An Adaptation of A Miwuk / Northern California Indian Story
In the great darkness that surrounded the world, coyote
sits and listens to the sounds the animal people are making as they walk around bumping
into one another. With every roar and clack, grunt and woomph, coyote’s concern grows
for his people. "It is not a good thing that they bump into one another, and yet in
this darkness there is nothing else for them to do, I wish that I could make their life
better". Coyote thinks and he thinks and he even thinks some more, what can he do to
change their lives? Everything that he thinks of may be good for one of the animal people
but not for the other. "If there was only some way that I could find just one good
gift that would please all of the animal people, as well as helping them at the same time,
but what would it be?" At last Coyote stops thinking and begins to ask the animal
people what kind of a gift could he bring that would help them with their life? Coyote
finds that every single animal has a different idea in what would be a good gift to please
everyone, and not any of the ideas are the same. It is only when Coyote has reached the
end of every possibility that he goes to visit the soothing music of the rivers song and
sinks in the sand bank next to her clear voice. Coyote is inspired to follow her to the
beginning of her sound, where ever that may be and is sure that he will find an answer
there. Coyote finds more than a gift for his animal people, he brings back a spectacular
wonder from the beginnings of the river and gives it joyously to all of life we know
today.
COMMENTARY:
The question is asked at the end of the story to its
readers and listeners: "If you were a leader like Coyote, what is the one thing that
you would bring to the people to make their life better"?
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