The Sia: (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
History
The Sia: (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))
Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
Zia Indians
with all his might to increase the flame. “Oh!” cried the hare, “your
mouth is so close you are blowing the fire on to me, and I will soon
die;” and the coyote put his mouth still closer to the fire and thought
the hare must die; he blew with all his strength, drawing nearer in
his eagerness to destroy the hare, until his face was very close to
him, when the hare threw the boiling gum into the face of the coyote
and escaped. The coyote’s thoughts were now directed to the removal of
the hot gum from his eyes and face. It was a long time before he could
see anything, and his eyes were painful. When he realized the hare had
again escaped him he cried, “I am very, very stupid;” and he started
off disgusted with himself, and was very sad. After traveling a long
distance and crossing a mountain he came to a man (lynx) sleeping. The
coyote was pleased to see the man, and thought, “Here is a companion.
I guess the fellow has either worked hard all night or traveled much,
for he sleeps soundly.” And after thinking quite a while, the coyote
procured a slender round stick and thrust it into his stomach and
twisted it very carefully to gather fat. The lynx still slept soundly.
“I will tell my companion when he awakes,” said the coyote, “that I
have the fat of the deer on my stick,” and he laid it to one side and
began thinking. “Ah, I have a thought. In the old days my companion’s
mouth was not so large; it was small; I will make it as it was. His
ears were not so large; I will make them as they were. His tail was not
so long; I will shorten it. His legs and arms and body were longer; I
will lengthen them;” and he worked and pressed about the mouth until it
was reduced in size, and so he labored over the ears until they were
small, and pressed the tail until it grew shorter, and then pulled the
legs and arms and body until they were the proper length. After his
work was completed the coyote thought, “This is well.” Still the lynx
slept, and the coyote called, “Companion!” but no answer; the second
time, “Companion!” and no answer; none coming to the third call, the
coyote thought, “Why is it my companion sleeps so soundly? he must
have traveled hard or worked hard all night,” and again he called,
“Companion!” and the lynx opened his eyes and looked about as one does
when he has just awakened, but did not speak.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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