276 THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE. WICHITA. 
46. THE COYOTE AND THE SKUNK, WHO INAUGURATED 
THE FEAST.* 
The Coyote (Ketox) lived by himself with ‘his family. He gen- 
erally had a hard time, for he was sometimes Jucky in killing game, and 
sometimes he was unlucky, for ‘he was a notorious coward. Once upon 
a time while he was out hunting for something to eat he found the 
Skunk (Niwechia), and was about to kill him, for he was what he 
was looking for. The Coyote said to the Skunk: “My enemy, I have to 
kill you, for I am hunting for such animals as you. I was about to 
give up, but now I have found you and I must kill you, for my children 
and wife are hungry.” ‘The Skunk begged the Coyote to let him live, 
saying that he would give him power to kill other animals with more 
flesh, if he would only let him live. The Coyote then asked the Skunk 
where he could find these other animals. The Skunk told the Coyote 
that the Beavers (Gidisgardahits) were having a medicine-dance near 
by, and that by his sending for these men one at a time the and the 
Skunk could kill a whole lot of them. The Coyote then agreed to this 
proposition and was instructed what todo. He was told to go, and while _ 
they were dancing to point out the fattest one in the crowd and beg to 
have him come and doctor the Skunk, saying that he was very sick. 
The Coyote went to where he was told to go and there he found the 
Beavers having the medicine-dance. When he arrived at the place the 
Coyote was asked what he wanted. In reply he said that his partner 
was sick and that he wished one of the men who was dancing would 
come over there to doctor him. The Coyote was requested to take his 
choice of the men, for they were all medicine-men. The Coyote looked 
at them, and he selected the fattest man that he could see in the crowd. 
After selecting him he and the medicine-man went out to where the 
sick partner was. When they arrived where the sick partner was the 
Coyote was asked what part of the man’s body was hurting him. The 
Coyote told his partner to turn over and let the medicine-man see 
where the pain was. Cum mephitis se supinavisset, Coyote eius caudem 
sustulit, anumque demonstravit. Tunc medicus locum inspexit wbi 
dolerem esse dictum erat, et dum ille vultum prope anum tenebat, 
mephitis in illius oculos defaecavit, ut caecus paulisper fieret. Then 
the Coyote took a club and hit the medicine-man on the head and killed 
him. ‘Then he went back to where his partner was. He cleaned the 
blood from the ground and told his partner that was a pretty good 
trick that they had done. 
*Told by Towakoni Jim (Towakoni). 
