Maidu texts / by Roland B. Dixon.

  • Roland Burrage Dixon
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Maidu texts / by Roland B. Dixon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    dead. He is crying out.” (Then Earth-Maker) said, “Ye must go after him again. In all lands ye must come together. Ye must not lose him. Try for the last time (?).” Then they went after him (Coyote). 1 hey went in every land. All the time they kept travelling about, and by and by they gathered (his droppings) together. Every place where he had urinated, where he had defecated, every sort of thing that he had done, they brought together. When that had been done, they went off. They made a great tree grow, and therein they made him (Coyote) stay, in the centre of the tree, which they made to enclose him on all sides. And Coyote remained (in it) standing; and, having stood, it grew to enclose him on all sides. Then they spoke to him, saying, “Now, that shall be the end (of you). This shall put an end to (your) conquering us. Again (you) shall not trouble (us). (If) for four mornings he does not cry out, cannot make you hear, then in the evening, ‘He is dead,’ thus ye will say to one another.” Then they went off, and in every land they listened. Meanwhile the Filiated-Woodpecker came there flying. He tapped upon that tree, kept tapping, kept tapping, and, when it came night, went away. Again, when it was dawn, he came flying, kept tapping, and, when it grew dark, went away, flew off. Again, when it grew light, he came flying, tapped away, kept’tapping until he made a hole through. Coyote saw something moving through the hole, and said, “Well my cousin, make the hole a little bigger.” Thereupon, having stamped upon the hollow tree, he flew off. He did not fly back again. “I did very wrong,” said Coyote. “I did (what was) not at all good. Why didn’t I watch without saying anything?” Then he grunted, kept grunting until that gopher-head came out. “What shall I do?” said Coyote.
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