i82 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VIII. 



When he had reached the top of the stirring stick, the woman said : 

 "Yes, we used to hke these jack-rabbits and cotton-tail rabbits very 

 much as meat, but your meat tastes so well too that now we like your 

 meat very much too, and hunt you." When she said this the locust 

 flew away with a hissing sound. 



58. THE COYOTE AND THE TURTLES.' 



A long time ago the Turtles lived in a river called Blue River 

 (Sakwdbayu), somewhere south-east of Winslow (Hom61ovi). The 

 Coyote was always hunting for something to eat. One time he was 

 also hunting for food near the place where the Turtles lived. The 

 latter would sometimes come out of the water and hunt cactus (y6ng6) 

 which they relished very much, and from which they have their name, 

 Y6ng6sona (pi. YoyAngosontu). 



One of the Turtles had a little baby Turtle. One time when they 

 were all going to hunt food again, the Turtle said: "I am not going 

 to take my child with me, because it is sleeping so nicely. I am going 

 to bring a cactus back with me and give it to my child." After they 

 had left, the little Turtle awoke, and when it found nobody there it 

 asked, "Where is my mother?" and began to cry, and at once came 

 out of the water. Looking for the tracks, it found that they led to 

 the bank and then way off somewhere. It followed the tracks for 

 some distance, but could not find any one, and so cried very bitterly. 

 The Coyote, hearing the cries of the little Turtle, at once hunted it 

 up and when he found it he said: "What are you singing? You are 

 singing something very nice. Sing again." "I am not singing," the 

 little Turtle said, "but I am crying." "What are you crying for?" 

 the Coyote asked. "My mother has gone away and did not take me 

 along," the Turtle replied, and continued to cry as follows: 

 Tingaoco, tingaoco, 



Waoo, waoo, h-h-h-h (these h's spoken in quick succession 

 while inhaling, to imitate the sobbing of a child that is sometimes 

 heard in connection with or rather after a cry). 



The Coyote again urged the Turtle to sing, as he called the crying, 

 saying: "If you do not sing I am going to devour you." The little 

 Turtle was very much afraid, but refused to comply with the request 

 of the Coyote. The Coyote repeated his threat, saying, "I shall cer- 

 tainly devour you if you do not sing." The little Turtle, thinking of 

 the subterfuge, said : " All right, it will not hurt me; I will then simply 

 live in your body." The Coyote said to himself, "Maybe the Turtle 



• Told by Qoydwaima (Oraibi). 



