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
the food. “Now,” said he, “I am contented; I am no longer hungry;”
and he returned to the cougar, pretending he had offered the food to
Ko´pĭshtaia, and so the remaining eight nights the coyote ate the food
which was given him by the cougar to offer to Ko´pĭshtaia, but he said
nothing of this to anyone. The cougar grew to be straight and had
no belly, but the coyote did not change in appearance, and the sixth
night the cougar began to suspect that the coyote was not making his
offerings to Ko´pĭshtaia. The coyote told the cougar each night that
he was contented and was not hungry. “I think you are a little sad,”
the cougar replied. “No, I am not sad; my stomach is strong,” said
the coyote, “I can fast eight days; I wonder that I am not a little
sad. Why am I not hungry? I feel strong all the time that I am passing
about.”
On the seventh day the cougar and the coyote worked very hard all day
making hä´chamoni, and when the work was completed the cougar taught
the coyote the song which he would sing as ho´naaite of the Coyote
Society. They sang all the eighth day and night and at the conclusion
of the song the coyote was ordained a ho´naaite. Then said the cougar
to the coyote, “Go now and kill a deer, and when you kill the deer
bring the meat here and we will eat,” and the coyote said, “It is
well;” and he went to hunt the deer. In the early morning the coyote
saw a deer, but the deer ran fast, and, though he followed him all day,
he could not get close enough to catch him; he did not carry arrows,
but was to catch him with his hands, and at night the coyote returned
worn out. While the coyote was absent the cougar thought, “I guess the
coyote will be gone all day,” and when evening came and the coyote was
still absent he thought, “The coyote has not a good head or thoughts
for a ho´naaite.” When the coyote returned at night the cougar said,
“Why have you been gone all day and come back without a deer?” “I
saw a deer,” said the coyote, “early this morning, and I ran all day
following him; I went very far and am tired.” “Well,” said the cougar,
“why is it your head and heart cared to be a ho´naaite? I gave you food
for Ko´pĭshtaia and you, coyote, you ate the food that should have been
given to Ko´pĭshtaia; this is why you did not catch the deer to-day.
Had you given the food to Ko´pĭshtaia, instead of eating it, you would
have caught the deer.” The coyote thought much, but did not say a word.
He slept that night in the cougar’s house, and at dawn the cougar said
to one of his own people, “you go and catch a deer.” “Well, be it so,”
said the companion, and he started for the deer before the sun was up.
In a short time he saw one; it was very near him, and with one jump
he sprang upon the game and caught it before the sun was yet up, and
hurrying back to the house of his chief he said, “Here is the meat of
the deer.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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