21(i THE PIMA INDIANS [eth. axx. L'6 



fevered body. Coyote was sent to the sea to fetch the cooHng sand, 

 but it gave no relief. Rabbit asked for a shade of bushes that the 

 cooling breeze might blow beneath them upon him, but this, too, 

 failed to help him. The traveling shade likewise brought no relief. 

 His agony increased until death came to give him peace. 



For this first loss of life the people blamed Elder Brother, because he 

 had given Soft Child the teeth that made him a menace to all who 

 approached him. The disposal of Rabliit's body formed a serious 

 problem to the tribes, for they feared tlie interference of Coyote. 

 Said one, "If we bury him Coyote will surely dig him out." "If we 

 hide him,'' said another, "Coyote will surely find him." "If we put 

 him in a tree," said a third, "Coyote will surely climb up." Finally 

 the Maricopas proposed that he be burned, and in order to get Coyote 

 out of the way during the ceremony he was sent to Sun to get some 

 fire, for he always kept the flame lighted in his house." 



As soon as Coyote had gone the people called upon Tcu-utak(i) 

 MoAajt, Blue Fly, to help them, and this is how the first fire drill was 

 made. Taking a stick like an arrow, he twirled it to and fro between 

 his hands, the lower end restmg in a socket at the margin of a flat stick 

 that lay upon the ground. Soon smoke ascended, and the first fire 

 began to glow. Gathering fuel, they proceeded to burn the corpse. 



Wlien Coyote left them he was suspicious of their mtentions, and 

 said to himself, "I think they have some purpose in sending me 

 away." So he looked Ijack fretjuently as he went along, and .soon 

 saw the smoke ascending. With excited heart he turned and ran 

 back as fast as he could go. When he made his appearance the 

 people formed a circle and tried to shut him away from the burning 

 body. "Let me see my brother! Let me see with one ej-e!" he 

 cried as he rolled upon the ground. No one would listen to hmi, so 

 he ran round and round the circle seeking an opening. There was a 

 weak spot in the cordon where two short men were standing, and he 

 jumped over their heads, bit out the heart of the burning body, and 

 ran away with it. The peo])le pursued, but Coyote outsiri])|)cd 

 them. South of the Sierra Estrella Coyote stopped and laid the heart 

 upon the an bush, but the people came up and he fled again. To this 

 day that halting place is called Anfikam Tcukwoanyik, Place of the 



«"When Matyavela died, Mustam-ho, by his direction, started in to cremate him. The Coyote wanted 

 to eat the corpse. At that time there was no fire on earth. The Blue Fly put ii star in the slty: ' Go 

 over there and get me some of that fire,' he said to the Coyote. The Coyote was fooled, and scampered 

 olT to bring in the star. lie didn't Icnow that the Blue Fly hud learned the art of rubi)ing sticks together 

 and making fire. While he was gone the Blue Fly made a big fire and Matyavela was burnt up. 



"The Coyote happened to look back; he saw the blaze, and knew that something was up. lie came 

 back on the full run. .Ml the animals were present at the funeral; they saw the Coyote returning, and 

 formed a ring round the fire to keep him away from the corpse. 



" The Coyote ran round the ring until he came to the Badger, who was very short. The Coyote 

 jimiped over him, seized the heart of Matyavela, which was the only part not burnt up, and made off 

 with it. He burnt his mouth in doing this, and it's l)lack to this day."' John G. Bourke, Notes on the 

 Cosmogony and Theogony of the Mohave Indians of the Kio Colorado, ,\rizona. Journal of American 

 Folk-Lore, ii, 188. 



