Native American Legends
Coyote and Crow
A Yakima Legend
Coyote traveled through the country, fighting monsters and making
the world ready for the new people, the Indians who were to follow.
He crossed the Cascade Mountains and came into the Puget Sound country.
He was hungry, very hungry.
He saw Crow sitting on the peak of a high cliff, with a ball of
deer fat in his mouth. Coyote looked at Crow with this fat and thought
how good it would taste. Becoming hungrier and hungrier, he wondered
how he could get the fat for himself. He thought hard. Then he laughed.
"I know what to do. I know how I can get the fat from Crow."
Then coyote came close to the base of the cliff and called. "Oh,
Chief! I hear that you can make a good noise, a pleasing noise with
your voice. You are a big chief, I know. You are a wise chief, I
have heard. Let me hear your voice, Chief. I want to hear you, Chief
Crow."
Crow was pleased to be called chief. So he answered, "Caw!"
"Oh, Chief Crow," called Coyote, "that wasn't much.
You can sing better than that. Sing a good song for me, Chief. I
want to hear you sing loud."
Crow was pleased again. So he opened his mouth wide and called
from the cliff in a loud voice, "C-a-a-w!"
Of course the ball of deer fat fell down from Crow's open mouth.
Coyote grabbed it quickly. Then he laughed.
"You are not a wise chief," said Coyote. "you are
not a chief at all. I called you 'Chief' just to fool you. I wanted
your deer fat. I am hungry. Now you can go hungry cecause of your
foolishness."
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