Coyote 



greater than before, so that he is sharp-witted above all animals 

 in the woods. In return the grateful coyote befriended the man 

 and his children ever afterwards, doing many helpful things for 

 them. 



"When Kareya made the fishes he did not let the salmon 

 come up the Klamath, in consequence of which the Karoks, 

 who lived on its upper reaches, were sore pressed for food. 

 But Kareya had made a great fish dam at the mouth of the 

 river, and given the key to two old hags to keep, who never 

 ceased their watching, even to sleep. Seeing that the Indians 

 were nearly starved, the coyote befriended them. He made a 

 visit to the hags on an ingenious pretext, but only succeeded in 

 discovering that the key was kept too high for him to reach it. 

 He stayed all night in the cabin with the hags, pretending to 

 sleep, but watching their movements all the time out of the 

 corner of his eye. 



"In the morning one of the hags took down the key and 

 started to get some salmon for breakfast. Then the coyote hap- 

 pened to think of a way to get the key. Jumping up, he darted 

 under the hag, throwing her down and causing her to fling 

 the key a long way off; before she could scramble up the coyote 

 had seized the key and opened the dam. 



"Thus the salmon could ascend the Klamath and the Karoks 

 had plenty of food. But they had no fire to cook it with, be- 

 cause Kareya had hidden it in a basket which he gave to two 

 sleepless hags far towards the rising sun. So coyote promised 

 to try to get this second boon for them. 



" He stationed a line of animals all along the way from the 

 home of the Karok to the far distant land where the fire was 

 kept, the strongest near the fire, and last of all concealed an 

 Indian under a hill. This done, the coyote insinuated himself 

 politely into the good graces of the old guardians, and lay all 

 night by their hearth, feeling very comfortable and pretending 

 sleep. But he was soon convinced that without help there was 

 no way to elude their vigilance; so in the morning he stole out 

 and had a talk with the Indian under the hill, after which he 

 went back and lay down by the hearth as before. Presently, 

 as had been preconcerted, the Indian was heard hammering at the 

 door, as if to break it in, and the old beldams rushed out to 

 drive him away. 



382 



