Coyote and the Rolling Rock Native American
Lore
One spring day Coyote and Fox were out for a walk, and
when they came to a big smooth rock, Coyote threw his
blanket over it and they sat down to rest. After a while
the Sun became very hot, and Coyote decided he no longer
needed the blanket. "Here, brother," he said to the rock,
"I give you my blanket because you are poor and have let
me rest on you. Always keep it." Then Coyote and Fox went
on their way. They had not gone far when a heavy cloud
covered the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled
and rain began to fall. The only shelter they could find
was in a coulee, and Coyote said to Fox, "Run back to
that rock, and ask him to lend us the blanket I gave him.
We can cover ourselves with it and keep dry." So Fox ran
back to the rock, and said, "Coyote wants his blanket."
"No," replied the rock. "He gave it to me as a present.
I shall keep it. Tell him he cannot have it." Fox returned
to Coyote and told him what the rock had said. "Well,"
said Coyote, "that certainly is an ungrateful rock. I
only wanted the use of the blanket for a little while
until the rain stops." He grew very angry and went back
to the rock and snatched the blanket off."I need this
to keep me dry," he said. "You don't need a blanket.
You have been out in the rain and snow all your life,
and it won't hurt you to live so always." Coyote and Fox
kept dry under the blanket until the rain stopped and
the sun came out again. Then they left the coulee and
resumed their walk toward the river. After a while they
heard a loud noise behind them coming from the other side
of the hill. "Fox, little brother," said Coyote, "go back
and see what is making that noise." Fox went to the top
of the hill, and then came hurrying back as fast as he
could. "Run! run!" he shouted, "that big rock is coming."
Coyote looked back and saw the rock roll over the top
of the hill and start rushing down upon them. Fox jumped
into a badger hole, but the rock mashed the tip of his
tail, and that is why Fox's tail is white to this day.
Meanwhile Coyote had raced down the hill and jumped into
the river. He swam across to the other side where he was
sure that he was safe because he knew that rocks sink
in water. But when the rock splashed into the river it
began swimming, and Coyote fled toward the nearest woods.
As soon as he was deep in the timber, he lay down to rest,
but he had scarcely stretched himself out when he heard
trees crashing. Knowing that the rock was still pursuing
him, Coyote jumped up and ran out on the open prairie.
Some bears were crossing there, and Coyote called upon
them for help. "We'll save you," the bears shouted, but
the rock came rolling upon them and crushed the bears.
About this time Coyote saw several bull buffalo. "Oh,
my brothers," he called to them, "help me, help me. Stop
that rock." The buffalo put their heads down and rushed
upon the rock, but it broke their skulls and kept rolling.
Then a nest of rattlesnakes came to help Coyote by forming
themselves into a lariat, but when they tried to catch
the rock, the rattlesnakes at the noose end were all cut
to pieces. Coyote kept running along a pathway, but the
rock was now very close to him, so close that it began
to knock against his heels. Just as he was about to give
up, he saw two witches standing on opposite sides of the
path. They had stone hatchets in their hands. "We'll save
you," they called out. He ran between them, with the rock
following close behind. Coyote heard the witches strike
the rock with their hatchets, and when he turned to look
he saw it lying on the ground all shattered into tiny
pieces. Then Coyote noticed that the path had led him
into a large camp. When he sat down to catch his breath,
he overheard one of the witches say to the other: "He
looks nice and fat. We'll have something good for dinner
now. Let's eat him right away." Coyote Pretended he had
heard nothing, but he watched the witches through one
of his half-closed eyes until they went into their lodge
and began rattling their cooking utensils. Then he jumped
up and emptied all their water pails. As soon as they
came outside again, he said, "I am very thirsty. I wish
you would give me a good drink of water." "There is plenty
of water here," one of the witches replied. "You may have
a drink from one of these pails."
But when she looked in the pails she found that every
one was empty. "That creek down there has water in it,"
Coyote said. "I'll go and get some water for you." He
took the pails and started off, but as soon as he was
out of sight he ran away as fast as his legs could carry
him. Afterwards he heard that when the old witches discovered
that he had tricked them, they began blaming each other
for letting him escape. They quarrelled and quarrelled,
and fought and fought, Until finally they killed each
other
