When the first person died Coyote was south of him, the meadow-lark to the north. Now the dead person began to stink. The meadow-lark smelled it. He did not like it. Coyote said: "I think I will make him get up."The meadow-lark said: "No, do not. There will be too many. They will become so many that they will eat each other."Coyote said: "That is nothing. I do not like people to die."But the meadow-lark told him: "No, it is not well to have too many. There will be others instead of those that die. A man will have many children. The old people will die but the young will live."Then Coyote said nothing more. So from that time on people have always died. Coyote said: "It will be best to put them into the fire." And so the dead were burned.Go Back To: Miwok Nation
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