Coyote Sings
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Coyote Sings for his
Mother-in-law
Coyote's
wife had to go for a visit to her sister's. She
left
Coyote in the care of he mother so he would have
someone to
prepare his meals. To maintain the proper taboo's
she always
faced away from her Son-in-law, even during meals.
She would
hand him his food by passing it to him by putting
behind her on
the floor and then he could pick it up. They, as
all good Apaches
and Brule Siouxs, followed the son-in-law and
Mother-in-law
taboo of not talking or having contact very
carefully.
A week went by and a terrible blizzard came up,
which lasted
many days. Both Coyote and his Mother-in-law became
very
board with no one to talk to. Finally Coyote broke
the silence
by speaking to the top of the teepee, "I sure wish
I had someone
to talk to," he said. In a little bit Coyote's
mother-in-law said
to the cooking fire, "I feel the same way, but what
can you do?"
So they sat the
whole day Coyote looking up to the top of the
teepee flaps and the mother-in-law staring into the
fire. Both talking to the third parties, telling
stories and talking about all sorts of things. Soon
Coyote started singing to the teepee flaps. The
mother-in-law told the fire that the sound was
horrible , she wished it would stop. Coyote told
the teepee flaps that he voice
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strained from looking up all day.
Mother-in-law said, "Why doesn't he look some where
that is not up?' to the fire.
Coyote said to the teepee flaps, "I guess I'll look
at the fire." and started singing to the fire.
"Hey, fire, that sound just a bad," said
mother-in-law sarcastically.
"Fire, I sing a lot better after a good meal,"
suggested Coyote.
Mother-in-law prepared a nice dinner, but before
she passed the food backward to Coyote, he said," I
bet it
would be much easier if you didn't have to pass the
food backward to me," so they sat side by side
eating a
their food, looking at the fire.
After dinner coyote took out his drum and began
playing it and singing again.
Mother-in-law said, " that sounds a lot better, but
how about resting you voice, it sounds a little
tired."
But Coyote kept right on singing and singing.
After awhile the poor mother-in-law could not stand
it any more and said," It is really getting cold in
here,
I wish someone would get some wood."
Soon Coyote got up and went out side for wood. When
he returned, staked the wood, added some to the
fire
and sat down, he said, "It sure is getting cold in
here."
Moth-in-law yawned and said "I am tired I an going
to sleep," and began laying out the buffalo robe
bedding
for Coyote and then for herself. They both lay down
in their beds, but soon Coyote said,"I am still
cold,"
he complained. "When my wife is here she keeps me
warm at night. You are her mother, you are fat,
you
can keep me twice as warm as she can. You are
supposed to look after me." he complained.
The poor mother-in-law was tired of the singing,
tired of the arguing, and just plain tired, so she
climbed
into Coyote's bed to keep him warm. As soon as he
was asleep she creep out and put a big log right
next to
him
When Coyote awoke in the morning he saw the log,
ashamed he stared talking to the top of the
teepee
flaps again, " I sure wish my wife would come home
real soon."
This story when told in the proper setting to the
right people is a very "off color" tale. No one but
Coyote
would be foolish enough to have such contact with
his mother-in-law!
Bibliography
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