Reading Notes: Apache, Part B

Story: Coyote Tries to Make His Children Spotted

Story source: Jicarilla Apache Texts edited by Pliny Earle Goddard (1911).

Fawns
I really enjoyed all of the Apache coyote stories. It looks like Coyote was very busy and always in some kind of mischief. However, there was one story where the Coyote was tricked into killing his young, and I thought it was pretty sad.

Plot Summary:

A Coyote encountered a deer in the Arroyo among the willows. Seeing the spotted fawns, the Coyote asked, "How do you make your little ones so spotted?" The deer told him that they are born that way. The Coyote did not believe it and said that he must do something to them to make them that way. The deer then told him that he digs a hole in the top of the hill where the wind blows and pile a lot of cedar wood in from, and set fire to it. The sparks that fly out makes them spotted.

The Coyote went home eager to make his children spotted. He did as the deer told him. They climbed over each other, crying until the fire killed them. 

When the fire had burned down he looked at them. When he saw their lips turned back and their teeth showing in white rows he said. "O, you are laughing because you are so beautifully spotted." He took one of them by the arm, but when he pulled, it came off. They were thoroughly cooked.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Prosaic Introduction

Image
Hello! My name is Kevin Monreal, I am currently a senior at OU, finally. One of the coolest things about my major, Information Studies, is the flexibility that it gives you to pursue your own path and interests. I want to use my degree to work in the IT industry, I already work part-time for OU IT where I'm obtaining valuable experience. In the future, I am hoping to focus more on the realm of cybersecurity. Last semester was a great semester for me, my two favorite classes were data mining and website design; I know they sound really boring for some people but I found them interesting, and I learned a lot. Last semester, apart from passing all my classes, a significant accomplishment was getting a 4.0 for the semester, finally bringing my GPA out of life support. I have lots of hobbies. I like to read, the most recent books that I read were "Beyond Good and Evil" by Friedrich Nietzsche, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Cohelo, and "Norse Mythology" by Neil
Read more

Week 2 Story: The Hare in the Moon

Image
Source: Rabbit in the Moon . The Hare in the Moon And it came to pass the Buddha was born a Hare and lived in the woods. With him lived many friends, and he taught those friends–animals and humans alike–many wise things: that the moral law should be observed–that alms should be given to the poor–and that holy days should be kept. One day the Buddha said: "Tomorrow is a fast day. Feed any beggars that come to you by giving from your own store of food." They all consented. An old friend and Cheesemaker came to Buddha. "I have nothing to give, oh wise Hare. For I have nothing to myself. My goats and cattle ran out of good grass in my fenced fields, and I cannot let them out because a Tiger has been taking them. My animals are starving, and I cannot make any cheese."  The Hare, thinking in contemplation on the Kusha Grass said "bring them here. I shall feed them my own grass and protect them." To which the Cheesemaker replied, "oh great Har
Read more