March, 1905. The Traditions of the Hopi — Voth. 193 



65. HOW THE COYOTE WAS DECEIVED BY THE WREN.> 



HaHksai! A long time ago, when they were living in Orafbi, the 

 Coyote Woman lived at Ishmovala. She had four children. She 

 always went hunting mice and other little animals, which she brought 

 to her children and fed them to the latter. She went to the spring, 

 Flute Spring (L^nva) and Dawn Spring (TaMova), after water for 

 her children, but as she had no water vessel she brought the water 

 in her mouth. When she had given one of the children to drink she 

 would run again and get some more for the other children until they 

 were all satisfied. In that way she was feeding and watering her 

 children. 



One time she again went after water to the Dawn Spring, filling 

 her mouth very full. When she returned she saw a Wren sitting on 

 a rock, and when she came near the bird, the latter was jumping up 

 and down from one rock to another singing as follows : 



Calapongki, cholo, cholo, 



Calapongki, cholo, cholo, 



Riuw, riuw. 



When the Coyote saw it she had to laugh, and spilled the water from 

 her mouth. "Now then, why are you dancing there that way that 

 I had to laugh and spill my water; I shall have to get some more," 

 whereupon she ran back to the spring to get some more water. When 

 she came back with her mouth full she thought that this time she 

 was not going to laugh, but when she arrived at the place where the 

 TlSchvo was dancing and saw the latter dance and heard him singing 

 in the same manner, she again had to laugh, saying : " Podh," by which 

 she again spilled the water. But this time she was angry and said : 

 "Why are you dancing and singing here that way that I have to spill 

 this water? My children are thirsty and they will die. Now, I am 

 going back to get some more water, and if you are doing that still 

 when I return and I spill the water again, I shall devour you." Here- 

 upon she returned to the spring to fill her mouth again. 



While the Coyote was gone the Wren slipped out of its skin and 

 dressed up a stone with the skin so that it looked like a Wren. 

 This artificial bird he put up where he had been sitting and he himself 

 slipped under a rock, waiting for the Coyote. [When the latter came 

 along the Wren began singing the same song from under the rock. 

 The Coyote began to laugh, saying: "Po^h!" and spilled the water. 

 She was now very angry. "Now then," she said, "you are still sing- 



• Told by TangAkhoyoma (Oraibi). 



