Native American Legends
The Coyote and the Hen
A Mayan Legend
Once upon a time a hen was up in the branches of a tree, and a
coyote came up to her: "I've brought some good news for you.
Do you want to hear it?" asked the coyote.
"Do you really have some good news?" the hen asked.
The coyote answered: "It's about the two of us." Hear
this, the coyote and the hen have made peace. Now we're going to
be friends and you can come down from the tree. We'll hug each other
as a sign of good will."
The hen kept asking if it was true what the coyote was saying:
"Where was the peace treaty approved, brother coyote?"
The coyote answered: "Over there by the hunting grounds on
the other side of the mountain. Hurry up and come down so that we
can celebrate this moment of peace."
The hen asked: "Over there on the other side of the mountain?"
"May God witness that I am telling the truth. Come on down
from the tree," insisted the coyote.
"Maybe you are telling the truth, brother. I see that the
dog is coming to celebrate the fiesta with us, because you and he
are also going to make peace. I see him coming near, I hear him
coming. He's coming fast and he's going to grab me, now that you
and he have made peace. Do you hear, brother coyote, do you hear?"
asked the hen. She was very happy and came down from the branches
of the tree.
The coyote accepted this explanation and ran away. As the hen said,
the dog was coming, that's why he left. The hen didn't want to come
down from the tree. She didn't fall in front of the coyote; if she
had, he would have eaten her. She realized he was just telling her
lies.
Thus ends the story of the coyote and the hen.
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