The man thought this task was not worthy for him alone to decide, but he should let the animals decide for themselves. "Animals of the forests, at dawn tomorrow I will give each of you a bow and whichever you choose will determine where your rank lies," the man told all the animals. They would all meet in a clearing in the middle of the forest. A perfect position for the Old Man Above to observe from the sky.
The coyote, one of the biggest and most feared animals in the forest, was certain that he would receive the longest bow and instantly be granted the top of the food chain. However, the coyote figured the best way to prepare for the choosing ceremony would be to stay up all night in anticipation. "While all the other fools will be sleeping I will surely be first in line tomorrow and pick the longest bow. Then I will undeniably be the most important animal."
The owl, wolf, bat and all other animals of the night soon went to sleep, but the coyote did not. He stayed up all night fantasizing about how he would rule over all the other animals and what kinds of laws he would implement to the lands. The coyote stayed up for hours daydreaming and just before dawn it turned into actual dreams of his reign.
Soon enough the robin chirped to declare the sun had officially risen and the dawn had arrived. The Old Man Above took his spot in the sky to watch over the ceremony. By the time the coyote finally arose he was the last animal to pick his bow.
Only the shortest bow was left, but the coyote would not settle for it. He growled to the man who took pity on the coyote and appealed to the man above. Chareya knew that an animal this infuriated would eventually make his way to the top of the chain out of revenge even if he didn't belong there. So he compromised and made the coyote the most cunning of all animals. And so to this day, he is.
The Cunning Coyote from Nature Watch.)
Author's Note: I decided to tell this story from third person because I think that adds an ancient feel to it. This is one of the origin stories for the coyote so I thought it would be best to add more dialogue to really set the scene. I kept the basic outline of the story while adding more details and descriptions. Also, since this story declares all coyotes as cunning, I chose a photo that shows a little bit of their sneaky side.
Bibliography: Story source: Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910).
I think it's really interesting that both stories I read this week had coyotes at their center. It was definitely an interesting take on the coyote's cunning origin story, and it was written very well, in addition! I really liked how you characterized the coyote in your story, though. It felt very real, and very relatable to how I imagine a coyote feels about himself. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job! You really kept the feel of the story, told in the holistic manner that a Native American viewpoint of the animal kingdom's interaction in the creation myths. The image you used did a great job of capturing the emotion of the story. I enjoyed your story very much. I get a kick out of the coyote wanting to be the most important animal.
Great creative writing! I really like your writing style. I like the image you chose as well. It makes it easier for the reader to really connect with the story. I also like all the dialogue. It is very important that the reader connects with the characters and the best way is to have dialogue. Great story!
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