The Hens, the Grey Fox, and the Coyote

The Woodpecker made a guitar and gave it to the Butterfly to play on, and the Cock danced a pascual, and the Cricket danced with the Locust, and the Hen was singing.  While the dance was going on, the Coyote came to see what he could get from the feast, and the Grey Fox also came, and he brought some tunas (fruit of the nopal cactus).  They were very nice and sweet, and he gave one to the Coyote and said, “Here, Brother Coyote, take this nice mouthful.”  He had well rubbed off the spines, and the fruit tasted well to the Coyote.  It made his heart glad, and he wanted more.  The Grey Fox said to the Coyote, “I will give you more tunas, but you must eat them with your eyes shut.”  He gave him some tunas from which he had not cleaned off the spines, and as the spines hurt the Coyote he became very angry and wanted to eat the Grey Fox.  But the Fox said to him:  “Don’t be angry, Brother Coyote:  I will give you a drink; and don’t howl, because there are dogs around.”  He went to the Cock and to the Hen, and asked them for tesvino, and he brought it to the Coyote and said, “Here, Brother Coyote, drink this.”  The Coyote drank two gourdsful, and then a third one, and when he had finished this he began to howl, because he was very drunk, and he asked the Grey Fox, “Why are they all dancing?” The Grey Fox replied:  “They dance, because Miss Cricket married Mister Locust; therefore the Butterfly is playing on the guitar, and the Cock dances with delight, and the Hen is singing.”  But the Coyote said:  “I don’t want the Hen to sing; I want to eat her.”  Then the Grey Fox took the Coyote into the arroyo and told him to remain there, while he went to fetch the Hen.  But instead of the Hen he got two very fierce dogs and put them in a bag, and carried them into the arroyo, where the Coyote was waiting.  He was very drunk and very angry, and he said to the Grey Fox, “Why did you keep me waiting so long, you cursed old Grey Fox t” The Grey Fox replied:  “Don’t be angry, Brother Coyote; here I bring you some very nice Hens.  I was looking for many of them, that is why I remained away so long.  Now, shall I let them out one by one, or do you want them all at once?” The Coyote replied, “Let them out all at once, that I may have a good old time with them.”  Then the Grey Fox opened the bag, and out came the two fierce dogs; and they caught the Coyote and bit him and tore him to pieces.  The Grey Fox ran away and hid himself, but afterward he came and got the paws of the Coyote and threw them into a water-pool.

The Mountain Lion and the Bear

The Mountain Lion killed a deer, and the Bear wanted to take it away from him.  They fought, and the Lion won, and the Bear asked his pardon, because the Lion is more powerful than the Bear.

The Frog and the Coyote