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| 181 20. The Water-Elk (first version)1 wolf and coyote lived far to the west, close to the ocean. Wolf said to Coyote, “This country contains no game, no deer, no antelope, no big game. All we eat is rats. That is all we kill and we eat their flesh all the time. I think I want you to go down into the water to its bottom.” Many elk (akwa’gata) lived under the water. Coyote tried. He went close to the water and put his head down, but he felt afraid to go under. He said to Wolf, “I am afraid to go down. I want you to go.” Wolf said, “All right. I will go down in the water to hunt. I will hunt a big elk and chase it out. I will come out again after four sleeps.” Wolf told Coyote that he would leave two full quivers with him; one had hard willow arrows, the others were the reed arrows used by boys. “When I go down, for a little while the water will continue to boil. While it does this, you must not shoot in the water; you must save the arrows,” Wolf said, and then he went. After four sleeps, the water began to boil, and although the elk did not come, Coyote began to shoot arrows into it. But the elk failed to appear. He shot away all the arrows except one, the fire drill shaft. Then an elk came out. The elk walked a little way from the water to a nice sandy place where he lay down, rolled and shook himself, in order to dry his hair. He did this four times. Then Wolf lay on his back across the elk’s horns. Wolf said, “The hair is dry now; it is pretty good. Coyote, you shoot him now.” Coyote had no more arrows, only the fire drill. So he shot this, but it rebounded from the elk’s side. The elk walked along with Coyote at his side, shooting. After a short distance he began to trot and then to run. Coyote could not kill him, as he ran beside the elk. Wolf lay on the elk’s horns. The elk was running toward the east 182 | part ii with Coyote running by his side, shooting at him. But he could not kill him. Finally Coyote became tired and turned back home, while the elk kept on. He continued to run until he crossed the Colorado River at Needles [Wmka’vinyuwa, Mohave house]. Wolf said to himself, “I know this river. I have been here.” The elk went running on until he came to Huwa’l [a mountain close to Kingman]. Wolf said, “I call that mountain Huwa’l. I know that mountain.” The elk continued until he came to Bill Williams Mountain (Wgavau’la). Wolf said, “I know this mountain . I have been near this place before. I thought you were going to stop here,” for the elk did not stop; he kept on running. “I do not know what place you want to go to,” Wolf said to the elk. The latter ran on, going to the north of Sitgreaves Mountain (Wiga’akwaθa). Between Sitgreaves Mountain and Kendrick Mountain (Wiodji’a) the elk began to defecate as he ran. Wolf said, “Droppings, become elk and live around this place.” The elk ran by the north side of Kendrick Mountain and by the north side of San Francisco Mountain (Wihagnapa’dja) until he crossed the Little Colorado River [Hagaθei’la, salty water]. He continued to run on toward the east while Wolf lay on his horns. Wolf cried and thought, “I wonder what place he wants to go to.” He went on north of Gad’ia [a little black mountain south of Walpi]. He ran on and on into a country where we do not know the place-names. Wolf said, “I know this place, these small mountains, and the big ones.” They kept on going through a country where there is no timber, only grassy plains. They went on over these, running toward the east. I do not know what Wolf said about the country there. Finally they neared the eastern ocean. The only man who had women lived close to the water. Wolf said, “I am related to that man. Maternal grandfather, look at me. The elk carried me away. I am afraid he will carry me into the water. I want you to...

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