72. THE CHÍRO AND THE COYOTE. 1

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

In Oraíbi the people were living. At Íshmovala the Coyote lived. Away over there at K'áhk'angwovâkaavi lived a great many Chíros, and they were always dancing there. One time the Coyote was walking about east of their village. The Chíros saw him as they were dancing. They were singing as follows:

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Ishawu, ishawu, höhöongyanikay cölmoki
Coyote, Coyote, to dance is longing,
Ishawu, oomii höngina,
Coyote upward dances,
Aatk'amii höngina,
Downward dances,
Machiwa, machiwa, chirorororo.
Is called, is called chirorororo.

The Coyote was looking at them and wanted to dance along. "Very well," the Chíros said to him, whereupon each one of them gave him some feathers; one some wing feathers, another some tail feathers, and so on. They made for the Coyote wings and a tail, and put small feathers into his body, whereupon the Coyote was very happy. "Thanks," he said, "that you have made wings for me. I am going to dance with you now." Hereupon they danced, again singing the same song. The Coyote danced with them. Now they were flying upward somewhere, and arrived somewhere away high up. Now they crowded around the Coyote and said: "Why, this is my wing; why, this is my tail; why, these are my feathers;" some of them had given him these things, and now they took everything away from him, and alas! he began to descend. He arrived at the earth and died. The Chíros laughed at him. "Thanks," they said, "that you have died, because you very often do commit depredations on some one's property. That is why you were going about again."

Footnotes

201:1 Told by Qöyáwaima (Oraíbi).