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In just a little while the Cloud
People gathered over the trail Coyote was following and he was glad that
his path was to be cool and shady.
After he traveled some distance further, he sat down again and looking
upward said, "I wish the Cloud People would send rain. My road would be
cooler and fresher." In a little while a shower came and Coyote was
contented.
But in a short time he again sat down and wished that the road could be
very moist, that it would be fresh to his feet, and almost immediately the
trail was as wet as though a river had passed over it. Again Coyote was
contented.
But after a while he took his seat again. He said to himself, "I guess I
will talk again to the Cloud People." Then he looked up and said to them,
"I wish for water over my road-water to my elbows, that I may travel on my
hands and feet in the cool waters; then I shall be refreshed and happy."
In a short time his road was covered with water, and he moved on. But
again he wished for something more, and said to the Cloud People,
"I wish much for water to my shoulders. Then I will be happy and
contented."
In a moment the waters arose as he wished, yet after a while he looked up
and said, "If you will only give me water so high that my eyes, nose,
mouth and ears are above it, I will be happy. Then indeed my road will be
cool."
But even this did not satisfy him, and after traveling a while longer he
implored the Cloud People to give him a river that he might float over the
trail, and immediately a river appeared and Coyote floated down stream.
Now be had been high in the mountains and wished to go to Hare Land.
After floating a long distance, he at last came to Hare Land and saw many
Hares a little distance off, on both sides of the river. Coyote lay down
in the mud as though he were dead and listened. Soon a woman ka-wate
(mephitis) came along with a vase and a gourd for water.
She said, "Here is a dead coyote. Where did he come from_ I guess from the
mountains above. I guess he fell into the water and died."
Coyote looked up and said, "Come here, woman."
She said, "What do you want_"
Coyote said, "I know the Hares and other small animals well. In a little
while they will come here and think I am dead and be happy. What do you
think about it_"
Ka-wate said, "I have no thoughts at all."
So Coyote explained his plan. . . .
So Coyote lay as dead, and all the Hares and small animals saw him lying
in the river, and rejoiced that he was dead. The Hares decided to go in a
body and see the dead Coyote. Rejoicing over his death, they struck him
with their hands and kicked him. There were crowds of Hares and they
decided to have a great dance. Now and then a dancing Hare would stamp
upon Coyote who lay as if dead. During the dance the Hares clapped their
hands over their mouth and gave a whoop like a war-whoop.
Then Coyote rose quickly and took two clubs which the ka-wate had given
him, and together they killed all of the Hares. There was a great number
and they were piled up like stones.
Coyote said, "Where shall I find fire to cook the hares_ Ah," he said,
pointing across to a high rock, "that rock gives good shade and it is
cool. I will find fire and cook my meat in the shade of that rock."
So they carried all the hares to that point and Coyote made a large fire
and threw them into it. When he had done this he was very warm and tired.
He lay down close to the rock in the shade.
After a while he said to Ka-wate, "We will run a race. The one who wins
will have all the hares."
She said, "How could I beat you_ Your feet are so much larger than mine."
Coyote said, "I will allow you the start of me." He made a torch of the
inner shreds of cedar bark and wrapped it with yucca thread and lighted
it. Then he tied this torch to the end of his tail. He did this to see
that the ka-wate did not escape him.
Ka-wate started first, but when out of sight of Coyote, she slipped into
the house of Badger. Then Coyote started with the fire attached to his
tail. Wherever he touched the grass, he set fire to it. But Ka-wate
hurried back to the rock, carried all the hares on top except four tiny
ones, and then climbed up on the rock.
Coyote was surprised not to overtake her. He said, "She must be very
quick. How could she run so fast_" Then he returned to the rock, but did
not see her.
He was tired and sat down in the shade of the rock. "Why doesn't she
come_" he said. "Perhaps she will not come before night, her feet are so
small."
Ka-wate sat on the rock above and heard all he said. She watched him take
a stick and look into the mound for the hares. He pulled out a small one
which he threw away. But the second was smaller than the first. Then a
third and a fourth, each tiny, and all he threw away. "I do not care for
the smaller ones," he said. "There are so many here, I will not eat the
little ones." But he hunted and hunted in the mound of ashes for the
hares. All were gone.
He said, "That woman has robbed me." Then he picked up the four little
ones and ate them. He looked about for Ka-wate but did not see her because
he did not look up. Then as he was tired and lay down to rest, he looked
up and saw her, with the cooked hares piled beside her.
Coyote was hungry. He begged her to throw one down. She threw a very small
one. Then Coyote became angry. And he was still more angry because he
could not climb the rock. She had gone where he could not go.
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