The Bungling Host

This is a paraphrase of the version found in Barry Lopez's Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter.

One day there was no food at Coyote’s lodge. Coyote asked his wife Mole to make him breakfast and she replied, “With what?” So Coyote decided to go visit Bear. Bear always had food.

 When Coyote got to Bear’s lodge he called out “Brother Bear hello, it’s me, Coyote. I’m hungry. What have you got to eat?” Bear didn’t really like this, but he invited Coyote in and said that he would make some food.

 Bear put a few stones in the fire to make them very hot, and he got a large basket full of water. When the stones were ready he put them in the basket. Then he reached over a cut a strip of buckskin from his wife’s dress. He smeared some ashes on the dress and it was made whole. Then he put the buckskin in the basket of hot water. Coyote thought this was a silly way to make food but he didn’t say anything.

 When the water was boiling, Bear went outside and picked up a handful of pebbles. He dropped the pebbles in the basket and let them sit for a few minutes. Coyote wasn’t sure he was going to like this meal and wondered if he should have called on someone else. But when Bear handed him a bowlful, Coyote discovered that it was full of meat and huckleberries.

 Coyote ate and ate until his belly was round and Bear offered him the leftovers—there was quite a lot of food left—to take home to his family. “Bear,” said Coyote, “tomorrow you come over to my place and I’ll make you lunch.” Bear agreed.

 The next day, Bear came to Coyote’s lodge. Coyote told his wife Mole to bring him some stones and a basket of water. He heated the stones and put them in the water just as Bear had done. Then he cut a piece out of Mole’s only robe and put the buckskin in the water. Coyote rubbed the robe with ashes but it was not repaired. “That’s funny,” he said, “it has always worked before.”

 When the water was boiling, Coyote went outside and got a handful of pebbles. He added them to the basket. “Husband, what are you doing?” Mole asked. “What do you mean,” said Coyote, “I’m making food for Bear. You’ve seen me do this many times.”

 When Coyote served his lunch it was only boiled buckskin and pebbles. Bear had been very patient. He reached over to Mole’s robe, rubbed it with ashes, and made it whole again. Then he said to Coyote, “Look Coyote, this is my way. This is not your way. You are not a medicine man. You cannot do these things.” Then Bear left.

 Coyote went over and looked in the basket. It was now full of meat and huckleberries. “Look wife,” he exclaimed, “I have made food just like Bear. My medicine is very powerful, and he was afraid to admit it.”

 Some time later, Coyote again woke up to find that there was no food in his lodge. He decided to visit Kingfisher. When he got to Kingfisher’s lodge he called out “Brother Kingfisher, it’s me, Coyote. I’m hungry. What have you got to eat?” Kingfisher didn’t like this manner of speaking but he invited Coyote in and said that he would get some food. Kingfisher called his son and told him to go fetch three willow sticks. Boy Kingfisher did this, and his father heated the willow sticks over the fire until they were very hard. Then he put them in his belt and flew up to the roof of his lodge. He watched the river flowing below and suddenly dived down into the water through a hole in the ice. A minute later, Kingfisher emerged with a fish on each willow stick.

 He gave the fish to Coyote, who ate and ate until his belly was round. Kingfisher told him to take the leftovers home. Coyote said “Brother Kingfisher, tomorrow you will come to my lodge for lunch.” Kingfisher didn’t want to and said no. But Coyote insisted, “You come tomorrow, you’ll like it.”

 The next day, Kingfisher came to Coyote’s lodge. Coyote told his son to fetch him three willow sticks. Boy Coyote did this and his father held the sticks over the fire until they were hard. Then he put them in his belt just as Kingfisher had done, and climbed onto the roof of his lodge. Mole came outside. “Husband, she exclaimed, “what are you doing?” “Oh wife, I’m making lunch for Kingfisher,” said Coyote, “You’ve seen me do this many times.” Coyote dived into the river but he missed the hole in the ice and was killed.

 Kingfisher walked over to Coyote and took the three willow sticks from his belt. He dived into the hole in the ice and soon returned with many fish. Kingfisher stepped over Coyote. He stepped over Coyote three more times and Coyote came back to life. Kingfisher handed the fish to Coyote and said “Coyote, this is my way, not your way. I do not imitate others like you do.” Then he went home.

 Coyote took the fish back home to Mole, “Look at these big fish” he said. “I caught them just the way that Kingfisher does. My power is strong. He told me not to do this anymore because he is afraid of my power.”

 Mole cooked the fish.