harrington] children's stories 375 



The Old Coyote Woman and the Crow Visit Each Other 



Once there dwelt a Crow at Tauxgtho'ai. And the Old Coyote 

 Woman together with her young ones dwelt at 'Q'ai. Once the Old 

 Coyote Woman said to her children: "To-morrow I am going for a 

 visit to Tauxgtho'ai, where my friend the Crow lives. And so do 

 not expect me to return soon." The next day the Old Coyote 

 Woman combed her hair and dressed up nicely, and then went for 

 a visit to the home of the Crow. 



When she arrived at the home of the Crow, she was told to come 

 in. Wlien the Old Coyote Woman went inside, the Crow's house 

 was very beautiful. The floor was very sleek, like ice. As the Old 

 Coyote Woman walked about on the floor, she could not keep her 

 feet because it was so very sleek. As she rolled about she sat down 

 and she and the Crow talked together. Then the Old Coyote 

 Woman asked the Crow: "My friend, how did your floor get so sleek?" 

 Then the Crow said: "I just brought some mud in, spread it on the 

 floor, and then I rolled all over the floor, and thus my floor got sleek." 

 Then the Old Coyote Woman said: "Very well, I too, when I go 

 home this evening, will ask my children to make mud, and I will 

 take it into the house and I will roll, so that my floor will get as 

 sleek as yours." 



As they sat there talking thus, the Old Coyote Woman said: "We 

 ought to have something to eat while visiting." "Quite so, bring 

 me over that fire poker lying by the fireplace," said the Crow to 

 the Old Coyote Woman. The Old Coyote Woman brought the fire 

 poker to the Crow, and she began to whip herself on the nose. As 

 she whipped herself on the nose, a quantity of pinyon nuts dropped 

 out of her nose. After she had filled a basket with pinyon nuts she 

 set it for the Old Coyote Woman to eat. As the Old Coyote Woman 

 was voracious, she ate the pinyon nuts shell and all. In the evening 

 the Old Coyote Woman said: "Now I must be going home. To- 

 morrow evening you must come over for a visit to my house." Then 

 the Old Coyote Woman went back to her home. 



When she reached home she told her chOdren: "My children, the 

 floor of my friend the Crow is so sleek that I could not keep my 

 feet. So I too am going to make my floor smooth like that. So 

 you make mud outdoors right now, since the Crow is coming here 

 for a visit to-morrow evening. I want her to find my floor as sleek 

 as hers." The little Coyotes started to work making mud. When 



