March, 1905. The Traditions of the Hopi — Voth. 2 h 



78. THE COYOTE AND THE GRASSHOPPERS.' 



Aliksai! The people were living in Shong6pavi. North of the 

 village (about three miles) , was a bluff in which a Sparrow-hawk had 

 his house (nest). A short distance (about half a mile), north of 

 Shong6pavi was a sand hill in which lived many Grasshoppers. These 

 the Sparrow-hawk relished very much and was constantly watching 

 them. When he would see the little Grasshoppers jumping about, 

 he would swoop down on them and carry them to his children, who 

 would quickly devour them. There were ten Grasshopper children, 

 all of whom the Sparrow-hawk killed, one after another. When they 

 were all gone their parents mourned over the loss of their children. 



At this juncture a Coyote came along, saying to the Grasshopper 

 mother: "You are singing nicely. Sing to me, too." "No," she 

 insisted, "I am not singing, I am crying. This Sparrow-hawk killed 

 all my children and I am crying. " But the Coyote would not listen, 

 and said: "If you do not sing to me I will devour you." Hereupon 

 the Grasshopper mother repeated her song: 



Wala, wala, chochon nacomta, 

 Tumaci kele nanakavoo 

 Itimuy uuyinglawu 



Uy, uy, h- h- h- (with a rising inflection to represent 

 sobbing). 



The Coyote at once ran away singing the song of the Grasshopper. 

 Arriving at a rock he stumbled over it and fell down, losing by that 

 the song. He tried to sing it again but was just able to say the first 

 syllable, Wa, Wa. So he returned to the place where he had left 

 the Grasshopper woman, the latter, however, had also left the place 

 immediately after the departure of the Coyote, leaving in her place a 

 stone that resembled the form of the Grasshopper. Arriving at this 

 stone the Coyote said, "I have forgotten my song, sing it to me 

 again," but received no reply. "If you do not sing I shall devour 

 you, " he said, * ' but still receiving no reply he grabbed the stone and 

 broke his teeth. The blood was running from his mouth. In this 

 condition he ran about to hunt food, but even when he found some 

 he could not eat it as he had no teeth, and so finally he perished 

 with hunger. 



' Told by Lomdvftntiva (Shupaiilavi). 



