Continuing his travels, he came to a place where he saw Blue-Grouse throwing his eyes up in the air and catching them. Coyote said to himself, “I can also perform that feat,” so he pulled out his eyes and threw them up in the air; but Raven caught them and flew away with them, so Coyote was left without eyes and unable to see. He went groping about, and, coming to a patch of kinnikinnik, or bearberries, he selected two of the berries, and put them in his eye-sockets as substitutes for eyes. He was then able to see a little, but only very dimly. Continuing his journey, he came to the out-skirts of a village where some boys were playing. One boy who was near him called him “red-eyes” and other sarcastic names. Coyote said, “Although my eyes are red, I can see as well as you can. I can see the Pleiades (nxa’us).” The boy laughed and said, “How can you see the Pleiades? It is just noon. I know now for a certainty that you cannot see with your red eyes.” Then Coyote seized the boy, and, taking out his eyes, put them in his own head, and, putting his bearberry eyes in the boy’s head, he turned him into a bird called tcela’uin,

Taken from: Mythology of the Thompson River Indians – Myths and Tales of the Uta’mqt collected by James Alexander Teit, 1911

Coyote was walking along a trail on the side-hills above a river. The weather was very hot; and there was no shade, nor were there trees, the slopes consisting of sand, clay, small rocks, and sagebrush. He felt very thirsty, and went down to the river to drink. He ascended to the trail again, but soon got thirsty. Again he descended to the river and drank. He said, “It is too hot. If I climb back to the trail again, I shall soon get thirsty. I better walk along the river.” The walking was rough along the banks of the river, there being many boulders; and there were no trees there, either, to shade him. He drank often, but said, “The water does not do me any good. I cannot keep cool, and am always dry. It is too far to go to drink. I will walk in the river.” Still he was not cool enough, and said, ” I am too hot yet, and I have to bend too far to drink. I will walk where it is deeper.” He walked out until he could lap the water without bending; then the current caught him at a point in the stream, and carried him away. He could not get out; and to keep afloat, he changed himself into an old log, and in this form was carried to another country, where he was stranded among bushed and grass. There were many rabbits, and some of them came for shelter -under the sides of the log. They said. “Here is a nice log to hide under.” -When many of them were underneath, he rolled over and killed them. Then he assumed his natural form, made a fire, and cooked and ate the rabbits, for he was very hungry.

Version 2

Coyote was traveling in very hot weather, and where there was no shade. Feeling very hot and thirsty, he called on the clouds to shade him. Not satisfied with them he called on the rain. Not satisfied with the rain, he called on a creek to flow, and then on a river, which carried him off his feet, and took him to a distant country.

Taken from: Myths and Tales from Nicola Valley and Fraser River collected by James Alexander Teit, 1911

Arriving at Lower Nicola, Coyote saw a number of men going up a bluff on the south side of the river to hunt, and transformed them into pinnacles of clay and rock. Lower down Nicola River he saw some people moving camp, and transformed them with their packs into pieces of clay and stones.

Taken from: Myths and Tales from Nicola Valley and Fraser River collected by James Alexander Teit, 1911

Coyote on his travels came across a Xaxa’, who was busy roasting the meat of two deer he had killed. This man could kill animals simply by striking on the ground his magic staff, which was ornamented with fawn’s hoofs. Coyote said to him, “Why, surely you are not cooking meat! Chiefs never cook meat! Such work is fit only for women, slaves, and the likes of me. Let me cook for you.” Xaxa’, was flattered by what Coyote said, and wished to make himself out a great chief, so he threw the spits to Coyote and let him cook. Coyote said, “Great chiefs lie down, and do not work. When food is ready, they are called.” Xaxa’ lay down and fell asleep. Now Coyote ate all the meat, and ran away. Xaxa’ woke up, and, finding nothing but bones, gave chase to Coyote. When he saw he could not overtake Coyote, he set fire to the grass, and blew behind it; but Coyote set counter fires, and blew behind them; so his efforts were of no avail. Xaxa’ went back again, roasted the bones, and broke them up for the marrow. Coyote changed himself into a Fox, and, coming along, spoke to Xaxa’ in the same way he had previously done, and with the same result; the latter going to sleep, and Coyote eating all the marrow. Xaxa’ chased him again, but could not catch him.

Taken from: Myths and Tales from Nicola Valley and Fraser River collected by James Alexander Teit, 1911

At last he came to a house, which was inhabited by Wood-Tick (Kitse’in). He entered and the latter gave him some fat to eat. Coyote said, “I am hungry and naked, and would like to stay with you as your servant.” Wood-Tick agreed to this, and, pointing to a large heap of deer-skins, told him to tan them. So Coyote staid with Wood-Tick, and tanned many doe-skins for him, and made soft robes and clothes for himself.

After a time Wood-Tick trusted him, and sent him to get deer-meat. He gave him his staff, and told him to go up to a steep cliff overlooking the house, and to strike the rock once with the staff. He cautioned him particularly never to strike it more than once. Coyote did as directed, and, as soon as he struck the rock, a dead deer appeared at his feet. He skinned it, cut it up, and carried it home.

When Wood-Tick saw that he had done everything right, he made up his mind to send him for meat every day. On the fourth day, when Coyote was up on the rock, he made up his mind to strike it often and see what effect it would have: so he struck the rock with the staff until his arm was tired, and a dead deer fell at his feet each time. Then he said to himself, “I have now so much meat that I shall never starve;” and, returning to Wood-Tick’s house, he struck him on the head with a stone. After a time Wood-Tick revived, and cried out, “Get up and go!” Then all the deer became alive and ran away. Wood-Tick jumped on a buck’s ear and made off with the rest. Coyote got excited and ran to save some fat, but it got up and ran away. The robes in his bed, and the buckskin clothes he was wearing, ran away; and every piece of deer’s bone, hair, and skin around the place got up and followed the rest: so Coyote was left without food, and with only his robe, as before.

Taken from: Mythology of the Thompson River Indians – Myths and Tales of the Uta’mqt collected by James Alexander Teit, 1911