Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/84

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Boas]
Kutenai Tales
69

they felt comfortable, | because the Sun was setting. At night the | youth came back, and all thought that he should be | the Sun. The 45 youth was told: "You shall be the Sun." | In the evening he came back, because it was given to him | to be the Sun. The other youth, the younger one, | staid there. He was told: "You shall go in || the 50 evening; you shall be the Moon." Then he went off. | It had not been dark long before the Moon went up. | It was always light throughout the night. | On the following morning he came back. He was told: "Your elder brother shall be | the Sun during the day. You shall be || the Moon." These two became the heavenly orbs [Suns]. These | 55 two youths were thought to be good, | and they were glad. Then it was decided. |

Coyote was angry. He thought: "I will kill the Sun." | Then he made his bow, and he also had two arrows. || Then he went in the 60 night to the place where the Sun was to come up. | He staid there. On the following morning he took a good seat. | He lay on his stomach. Then he aimed at the right place. | The Sun rose. He aimed well | and was about to shoot. Then his arrow was burned. || It burned 65 quickly, and he threw it away. Then everything was on fire. He ran away. | There was fire on each side where he was going along. | He ran and went into the water. | He was almost burned. He saw a trail and | lay down on it. The fire arrived, and it turned back || because there was no grass on the trail. | He was saved. The people 70 saw that the land was burning. | Some one said: "Why is this?" They said: "Coyote is not here; | it must be he who has done it." Coyote said: | "Later generations of people will do this. || When there 75 is a fire, they will lie down on a trail. | Then they will be saved." Then the people said: | "Don't do what Coyote has done. | Later generations shall not | play Sun." Some one said: "Now you know what || to do." Then they were glad. They | scattered. That is 80 the end.

49. Coyote's Contests

There was a town. Coyote was thinking about (the future). He thought | there would be many generations of people. He thought of | the town where the people had been killed. He said to | his friends: