59.--THE WATER SERPENT AND THE COYOTE.

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

Water Serpent and Coyote are great friends. Water Serpent is still young, but he is so long that when he visits Coyote and coils up he fills kiva. He invites Coyote to visit him. Coyote meditates how he can fill kiva of Water Serpent and tells him tail will become long. He gets large bundle of cedar bark, makes bark pliable and wraps it with yucca leaves. He then pulls out wool and pastes it to cedar bark, so that it looks like tail. He then fastens false tail to his own. In morning he goes to Water Serpent's kiva, which is well filled with his tail. When he leaves he asks Snake to visit him again. When he comes to his kiva he unfastens tail. He puts it on again when he sees friend coming. Snake arrives and has grown so much he cannot get into kiva with Coyote's tail. Coyote goes out and sits near kiva opening conversing with Snake inside. Coyote becomes very cold and angry with Snake for staying so long. He determines to get even with friend and makes another long addition to tail. On very cold day he goes again to visit his friend. He enters kiva and fills entire kiva with tail. Snake goes outside and becomes very cold and then very angry Coyote stays so long. Finally Coyote says he must go, and while he is dragging his tail after him up-ladder Snake goes in and shoves end of Coyote's tail into fire. When Coyote is near his kiva he looks around and sees smoke and fire. He thinks Hopi have set grass on fire to drive him away. He runs away and reaches timber, but, seeing this burning after awhile, he runs to Little Colorado River and jumps in. He is drowned.