snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
Coyote Steals the Sun and the Moon
Illustrated by Frank Campbell
Coyote is a bad hunter who never kills anything. Once he watched Eagle Hunting rabbits, catching one after another – more rabbits than he could eat. Coyote thought, “I’ll team up with Eagle so I can have enough meat.” Coyote is always up to something.
“Friend,” Coyote said to Eagle, “we should hunt together. Two can catch more than one.”
“Why not?” Eagle said, and so they began to hunt in partnership. Eagle caught many rabbits, but all Coyote caught was some little bugs.
At this time the world was still dark; the sun and moon had not been put in the sky. “Friend,” Coyote said to Eagle, “no wonder I can’t catch anything; I can’t see. Do you know where we can get some light?” Eagle said, “I think there’s a little toward the west. Let’s try and find it.”
And so they went looking for the sun and moon. They came to the Spokane River, which Eagle flew over. Coyote swam, and swallowed so much water that he almost drowned.
He crawled out with his fur full of mud, and Eagle asked, “why don’t you fly like me?”
“You have wings, I just have hair,” Coyote said. “I can’t fly without feathers.”
At last they came to a Teepee, where the medicine man happened to be dancing. The people invited Eagle and Coyote to sit down and have something to eat while they watched the sacred dances. Seeing the power of the medicine men, Eagle said, “I believe these are the people who have light.”
Coyote, who had been looking all around, pointed out two boxes, one large and one small, that the people opened whenever they want light. To produce a lot of light, they opened the small box, which held the moon.
Coyote nudged Eagle, “Friend, did you see that? They have all the light we need in the big box. Let’s steal it.”
“You always want to steal and rob, I say we should just borrow it.”
“They won’t lend it to us.”
“You might be right,” said Eagle, “let’s wait till they finish dancing and then steal it.”
After a while the Medicine men went home to sleep, and Eagle scooped up the large box and flew off. Coyote ran along trying to keep up, panting, his tongue hanging out. Soon he yelled up to Eagle, “Ho, friend, let me carry the box a little way.”
“No, no,” said Eagle, “you never do anything right.”
He flew on, and Coyote ran after him. After awhile Coyote shouted again; friend, you’re my chief, and its not right for you to carry the box; people will call me lazy. Let me have it.”
“No, no, you always mess everything up.” Eagle flew on and Coyote ran along.
So it went for a stretch, and then Coyote started again. “Ho, friend, it isn’t right for you to do this. What will people think of you and me?”
“I don’t care what people think. I’m going to carry this box.”
Again, Eagle flew on and again Coyote ran after him. Finally, Coyote begged for the fourth time; “let me carry it. You’re the chief, and I’m just Coyote. Let me carry it.”
Eagle couldn’t stand any more pestering. Also, Coyote had asked him four times and it must be if someone asks four times. “Since you won’t let up on me, go ahead and carry the box for awhile, but promise not to open it.”
“Oh sure, oh yes, I promise.” They went on as before, but now Coyote had the box.
Soon Eagle went far ahead, and Coyote lagged behind a hill where Eagle couldn’t see him. “I wonder what the light looks like inside there,” he said to himself. “Why shouldn’t I take a peek? Probably there is something extra in the box, something good that Eagle wants to keep for himself.”
Coyote opened the lid. Now, not only was the sun inside, but the moon also. Eagle had put them both together, thinking that it would be easier to carry one box rather than two.
As soon as Coyote opened the lid the moon escaped, flying high into the sky. At once all the plants shriveled up and turned brown. Just as quickly all the leaves fell off the trees, and it was winter.
Trying to catch the moon and put it back in the box, Coyote ran in pursuit as it skipped away from him.
Meanwhile, the sun flew out and rose into the sky. It drifted far away, and the peaches, squashes, and melons shriveled up with the cold.
Eagle turned and flew back to see what had delayed Coyote. “You fool! Look what you’ve done!” he said. “You let the sun and moon escape, and now its cold.”
Indeed it began to snow, and Coyote shivered.
“Now your teeth are chattering.” Eagle said, “It is your fault that cold has come into the world.”
It’s true. If it weren’t for Coyote’s curiosity and mischief making, we wouldn’t have winter; we could enjoy summer all the time.