COYOTE CHALLENGES THE SNAKE. 107 
along talking to himself, saying, ‘‘I thought so; Snake is not so 
poisonous as people think, and if I ever find him I will show him my 
power.’’ He kept going from place to place. Finally he came to one 
place and thought he would stop and rest for a while. He was not 
there very long when he heard some one calling him. He arose and 
looked around and saw Snake coming toward him. When Snake came 
up to him, Coyote asked him how he was getting along in the world, 
since he had been made so small. ‘‘ You look so small that I do not 
think you can do very much harm to any one, though I have heard 
“many times that you have much poison. They say that you are more 
dangerous than I, and so that is the reason I have gone from place to 
place looking for you. Nowthat I have met you I want you to show 
me in what way you are more powerful and dangerous than I am.’’ 
Snake said: ‘‘ Yes, I look very small to you, but you know that 
although I am small I am given power by our Father, and by his aid 
I have done many things in this world. I have killed many animals, 
large and small. Now you have come to see me, and whatever you 
want me to do I will do it; but first tell me what you want me to do.”’ 
‘‘ Well,’’ said Coyote, ‘‘ I want to see which of us has the most power.’’ 
‘‘All right,’’ said Snake, ‘‘ you may bite me just once anywhere you 
like, and I will bite you, too, and in that way we will see who has the 
more power.’’ ‘‘ But you have to bite me first,’’ said Coyote. ‘‘All 
right,’’ said Snake, and went up to Coyote and bit him on the top 
of his nose, and then said: ‘‘ That is all I can do.’’ Coyote stood 
there as though he was not hurt at all. He asked Snake if that was 
all he could do, and Snake said: ‘‘ That is the best I can do to show 
you my power.’’ Coyote said: ‘‘ Well, it is my time to show you my 
power.’’ ‘‘ Yes,’’ said Snake, and so Coyote came up to Snake and 
bit him nearlyin two. Snakecried out and begged Coyote to let him 
go. ‘‘Now,”’’ said Coyote to Snake, ‘‘ you lie there and I will lie here. 
We will call to each other every now and then, so that we can see who 
will live the longer.’’ Snake went a little way off and laid down, 
acting as though he were about to die. Coyote also went off a little 
way and laydown. He was thinking Snake would diein a little while, 
and so he called out to him. Coyote could just hear him answer in a 
weak voice, as though he was almost dead. After a while he heard 
Snake calling him and he answered with a big voice. They kept on 
calling to one another allnight. ‘Toward daylight Snake called Coyote, 
but no answer came from him. He called again, but still no answer. 
The third and fourth times he called, but there was noanswer. Snake 
went over to see what was the matter, and when he got there he found 
Coyote allswollenand dead. Snake was more dangerous than Coyote. 
