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 was walking (along) a road. He saw a Rabbit lying on the edge of the road. Rocks were lying inside that Rabbit.

(Coyote) jumped toward it. He bit at the center of it.

“Ow… ! I thought it was Rabbit!” he said.

Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache Texts,1938, Harry Hoijer, principal author. Ethnological Notes by Morris Opler.
Told by Sam Kenoi

One fine day Coyote was out for a walk. It had been cold that morning, and Coyote was wearing his favorite blanket to keep him warm. As the sun walked high into the sky, on his daily journey. Coyote began to get too warm. Finally, Coyote began to sweat.

“This blanket is too warm to wear,” said Coyote who often talked to himself. “I don’t want to carry it around with me all day! I think I’ll give it away.”

Walking along the trail, Coyote passed a huge rock that stood at the edge of a steep downhill slope. He took off his blanket.

“Grandfather Rock,” said Coyote, “I wish to make you a gift.” Coyote took off his blanket and, with a fancy flip of the ends, he laid it ceremoniously on the huge rock. “I am glad to make this give away, for this blanket will keep you warm for many winters to come I hope you like it!” The rock said … nothing.

“Don’t bother to thank me,” said Coyote as he climbed up the trail. The rock said … nothing. Coyote stretched his long, long legs and climbed higher, for in those days Coyote’s legs were as long and graceful as Antelope’s. “Goodbye, Grandfather!” called Coyote. The rock said … nothing.

Coyote went along the mesa rim all day, getting into trouble, and putting his nose in other animals’ business. By sundown, it was getting cold, and Coyote started to shiver.

“Brrrr,” said Coyote out loud. “Where’s that blanket of mine?” Just about then Coyote came down the trail to the huge rock and saw his blanket. “There it is!” he yelped, and ran to it.

Coyote took hold of one end of the blanket and pulled. The other end was hung up on a sharp outcropping. Coyote pulled and pulled, but his blanket wouldn’t come loose.

“Give me back my blanket, you stupid old rock!” yelped Coyote, completely forgetting that he had given it away in the heat of the day. “Are you going to give me that blanket?” asked Coyote angrily. The rock said … nothing.

Coyote in haste and anger, came around to the downhill side of the rock, and jumped up, grabbing the other end of the blanket. Now the uphill end was caught on the rock. Coyote gave a good yank, and the blanket came free.

“That’s more like it,” snarled Coyote, wrapping the blanket around him, and starting down the mesa slope. Then the rock spoke.

“Groan,” said the rock.

Coyote’s yellow eyes got wide.

“Groan,” said the rock.

Coyote turned back to look at the rock.

“Groan,” said the rock, leaning downhill towards Coyote.

“Yipe,” said Coyote meekly.

“Groan,” said the rock, and it began to roll toward Coyote. Coyote ran as fast as he could, his blanket flying out behind him. The rock rolled down the mesa slope, end-over-end, singing its own deadly song.

The rock slowly gained on Coyote; even Coyote’s long, graceful legs couldn’t get him away fast enough. One end of the rock caught the blanket and Coyote flipped over.

“Crunch” said the rock-or was it Coyote?-as the rock rolled over poor Coyote, squashing him flat as frybread.

The rock rolled on, taking the blanket with it.

Coyote lay there moaning long after the echoes of the rock had ended. The valley was silent. The moon came up, and Coyote sang a sad, sad song to it.

Slowly Coyote lifted himself up on his now very short, bent, and scrunched-up legs. His tongue hung out as he trotted somewhat sideways-as coyotes have trotted ever since-down to the rock in the valley floor The rock lay on its side in the moonlight. It was sleeping on the blanket. Only the very corners of the blanket showed out from under the rock.

Coyote stood there for a long time looking at his blanket.

“I never liked that blanket anyway,” snorted Coyote, and he loped off along the valley floor under the full moon.

A story of many Southwestern and Western tribes
[Told by a teenage Dogrib Apache woman named Jane during a story swap at Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville, Illinois, September 20, 1987. - another title would be Rolling Rock]

Coyote’s house was not far from Rattlesnake’s home. One morning when they were out walking together, Coyote said to Rattlesnake, “To- morrow come to my house.”

In the morning Rattlesnake went to Coyote’s house. He moved slowly along the floor, shaking his rattle. Coyote sat at one side, very much frightened. The movements of the snake and the rattle frightened him. Coyote had a pot of rabbit meat on the fire, which he placed in front of the snake, saying,

“Companion, eat.”

“I will not eat your meat. I do not understand your food,” said Rattlesnake.

“What food do you eat?”

“I eat the yellow flowers of the corn.”

Coyote at once began to search for the yellow corn flowers. When he found some, Rattlesnake said,

“Put some on top of my head so that I may eat it.”

Coyote stood as far off as he could and placed the pollen on the snake’s head.

The snake said, “Come nearer and put enough on my head so that I may find it.”

Coyote was very much afraid, but after a while he came nearer and did as he was told.

Then the snake went away, saying,

“Companion, to-morrow you come to my house.”

“All right,” said Coyote. To-morrow I will come.”

Coyote sat down and thought about the morrow. He thought a good deal about what the snake might do. So he made a small rattle by placing tiny pebbles in a gourd and fastened it to the end of his tail. He shook it a while and was much pleased with it.

The next morning he started for the snake’s house. He shook the rattle on the end of his tail and smiled, and said to himself,

“This is good. When I go into Rattlesnake’s house, he will be very much afraid of me.”

Coyote did not walk into Snake’s house, but moved like a snake. But Coyote could not shake his rattle as the snake shook his. He had to hold it in his hand. But when he shook his rattle, the snake seemed much afraid, and said,

“Companion, I am afraid of you.”

Now Rattlesnake had a stew of rats on the fire, and he placed some before Coyote. But Coyote said,

“I do not understand your food. I cannot eat it because I do not understand it.”

Rattlesnake insisted upon his eating, but Coyote refused. He said,

“If you put some of the flower of the corn on my head, I will eat. I understand that food.”

The snake took some corn pollen, but he pretended to be afraid of Coyote and stood off some distance. Coyote said,

“Come nearer and place it on top my head.”

Snake replied, “I am afraid of you.”

Coyote said, “Come nearer. I am not bad.”

Then the snake came closer and put the pollen on top of Coyote’s head.

But Coyote did not have the long tongue of the snake and he could not get the pollen off the top of his head. He put out his tongue first on one side of his nose and then on the other, but he could only reach to the side of his nose.

His efforts made the snake laugh, but the snake put his hand over his mouth so Coyote should not see him laugh. Really, the snake hid his head in his body.

At last Coyote went home. As he left the snake’s house, he held his tail in his hand and shook the rattle.

Snake cried, “Oh, companion! I am so afraid of you!” but really the snake shook with laughter.

When Coyote reached his home he said to himself,

“I was such a fool. Rattlesnake had much food to eat and I would not take it. Now I am very hungry.”

Then he went out in search of food.

Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest Compiled and Edited by Katharine Berry Judson, 1912

Once upon a time, long ago, Coyote was sleeping so soundly that a covey of quails came along and cut pieces of fat meat out of his flesh without arousing him. Then they went on.

After they had camped for the evening, and were cooking the meat, Coyote came up the trail.

Coyote said, “Where did you get that nice, fat meat? Give me some.”

Quails gave him all he wanted. Then he went farther up the trail. After he had gone a little way, Quails called to him,

“Coyote, you were eating your own flesh.” Coyote said, “What did you say?”

Quails said, “Oh, nothing. We heard something calling behind the mountains.”

Soon the quails called again: “Coyote, you ate your own meat.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing. We heard somebody pounding his grinding stone. ”

So Coyote went on. But at last he began to feel where he had been cut. Then he knew what the quails meant. He turned back down the trail and told Quails he would eat them up. He began to chase them. The quails flew above ground and Coyote ran about under them. At last they got tired, but Coyote did not because he was so angry.

By and by Quails came to a hole, and one of the keenest-witted picked up a piece of prickly cholla cactus and pushed it into the hole; then they all ran in after it. But Coyote dug out the hole and reached them. When he came to the first quail he said,

“Was it you who told me I ate my own flesh?”

Quail said, “No.”

So Coyote let him go and he flew away. When Coyote came to the second quail, he asked the same question. Quail said, “No,” and then flew away. So Coyote asked every quail, until the last quail was gone, and then he came to the cactus branch. Now the prickly cactus branch was so covered with feathers that it looked just like a quail. Coyote asked it the same question, but the cactus branch did not answer. Then Coyote said,

“I know it was you because you do not answer.”

So Coyote bit very hard into the hard, prickly branch, and it killed him.

Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest Compiled and Edited by Katharine Berry Judson, 1912