192 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VIII. 



64. THE COYOTE AND THE HUMMING-BIRD.' 



Ishyaoi! The Coyote was living at Ishmovala, west of Oraibi, and 

 a Humming-bird was living at TohchipcliooRpu. They both had 

 children and were good friends. One time the Coyote went to visit 

 his friend, and as he also wanted to find some food for his children, 

 he went north of the village to the place where the refuse of the village 

 was thrown, and looked for some pieces of skin, old moccasins, rem- 

 nants of hides, etc. The bird seeing it, went to a place close by and 

 quickly buried itself so that the bill only was 'protruding. When the 

 Coyote -came to the place where the bird had buried itself, he saw 

 something protruding from the pile of debris and said: "Thanks, I 

 have found a needle. I shall take that home to my mother and she 

 will sew a dress for herself. " So he took hold of the bill of the 

 Humming-bird and began to pull at it. "Ishana!" the bird said, 

 "that is my bill," and the Coyote saw that he had been fooled by 

 his friend. The latter laughed at him. 



They then went to the house of the bird, the latter entering the 

 nest, which was built in the side of the bluff. As the Coyote could 

 not get there, he sat on top of the bluff, and they conversed with 

 each other. When it was nearly evening the Coyote said : " I must 

 go home, it is evening. To-morrow you must visit me too." "All 

 right," the Humming-bird said: "to-morrow I will come." 



So they slept that night, and in the morning, after they had eaten, 

 the bird went over to the house of the Coyote; first, however, hunting 

 sopie worms in fields near by. After having eaten a number of them 

 it went over to the Coyote's house, and saw something protruding 

 from the ground close to the house. "Thanks, I have found a gourd 

 jug. I am going to take this home and when my mother pops corn 

 she will put it in here and I will eat it out of this." Hereupon she 

 commenced pulling at the supposed jug. "Ishana!" the Coyote said, 

 "that is my snout." Hereupon they went to the Coyote's house. 

 That having a large entrance, the bird, of course, could go in too. 

 The Coyote fed his friend juniper berries (lap6ci), the Coyote also 

 eating some. After they had talked a while the Humming-bird re- 

 turned to her home, and the two are probably still living there. 



' Told by Kwayeshva (Oraibi) . 



