Trickster Tales
Coyote, Iktome,
and The Rock
[White River Sioux]
Coyote was walking with his friend
Coyote said: "Why, this is a
"Wow, a giveaway!" said Iktome. "You
"Ah, it's nothing. I'm always giving
"His blanket, now," said Iktome.
The two friends went on. Pretty soon
"Kola, friend of mine," Coyote said
Iktome went back to Iya, saying: "Can I
The rock said: "No, I like it. What is
Iktome returned and told Coyote: "He
"That no-good, ungrateful rock!" said
"Friend," said Iktome, "Tunka, Iya, the
"Are you crazy? This is an expensive
Coyote went back and told Iya: "Hey,
"No," said the rock, "what is given
"You're a bad rock! Don't you care that
"By no means the end," said the rock.
Coyote went back to the cave. The
All of a sudden Iktome said: "What's
"What noise? I don't hear anything."
"A crashing, a rumble far off."
"Yes, friend, I hear it now."
"Friend Coyote, it's getting stronger
"It is rather strong and loud. I
"I have a pretty good idea, friend,"
Then they saw the great rock. It was
"Friend, let's run for it!" cried
The two ran as fast as they could
"Friend, let's swim the river. The
"Friend, into the timber, among the
The two came out on to the flats. "Oh!
Coyote ran on an on, the big rock
Iya took the blanket and rolled back
A wasichu rancher riding along saw
The rancher put Coyote right in front
Friends, hear this: always be generous
Iktome. Along their path stood Iya,
the rock. This was not just any rock;
it was special. It had those spidery
lines of green moss all over it, the
kind that tell a story. Iya had power.
nice-looking rock. I think it has
power." Coyote took off the thick
blanket he was wearing and put it on
the rock. "Here, Iya, take this as a
present. Take this blanket, friend
rock, to keep you from freezing. You
must feel cold."
sure are in a giving mood today,
friend."
things away. Iya looks real nice in
my blanket."
a cold rain started. The rain turned
to hail. The hail turned to slush.
Coyote and Iktome took refuge in a
cave, which was cold and wet. Iktome
was all right; he had his thick
buffalo robe. Coyote had only his
shirt, and he was shivering. He was
freezing. His teeth were chattering.
to Iktome, "go back and get me my
blanket. I need it, and that rock has
no use for it. He's been getting along
without a blanket for ages. Hurry; I'm
freezing!"
have that blanket back, please?"
given is given."
won't give it back."
Coyote. "Has he paid for the blanket?
Has he worked for it? I'll go get it
myself."
rock-there's a lot of power there! Maybe
you should let him keep it."
blanket of many colors and great
thickness. I'll go talk to him."
rock! What's the meaning of this? What
do you need a blanket for? Let me have
it back right now!"
is given."
I'm freezing to death? That I'll catch
a cold?" Coyote jerked the blanket away
from Iya and put it on. "So there; that's
the end of it."
rain and hail stopped and the sun came
out again, so Coyote and Iktome set
before the cave, sunning themselves,
eating pemmican and fry-bread and wojapi,
berry soup. After eating, they took out
their pipes and had a smoke.
that noise?"
and nearer, like thunder or an
earthquake."
wonder what it can be."
said Iktome.
Iya, rolling, thundering, crashing
upon them.
Iktome; "Iya means to kill us!"
while the rock rolled after them,
coming closer and closer.
rock is so heavy, he sure can't
swim!" cried Iktome. So they swam
the river, but Iya, the great rock,
also swam over the river as if he had
been made of wood.
big trees," cried Coyote. "That big
rock surely can't get through this
thick forest." They ran among the
trees, but the huge Iya came rolling
along after them, shivering and
splintering the big pines to pieces,
left and right.
Oh!" cried Iktome, Spider Man. "Friend
Coyote, this is realy not my quarrel. I
just remembered, I have pressing
business to attend to. So long!" Iktome
rolled himself into a tiny ball and
became a spider. He disappeared into
a mousehole.
thundering close at his heals. Then
Iya, the big rock, rolled right over
Coyote, flatting him out all together.
to his own place, saying: "So there!"
Coyote lying there all flattened out.
"What a nice rug!" said the rancher,
picking Coyote up, and he took the
rug home.
of his fireplace. Whenever Coyote is
killed, he can make himself come to life
again, but it took him the whole night
to puff himself up into his usual shape.
In the morning the rancher's wife told
her husband: "I just saw your rug
running away."
in heart. If you have something to give,
give it forever.
White River, Rosebud Indian Reservation,
South Dakota, 1967. Recorded by Richard
Erdoes.
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