462 COYOTE TALES. 
139. COYOTE AND THE SALT.’ 
A long time ago the people did not have any salt. The people had 
heard of Coyote wandering over the land; that at one time he turned into 
a man, made a big fire upon a high hill, and began to roast some meat. 
Several of the people went up to where Coyote-Man was and he gave 
them pieces of roasted meat with salt on it. When the people ate the 
salted meat it tasted so good that when they went home they told their 
children to recite: 
Coyote standing yonder, 
Yonder on the hill by the fire, 
Give me some salt. 
I am going to eat soup from a wooden bowl. 
The children said this many times to the Coyote-Man, and the Coyote- 
Man finally promised the people to lead them to a place where they could 
get salt. In those times the people did not have any horses, so the men 
and women carried south their tipis and belongings upon their backs. 
Coyote-Man led them. They found the salt in the south. The people 
dug the salt in lumps and carried the lumps home with them. Coyote- 
Man disappeared and was never seen again, but after that, when the 
children saw Coyotes upon high hills, they recited this little ritual to 
remind the Coyotes that they were the ones who found the salt for the 
people. 
140. COYOTE AND THE ROSEBUDS.’ 
The Coyote people went on a buffalo hunt, and as there were no buf- 
falo in sight they sent scouts out over the country every day to look for 
buffalo. One day they sent out several, and one of them went off by 
himself. He went upon a high hill and saw that there were rosebuds 
from one end of the valley to the other. He sat on the hill for a long 
time until he thought of ascheme. Then he went home and sang this song: 
Pah-o-o-o! I come bringing news, 
But I must have compensation. 
The people listened and said: ‘‘ He brings us news of buffalo. Listen 
to him.’”’ As he came near to the village he sang again: 
*Told by Woman-Newly-Made-Chief, Skidi. The story is told to teach the peo- 
ple how they got their salt. 
Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. The story is told to the young people so that 
when they grow up they should never fool the people about the buffalo; that they 
should learn that when they saw buffalo they must go to the village and notify the 
priests so that the people might prepare to kill the buffalo. They are also taught 
in the story that they are not to turn out to be false prophets. 
