The Woodchopper and the Coyote

THE WOODCHOPPER AND THE COYOTE ⁷

There in the north a man and his son went for wood. They arrived somewhere and found wood. They stayed there and chopped it. Then they had enough. Then they let loose the three donkeys they had taken along. These men searched for the donkeys which had gone far away. Then he caught up with them. He walked behind them. On one of them a coyote was sitting. It was not a coyote, but he had made himself one. The man shouted. Then the coyote just turned around and got off. He did not want to go away, but he also walked behind. This man said to him, "Are you the one who took away the donkeys? Shame on you! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Then he took back the donkeys. His son was walking behind him. He said to his son, "Look, the coyote has taken away the donkeys." Then his son was going to throw a stone at him. The coyote became scared and ran away. The boy ran after him to kill him, but there was no coyote. It was a witch. Then they went along. They arrived in the west. Then they sang their song which they sang when something happens that is not good. The people in the town heard it. They knew by that song that something has happened. They took bows and arrows from here and went to look. [paragraph continues]

p. 111

They met them. Then they told (the people) that they two had been scared. The people went to the place where (the coyote) was and shot the coyote with arrows. Then he died. On the following day they went to get the wood. They arrived here in Cochiti and then this boy became sick. They said the coyote had scared him, therefore he became sick. He also died.

Footnotes

110:7 Recorded in text by Franz Boas. Informant 8. Notes, p. 234.