FEACHTENBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 193 



However, upon his fifth (command) it would not come open again. 

 In vain (Coyote) kept on speaking to (the tree). "Come open!" 

 There was not any (comphance with his request). He did not know 

 what he was going to do (for) himself. He called all beings, but 

 nothing was going to be done. Thereupon he hailed the little old 

 man Sap-Sucker. And then he came to him, intk^ed, and began to 

 peck from the outside. But he could not accomplish anything, 

 whereupon he said to (Coyote), ''I quit; I can not do anything for 

 thee." So then (Coyote) told him, "Thou shalt send the Wood- 

 pecker here." And then he came to him, indeetl, and began to peck 

 from the outside. He was not pecking long when a hole began to 

 appear. And then (Coyote) saw (the Woodpecker). Thereupon he 

 took a great fancy to him and said, "Thou shalt put thyself farther 

 in this way." But (the Woodpecker) told him, "After (the hole) 

 shall become bigger a little, I will put myself farther m." And then 

 after it became bigger (Coyote) said to him, "I wish thou wouldst 

 put thyself in again ! " So then he did it, indeed, whereupon (Coyote) 

 took hold of him quickly from the inside. And then they two began 

 to fight. They two did not fight long when (Coyote) lost his hold 

 on him, whereupon (the Woodpecker) escaped. In vain he called 

 him back. There was no answer (to his pleadings). Tiien (Coyote) 

 did various things to himself in vain. He did not know how he was 

 going to help himself. 



So necessarily he dismembered himself. Just a little at a time he 

 forced all parts- of his (body) outside. ^He had not yet come out 

 entirely when the Raven arrived. But he said to him: "Run away! 

 Perchance thou may est steal of me (some of) my (body) parts." 

 And after he had put himself out entirely he began to look around 

 everywhere. There was nobody in sight anywhere. So then he 

 rolled himself around and began to reassemble (his parts). Then he 

 stood for a long time and looked around. However, he could not 

 see well far off. Thereupon he began to feel of his eyes. Verily, on 

 one side (of his face his eye) was gone. So he said, "The Raven 

 must have stolen one of my eyes." He could not do anything. 

 So he went on. He was not going long when he came upon niany 

 grasshoppers. So he gathered (some) and tried to eat them. They 

 tasted good. Then he kept on going. He was not going long when 

 he saw a house, whereupon he went there. 



And when he arrived at the house he went in. The people were 

 gone; only one old woman stayed (there). Then that old woman 

 asked him, "Whence art thou (coming)?" — "I have come from 

 afar." — ^"And where art thou going?" — ^"I just travel aU over. I 

 am going to show thee my lunch." Thereupon he gave it to her, 

 indeed. "What is it?" (were the) words of the old woman. "Oh! 

 96653— 20— Bull. 67 13 



