452 COYOTE TALES. 
129. COYOTE FAMILY RUN AFTER THE BUFFALO.’ 
There was a Coyote lodge upon the banks of a stream of water some- 
where in the northern country. Coyote-Man went off ona hunt. While 
he was gone a bunch of Buffalo came past their lodge. The children all 
turned out and began to run after the Buffalo. The mother of the 
children came running and told them to run on after the Buffalo; that 
they might as well run after Buffalo as to stay there and starve. The 
Coyotes, with their mother, ran after the Buffalo. They began to run 
after the Buffalo in the morning and in the afternoon they were some- 
where in the southern country. The youngest of the Coyotes began to 
give out. As the young Coyote fell behind he began to sing: 
I only wish he knew, 
That father knew of our running the Buffalo, 
These running Buffalo, these running Buffalo. 
These running Buffalo, these running Buffalo, 
Then again, father is pleased 
When his spirits are right; 
And when he runs his best 
His ears seem to be laughing. 
These running Buffalo, these running Buffalo. 
Then again, father is pleased 
When his spirits are right; 
And when he runs his best 
His mouth laughs to the root of his ears. 
These running Buffalo, these running Buffalo. 
Just as the little Coyote was about to fall down and die his father over- 
took him and passed him. The young Coyote stopped and began to 
sing again: ‘‘My father will now catch up with the Buffalo and will kill 
one ortwoofthem.’’ One ofthe young Buffalo gave out and the Coyotes 
surrounded it and killed it. When they had eaten the Buffalo, the old 
Coyote said: ‘‘Old woman, you and I must go back to our lodge in the 
north. What shall we do with these children?’’ Young Coyote said: 
‘‘Let us all scatter here and each one go wherever he chooses. In this 
way the country will be filled with Coyotes.’’ They all decided to scatter 
out and they didso. That is why the Coyotes were found everywhere in 
the country. 
1Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. The story is told to the young people to teach 
them that when they grow up they would go upon long hunts for buffalo. The 
story teaches the children that the Coyotes, by running after the buffalo, scattered 
out over the earth. 
