Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/66

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BOAS]
KUTENAI TALES
51

35. Coyote and Caribou

There were two—(Coyote and) Caribou. Caribou started. Coyote was angry. | He thought he would kill Caribou. Coyote said: | "Why does it take you so long?" Caribou said: "I eat | small grass and I quickly get fat." Coyote killed || Caribou. Coyote came along. He entered | (Caribou's) tent. Caribou was dead. Coyote cried. He said: | "I loved my friend." Enough. |

36. Coyote and Owl[1]

Owl stole children. Coyote said: | "I'll be a child." Coyote cried in the evening. He was told: || "You make a bad noise. Owl may almost take you away." | Coyote was taken. He was thrown out of the doorway. Owl took him along. | He carried him along. He said: "I am Coyote." Owl was told: | "Let us dance!" Coyote and Owl danced. Coyote | killed Owl, who had stolen the children. They started back. || He said: "I killed Owl." Enough. |

37. Coyote and Deer

He went along. He saw Deer. He thought he would kill him. | The wind was blowing and frightened him. He did thus to it. He went on. He stood there holding (in the hand) | his head thus. Coyote said: "Is that your father's war bonnet?" | The thing said: "What is it? Do you forget that you killed me?" || Coyote said: "I thought it was nothing." Enough.[2] |

[Nos. 38-44. Description of Dances, Games, and Hunting]

38. Kissing Dance

The drum is beaten. Men and women dance and kiss one another. In return blankets are given. Another person is kissed and many things are given.

39. Sun Dance

They build a tent to have a Sun dance. The Sun-dance leader is master.


  1. See pp. 20, 37.
  2. This story was not known to my informants. It seems to mean that Coyote intended to kill Deer and in pursuing him was frightened by the wind. It seems that then he shot Deer, and Deer was standing there holding his own head in his hands. He did not recognize it, and asked the Deer: "Is that your father's war bonnet?"