Butterfly Pursuit

BUTTERFLY PURSUIT ⁴

They were living to the north where there is an old (unnamed) ruin in the mountains. The cacique had two daughters who were always making pottery. They painted designs upon it. One day a butterfly came flying into their room. They looked at its markings and said, "Let us paint them on our jar." They got up to try to catch it under their mantas, but it flew out and the girls ran after it. Butterfly came to a spring and the girls followed. They drank there, for they were hot and tired, and they went to sleep under a pine tree. Coyote came and found them sleeping. Coyote called

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to the Payatamu, "Come here! Here are two girls asleep. Let us do as we like with them." All the Payatamu had intercourse with them, and then Coyote had intercourse.

They went to bring rabbits and corn and melons to pay the girls. Coyote said, "Poor me! I haven't any presents for the girls. They won't like me." He thought again, "I have whiskers, maybe they would like hairs from my whiskers." He pulled a hair out of each side. When the girls got up, Coyote said, "You won't care for me. I have only hairs out of my whiskers to give you." All the Payatamu. brought them melons, corn, and rabbits, and the girls took everything they brought. They took Coyote's hairs too, and they said, "We are glad to have Coyote's whiskers." They stuck them between their legs and made pubic hair, and that is the origin of the odor of woman's pubic hair. They took home all the presents, and their father and mother were glad to have them. They said, "Thank you for all you have brought."

Footnotes

85:4 Informant 3. Notes, p. 227.

85:17 Informant 1. Notes, p. 225.