Native American Legends
Coyote
A Costanoan (Ohlone) Legend
Coyote's wife said to him: "I do not want you to marry other
women." Now they had only one child. Then Coyote said: "I
want many children. We alone cannot have many children. Let me marry
another woman so that there may be more of us." Then the woman
said, "Well, go." Then he had five children. Then his
children said: "Where shall we make our houses? Where shall
we marry?" Coyote told them: "Go out over the world."
Then they went and founded five rancherias with five different languages.
The rancherias are said to have been Ensen, Rumsien, Ekkheya, Kakonta,
and that of the Wacharones.
Now Coyote gave the people the carrying net. He gave them bow and
arrows to kill rabbits. He said: "You will have acorn mush
for your food. You will gather acorns and you will have acorn bread
to eat. Go down to the ocean and gather seaweed that you may eat
it with your acorn mush and acorn bread. Gather it when the tide
is low, and kill rabbits, and at low tide pick abalones and mussels
to eat. When you can find nothing else, gather buckeyes for food.
If the acorns are bitter, wash them out; and gather "wild oat"
seeds for pinole, carrying them on your back in a basket. Look for
these things of which I have told you. I have shown you what is
good. Now I will leave you. You have learned. I have shown you how
to gather food, and even though it rains a long time people will
not die of hunger. Now I am getting old. I cannot walk. Alas for
me! Now I go."
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