TRICKSTER STORIES
THE PLAYFUL FAWNS
(JĂ©mez)
There is a telling about Coyoteâs habit of wanting everything he saw. One morning, he was traveling just above the canyon and heard some fawns singing. He crouched in the brush to listen and then crept close enough to see what was going on.
In the warm sand between the cedars, the Fawn Children were playing. Coyote ambled out of hiding and spoke to them.
âGood morning, Fawn Children. You sound very happy today. What is that game you are playing?â
âOh, we were admiring our new antlers.â
Now Coyote had always envied the beautiful antlers worn by the deer, so he said, âPlease tell me where you got them.â
âThey were fastened to our heads by our mother. It is very simple.â
âDo you think that if I found some antlers, they could be fastened to my head?â asked Coyote hopefully.
âWe will gladly do it for you,â said the fawns. And they began to sing again.
Coyote hurried off. But he was soon back with a pair of large antlers. He put his head down for the fawns to fasten them on.
âOf course, we are much younger than you,â they said. âThis may hurt your tough old head a little.â
âBut think how handsome I shall be,â said Coyote.
âVery well, then, hold still.â So the fawns took a large stone and drove the antlers into Coyoteâs head.
He howled with pain while the fawns ran away, laughing. That is how it happened that deer and coyotes are no longer friends.
THE TURKEYâS MESSAGE
(San Juan)
There is a telling about Coyoteâs habit of laziness. A little snow had fallen in the night, so Coyote said to his wife, âI had better go out hunting.â
He went up the hill to the top of the mesa. There he met Old Turkey.
"What luck,â he said to himself. âI am not yet tired, and here I find a turkey.â He told Old Turkey to go to his house and tell his wife to make some turkey stew.
âBut how shall I find your house that your wife may cook me?â asked Old Turkey.
âYou can follow my tracks in the snow,â said Coyote. âI will go on hunting.â
After Old Turkey had gone, Coyote said to himself, âThere is no need to hunt anymore. I will sleep a while in the sun.â
When Old Turkey came to where Coyote lived, he said to Coyote Woman, âI met your husband on the mesa, and he told me you had hanging up some sinew that you should take down and cook for supper.â
âI wonder why he wants me to cook that. What will he make moccasins with? Well, Old Turkey has brought me that message. I had better cook it.â
Then Old Turkey flew away to his range.
Coyote slept soundly in the sunshine all day. In the evening, he got up. âI am very hungry,â he said, âbut I shall have a good supper.â So he went straight to his house. He saw the turkey tracks up to the entrance.
His wife put out the stew, and he began to eat. "this turkey is as tough as sinew,â he complained.
âOld Turkey came here today,â said is wife. "He told me you wanted that sinew cooked for supper.â
âThat Old Turkey cheated me,â grumbled Coyote.
And that is how it happened that living on expectation led him only to disappointment.
THE WORLD CATCHES FIRE
(Taos)
There is a telling about Flycatcher, who lived on the dry prairie. She had her nest on the ground. Coyote was out hunting as usual and saw the young birds in the nest. He stopped and looked at them. âWhat are you doing?â he asked.
âNothing,â they replied.
âYou look nice and fat. Where is your mother?â
Now Flycatcher had told them that if Coyote should come along, they were to open their mouths wide so as to scare him away. So they opened their mouths as wide as they could.
Coyote ran off to his house in a great fright. Before entering, he looked back and saw the spot where the nest was and the birds with their mouths still wide open and red as fire.
âThe world is on fire,â he shouted from his roof top to all the other animals. To his family, he cried, âCome, we must go to the river where we shall be safe.â
When they arrived, he made all his family jump into the water. They swam around until they became tired and drowned.
The other animals waited, but nothing could be seen of the burning world. So they decided to see where Coyote and his family had gone. They followed the footprints to the river.
Then they said, âBecause Coyote is so cowardly, he always finds trouble before it can find him. That is how Thought Woman said it would be.â And that is how it all happened.
THE DISCONTENTED FARMER
(Isleta)
There is a telling that one time Coyote was ...