Sacred Texts  Native American  Hopi  Index  Previous  Next 


The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com


67.--THE COYOTE AND THE TURTLE-DOVE.

Turtle-dove cuts her hand while rubbing out seed from tassels of kwikwi grass. It bleeds profusely, and while she moans Coyote approaches. He asks if she is singing and, when she says she is crying, he tells her to sing again or he will devour her. Dove sings again and Coyote imitates her and runs away. He stumbles over rock and falls down. He loses song and goes back to Turtledove. He makes her sing song again. He runs back singing, but again stumbles and falls, and again returns. Turtle-dove goes away and leaves stone resembling her in place where she has been sitting. Coyote says he has again fallen and forgotten song. He threatens to devour Turtle-dove if she does not sing. Receiving no reply he grabs what he believes to be Dove, but finds it is stone. He breaks all his teeth and blood streams from his mouth. He runs back and comes to spring Toríva. As he puts mouth to water he sees bloody face staring at him and runs away. He goes to several other springs, in which he sees same reflection and dares not drink. Finally he runs to Oraíbi, where is place where no one lives. He puts his snout into water and is just about to drink when he discovers skeleton staring at him from water. He is very angry and tears up rocks about spring, but is so exhausted he falls down and dies.


Next: 68.--The Coyote and the Blue Jays.