Myths and Legends of the Lipan Apache Indians by Morris Edward Opler

Author:Morris Edward Opler [Opler, Morris Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Google: 5PUZAAAAMAAJ
Publisher: American folk-lore society, J. J. Augustin
Published: 1940-01-15T05:24:24+00:00

34(a). Coyote Plays Hoop and Pole with the Beavers and Loses his Hide{167}

The wildcat went on his way and Coyote went on also. He came to a place where some beavers were playing hoop and pole.

They said, “Here comes the animal with excrement on his anus.{168} If he wants to play with us, pretend that you are losing to him at first. Let him win the game at first.”

Coyote came up then. He took the pole. He was eager to play. He asked those at the grounds, “Who wants to play with me?”

They didn’t answer. He asked again.

Finally one young beaver said, “I’ll play with you.”

They bet their skins against each other. They played. Coyote had a good time. He yelled and enjoyed himself. Finally the beaver lost. The coyote held the beaver down. He scratched him down along the inner side of the anus and the middle of the abdomen just as a hide is cut and took off the skin.

The beaver said to him, “Please don’t cut the tip of my nose off as you remove the skin.”

Coyote replied, “No, if the tip of the nose is put on the arrow quiver, it looks pretty. I want this skin for a quiver so I will take the nose.” So Coyote peeled the whole thing off, nose and all. He put the skin aside.

The beaver got up bleeding and ran. He went to the water and jumped up and down four times. Then he dove in the water and came up with a new skin. All these people did the same thing when they lost their skins, for they always bet their skins on the game.

They started to play again. This second time Coyote lost and the beaver won his skin back, for the same two were playing again. The beaver threw the skin in the water and it spread out and floated. Then Beaver dove under it and came up beneath it. The skin went around him and fitted to his body and stayed on. The beaver, in this second game, acted as though he was going to lose several times. He was just making Coyote feel good; he was leading him on, though he could have won at any time.

Now they played a third time and bet their skins once more. The game went back and forth. Beaver pretended he was just about to lose several times. The people shouted. Coyote began to lose. He played hard and yelled but finally he lost his bet.

They were about to take his skin off. They grabbed him and threw him down. They scratched him as he had scratched the beaver. They began to take his skin off. Before they finished he said, “Just leave the tip of my nose on.”

“No,” said Beaver, “on an arrow quiver it looks better if the tip of the nose has not been removed.” Beaver peeled the whole skin off.

Coyote got up. He was bloody all over. Blood was running down. He went to the bank of the stream.

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