Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

One time a Coyote met a Turtle. The Coyote began to boast of his swiftness, and the Turtle said, “Why, I can beat you running!” So the Coyote said, “We will run a race to-morrow.” That night they parted, and went to their homes, so that they could get ready for the race the next morning. After the Turtle reached home he began to worry, and he could not get to sleep, for he knew that the Coyote could run fast. But the Turtle said to himself: “I will take him up there and go to the other Turtles, and ask them to assist me.” So the Turtle went to the other Turtles, and said: “I am about to run a race with the Coyote. I want you to help me.” He told them the place where they were to run, and the distance they were to run. So several Turtles volunteered to go and help the Turtle to beat the Coyote.

All the Turtles went to the place. They placed one Turtle at the end of the course; then they placed another one at a certain distance back of him; then another back of this one, and so on, and finally the Turtle himself took his stand. Each Turtle carried a long pole, and hid in the ground.

The next morning the Turtle met the Coyote. The Coyote began to run around and was happy, for he thought that he was going to beat the Turtle. The Turtle and the Coyote got ready to start. The Turtle gave the command to start. The Coyote ran and the Turtle crawled into his hole. When he got over a little ridge the Coyote saw the Turtle going ahead of him. Coyote ran and caught up with the Turtle. The Turtle threw his pole away and crawled into the ground. When the Coyote got to another knoll, there was the Turtle ahead of him again. The Coyote caught up with him. The Turtle crawled into the ground. The Coyote ran, and when he got up to another hill, there was the Turtle going ahead. The Coyote caught up with and passed him. At the end, the Turtle was at the goal, and the Coyote got up, and said, “You have beaten me.” This fine stretch of running killed the Coyote.

FOOTNOTES:

[57] Told by Standing-Bull.

57. THE COYOTE AND THE STONE RUN A RACE.[58]

The Coyote went up on a high hill, and there he saw a stone. The Coyote asked of the stone its name. The Stone said, “Run-Fast.” “A good name,” said the Coyote, “but I can beat you running.” The stone said, “You will spoil my rest, but if you want to race I will run with you.” The Coyote said, “All right, I want to race with you.” So the Stone told the Coyote to carry him to the top of the hill. The Coyote placed the Stone upon the hill and started him rolling down the hill. For a time the Coyote ran along side of him, then passed him. The Stone ran down the hill and caught up with the Coyote, and rolled upon his back. The Coyote then tried to shake off the Stone, telling him that he had beaten him and begging him to get off his back. But the Stone stayed upon the Coyote’s back. As the Coyote walked along the Stone grew heavier. It was now towards evening, and as the Coyote walked along he saw the Bull-Bats fly overhead. He told them to fly lower; that he had something to tell them. The Bull-Bats flew down. The Coyote told them that the Stone had been calling them names. He said: “When I told the Stone that I would tell you he jumped up on my back so that I could not tell you.” The Bull-Bats said, “We will take the Stone off.” So the Bull-Bats flew up high in the air, then came down with a swoop, making a peculiar noise upon the stone and cracking the Stone. The Bull-Bats kept on flying towards the Stone, until the Stone split in two.

After the Stone had fallen from the Coyote, the Coyote ran along making fun of the Bull-Bats, calling them names. He said, “You spoiled my hair by scattering some of these stones upon my back.” The Bull-Bats told the Coyote to go his way and they would go theirs. They separated.

FOOTNOTES:

[58] Told by Cut-Arm.