The trickster in Native American stories is a complex cultural figure who often combines conflicting characteristics: he is shrewd yet foolish, mean yet kind, cunning yet careless. The trickster takes the form of different animals, but the coyote is the most common. The first tale reprinted here, “A Satisfying Meal,” comes from the Hopi tribe. Members of a federally recognized sovereign nation, the Hopi Indians live primarily on a reservation in northeastern Arizona. They were first encountered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century and claim ancestry from the Anasazi Indians, who lived in cliff pueblos found throughout the Four Corners area (now New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado). The second tale in this section, “Coyote Gets Stuck,” comes from the Shasta (or Casta) tribe, members of which continue to live in their traditional homeland in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon.

A Satisfying Meal

Coyote and Fox are not very fond of each other because they are always competing for the same kind of food. So whenever he has a chance to play a trick on Fox, Coyote will do it.

One day Fox managed to catch a prairie dog. He killed it. He said: “This is a fine, fat prairie dog. It will make a tasty meal.”

Fox got some wood and made a fire. When the wood had been reduced to glowing embers, Fox pushed the prairie dog under the hot ashes to roast it. “It will take a while until the meat is done,” Fox said to himself. “I think I’ll have a little nap in the meantime.” So he went to sleep.

Not far away, Coyote came walking along, scrounging for something to eat, sniffing around. The wind brought to him a scent of roasted meat. Coyote’s nose quivered with delight. “Ah,” he said, “I am smelling something good.”

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Following his nose, Coyote came to the spot where Fox was sleeping. He dug out the prairie dog from under the still-glowing embers. He ate it up in no time at all. He said: “This meat is very tender, cooked just the way I like it.” He left only the bare bones. He took a little of the fat and smeared it around Fox’s mouth. Then Coyote went off laughing.

Fox woke up. He noticed that his mouth was greasy. He said: “I must have eaten the prairie dog. Funny, I don’t remember it.” He dug underneath the ashes and pulled out what was left—the prairie dog’s bones. “I was right,” he said, “I did eat the meat, even though I don’t remember it.”

Fox sat down on a rock. He was thinking. He said to himself: “If I had eaten that prairie dog, I should feel sated. Instead I am hungry, very hungry. Therefore I did not eat that meat.” He jumped up: “Now I know what happened. That evil trickster, that no good Coyote, has stolen my meat. I will find him and kill him!”

Fox followed Coyote’s tracks. Coyote saw him coming. Coyote said to himself: “Fox is faster than I am. I cannot get rid of him by running away.” So Coyote stood up and leaned against an overhanging cliff. Fox came running. “Watch out, Coyote, you miserable trickster,” he cried. “I’ve come to kill you!”

“Fool,” Coyote cried. “Half-wit! Don’t you see that I’m holding up this overhanging cliff, which is about to crush us both to death? Here, you lean against the cliff and hold it up while I go for a tree trunk to wedge against this rock wall, so that we both can get out from under it without being crushed. Lean against it real hard or it will flatten you. I’ll be right back!” Fox leaned against the cliff real hard. He waited and waited, but Coyote did not come back. “This evil Coyote has tricked me again,” said Fox, as he jumped away from the rock wall, still looking up to see whether it would fall down on him. “Yes, Coyote has made a fool out of me.”

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Once more, Fox followed Coyote’s tracks. He found him sitting on a tree stump near a stream. Again Coyote did not try to flee. Fox came running, foaming at the mouth: “Watch out, Coyote, this time I’ll make an end of you, once and for all. I’ll tear your throat out!”

It was sunset. The red setting sun was reflected in the stream’s water. “Nitwit!” Coyote shouted, pointing at the sun’s reflection. “Idiot, look at this hunk of fine red meat in the water. Instead of bothering me, you should try to get it before the current sweeps it away. Here, I’ll hold on to your tail to pull you up after you’ve grabbed the meat!”

Fox fell for it. As he jumped into the water, Coyote quickly tied a heavy rock to Fox’s tail. Fox drowned. “Finally I’m rid of this pest,” said Coyote. But of course he was wrong. No matter how often Coyote and Fox kill each other, they always come to life again.

Coyote Gets Stuck

Coyote was roaming. He encountered Pitch. Coyote greeted him: “How are you, uncle?” Pitch did not answer. Coyote said: “Did you not hear me?” Pitch remained silent. Coyote was annoyed: “Hey, I am speaking to you. Why don’t you answer?” Pitch said nothing.

Now Coyote was really angry: “You rude, impolite fellow, don’t you hear me? Are you deaf?” There was still no answer. Coyote was furious. “I’ll teach you a lesson!” he cried. Coyote struck Pitch with his right fist. It got stuck.

Coyote growled: “Let me go or I’ll kick you.” Pitch did not move.

Coyote kicked him with his right foot, which got stuck. Coyote tried to balance himself on one leg.

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He shook his left fist into Pitch’s face and threatened: “You evil, no-good fellow, I’ll knock you senseless!” He gave Pitch a good whack, but now his left hand was stuck.

Coyote got more and more frustrated. “I’ll knock you with my other foot,” he shouted. He got no reaction. He kicked with all his might and his left foot was stuck.

Coyote shouted: “You nasty lump! I shall whip you with my tail!” He struck Pitch with his tail, but it, too, got stuck.

Finally Coyote threatened Pitch: “My teeth are sharp. I will bite you to death!” Pitch still did not react. Coyote sank his teeth deep into Pitch and, of course, his mouth got stuck. He was helpless, glued to Pitch, unable to move. He could hardly breathe. He croaked: “Oh, my aunt! Help me!”

Coyote’s aunt was powerful. She came running to his aid. “Set fire to him! Set fire to him!” Coyote cried. Aunt took a burning stick and plunged it into Pitch’s side. As soon as the flame touched Pitch, he grew soft. He began to melt. Then Coyote could extricate himself. Coyote told his defeated opponent: “You will be nothing but pitch. People will call you pitch. Now you are no longer a person, you are just a gooey, sticky, unpleasant lump.” Then Coyote and his aunt went off to attend to some matter.