504 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. 
she gives birth to calf in ravine and joins those who escape slaughter, who now return 
home. Calf is taught by Wind name of its father and mother, and starts home sing- 
ing of its parentage. People are surprised, for they thought girl maiden. When 
chief is assured that girl is mother of calf, she is commanded to cease carrying sacred 
bundle. Henceforth, witch woman shall not carry bundle, and women of high birth, 
though unmarried, occasionally have children. 
64. THE HUNGRY COYOTE. 
Coyote is famishing, hears tramp of buffalo and sees calf. He questions calf, 
who sings to him, in meantime passing on by and thus escaping with its life, while 
Coyote dies of hunger. 
65. THE GATHERING OF THE PRIESTS. 
In village of Coyotes they are about to open sacred bundle and women are told 
to bring firewood, but they are on hunt, except one girl. She grinds corn and 
makes mush, which she takes to priests’ lodge. Priests are very grateful and sing 
her praises. Buffalo hunters are unsuccessful, but, because of mush, priests keep 
bundle open, singing allnight. In morning hunters are successful. 
66. THE MAN WHO SANG TO COYOTE. 
In winter time people tell Coyote stories. It is winter time, and in every lodge 
they are telling Coyote tales. Young man goes on hunt, encounters Coyote, and 
starts to shoot him, but stops for fear of bad luck. Thereafter he is lucky while on 
hunt, for sparing Coyote’s life. 
67. HOW THE CANNIBAL SPIDER-WOMAN WAS OVERCOME. 
Wonderful boy wearing his robe wrong side out sets out to find Spider-Woman’s 
village, who kills people in tree-climbing contest. He is met by boy of her village, 
who takes him into his lodge and his mother warns him of Spider-Woman. He is 
invited to Spider-Woman’s lodge by Eyes-Wide-Open, her errand man. He is 
offered human brains, but refuses to eat. In morning boy asks to be left alone in 
lodge. Hesmears his body with white clay, spotting it with black, and ties feathers 
in his scalp-lock. He goes to contest and wagers his life against that of Spider- 
Woman and her children. Spider-Woman climbs tree, which falls, but she is not 
hurt. Boy prepares to climb, sings a song, and Eyes-Wide-Open asks to join his 
side, to which Spider-Woman assents. He throws robe aside, climbs tree, which 
falls, and he is unhurt. People run to Spider-Woman and kill her and her people, 
who are thrown into ravines over country. Eyes-Wide-Open is also killed. Boy 
declares there shall be no more cannibalism and causes tree to fall. He tells woman 
in whose lodge he has stayed over night that she and her child thereafter shall live 
about old trees,and they become mice, while he and his people shall live in tops of 
trees, and he becomes speckled woodpecker. Thus it is that woodpeckers live in tops 
and mice among roots of hollow trees. 
