Native American Legends
Coyote and Sun
A Paiute Legend
Along time ago, Coyote wanted to go to the sun. He asked Pokoh,
Old Man, to show him the trail. Coyote went straight out on this
trail and he traveled it all day.
But Sun went round so that Coyote came back at night to the place
from which he started in the morning.
The next morning, Coyote asked Pokoh to show him the trail. Pokoh
showed him, and Coyote traveled all day and came back at night to
the same place again.
But the third day, Coyote started early and went out on the trail
to the edge of the world and sat down on the hole where the sun
came up. While waiting for the sun he pointed with his bow and arrow
at different places and pretended to shoot. He also pretended not
to see the sun. When Sun came up, he told Coyote to get out of his
way.
Coyote told him to go around; that it was his trail. But Sun came
up under him and he had to hitch forward a little. After Sun came
up a little farther, it began to get hot on Coyote's shoulder, so
he spit on his paw and rubbed his shoulder.
Then he wanted to ride up with the sun. Sun said, "Oh, no";
but Coyote insisted. So Coyote climbed up on Sun, and Sun started
up the trail in the sky. The trail was marked off into steps like
a ladder. As Sun went up he counted "one, two, three,"
and so on. By and by Coyote became very thirsty, and he asked Sun
for a drink of water.
Sun gave him an acorn-cup full. Coyote asked him why he had no
more. About noontime, Coyote became very impatient. It was very
hot. Sun told him to shut his eyes. Coyote shut them, but opened
them again. He kept opening and shutting them all the afternoon.
At night, when Sun came down, Coyote took hold of a tree. Then
he clambered off Sun and climbed down to the Earth.
Native American Legends
Back to Top
Other Native American Legends
|
Native American Legends A-B