the pile of debris and said: "Thanks, I have found a needle. I shall take that home to my mother and will sew a dress for herself." So he took hold of the bill of the Humming-bird and began to pull at it. "Ishaná!" the bird said, "that is my bill," and the Coyote saw that he had been fooled by his friend. The latter laughed at him.

They then went to the house of the bird, the latter entering the nest, which was built in the side of the bluff. As the Coyote could not get there, he sat on top of the bluff, and they conversed with each other. When it was nearly evening the Coyote said: "I must go home, it is evening. To-morrow you must visit me too." "All right," the Humming-bird said: "to-morrow I will come."

So they slept that night, and in the morning, after they had eaten, the bird went over to the house of the Coyote; first, however, hunting some worms in fields near by. After having eaten a number of them it went over to the Coyote's house, and saw something protruding from the ground close to the house. "Thanks, I have found a gourd jug. I am going to take this home and when my mother pops corn she will put it in here and I will eat it out of this." Hereupon she commenced pulling at the supposed jug. "Ishaná!" the Coyote said, "that is my snout." Hereupon they went to the Coyote's house. That having a large entrance, the bird, of course, could go in too. The Coyote fed his friend juniper berries (lâpóci), the Coyote also eating some. After they had talked a while the Humming-bird returned to her home, and the two are probably still living there.

Footnotes

192:1 Told by Kwayeshva (Oraíbi).