A Story Of The Coyote And The Bag Of Salt

I am Elijah. My Medicine Name is “Racing Waters”. My totem is a dolphin. A totem is your special animal. I am ten years old. I am very lucky to be able to tell you all this. I would like to share with you, one of the stories I know.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, “Coyote” and his “Wife” lived near a village. One day a great Ceremony was scheduled for two days away. They would be dancing and eating all day. The women would bake bread and other goods to get ready.

At that time, salt was needed to make anything, almost, taste good.

Now, Mrs Coyote said to her husband, go get a bag of salt from

Salt Lake. It is time for me to bake lots of bread. So, Mr Coyote ran to the lake as fast as he could. When he got there, he thought,I had better fill the bag with salt. But before he could fill the

bag half way, he fell down, and before he hit the ground, he was fast asleep.

Then a little Butterfly happened to be flying around. He thought of a trick he could play on Coyote. He went and got his buddies. When they got there, they all lifted Coyote and carried him away to his lodge and put him back in his hammock. When he woke up, he thought, I must have been dreaming when my wife said I had to go to Salt Lake to get salt.When his wife came in, carrying her bucket of water, Coyote knew it was not a dream. She said, Why you lazy bones, can’t you do a lick of work? She poured her water bucket on his head.

He went back to Salt Lake the next day. When he got there, the same thing happened. And the day after that, he got there breathless, he filled his bag of salt. Then he fell down as fast asleep as ever.

This time the butterflies took pity on him and took him back to his lodge with the bag of salt.

Mrs Coyote got to bake the bread.

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