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| 257 38. Porcupine and Coyote (second version)1 porcupine camped all alone. He made many arrows with very sharp points. He went to hunt deer. He saw two big deer. He lay down and crept along until he was right by the deer. He shot it in the shoulder. The deer ran a short distance and then fell dead. He started to butcher it with a large arrow because he had lost his knife. He kept looking for his knife and had followed his track back two or three miles when he saw Coyote burning trees to fell them. Coyote heard Porcupine talking, so he said, “What are you talking about?” At first Porcupine would not answer Coyote. Then Porcupine said, “I did not talk. I was just walking along.” “Oh yes, I heard you talk close to me. You said, ‘What did I do with my knife? I lost my knife? How can I butcher my deer?’ That is what you said.” And Porcupine said, “I did not say that. I said, ‘I want to make an arrow; I lost my knife.’” Coyote said, “No, you did not say that. You said, ‘I want my knife. I killed a deer and I want to butcher him.’ I want you to tell me. I have a knife and I will cut up the deer for you.” Then Porcupine said, “Yes, I was hunting near here and saw two big deer. I shot one dead. I want to cut it up but I lost my knife.” Coyote said, “All right, we will go over there. I have a knife. We will go over and cut up the deer.” They started to go, when Coyote said, “Where did you kill the deer?” “I killed it over there,” Porcupine replied. Coyote said, “I want to see it pretty quick.” They saw the deer lying on the ground. Coyote said, “Porcupine, will you run a race with me? Whoever jumps over the deer first can cut it up.” But Porcupine said, “No, we cannot do that. I want you to cut it up for me. I will not do anything with you. I just want you to butcher it and skin it for me.” Coyote said, “I want you to run a race with me.” “No,” said Porcupine, “we will just cut 258 | part ii it up and eat it.” Coyote said again, “We will run and jump over the deer.” So Porcupine said, “All right, we will try it.” Coyote said, “We will not go together. You go first; run up to the deer and jump over it.” But Porcupine could not jump. He tried to climb over the deer but fell down again. Coyote was very glad and laughed. He said, “Porcupine, I want you to stand there and watch me.” And Coyote ran as fast as he could and jumped high over the deer. Then Coyote said, “I beat you and I will cut up the deer.” So he started to cut up the deer while Porcupine sat and watched him. Coyote cut it up and took everything. Then Coyote cut a little piece of intestine off and threw it to Porcupine. Then Coyote wrapped up the meat in the skin and carried it off. He took the fat too. The blood was left on the ground and Porcupine just tasted that. The meat Coyote carried off he put up in a tree and then set out to his camp. He defecated near the tree and said to it, “When you hear Porcupine coming, I want you to call me.” Coyote went to camp. Then Porcupine followed Coyote’s track and came to the tree with the meat in it. Coyote’s feces called out. Coyote came right back, killed Porcupine, tore him all to pieces, and threw him away. Then he took the meat down, went on, and put it in another tree. He defecated again and told it to call him when Porcupine came. Porcupine got up and followed Coyote’s tracks. Coyote was warned and came back and killed Porcupine again. Coyote carried the meat further, put it in another tree. He defecated again and talked to it. He went almost as far as his camp. Porcupine followed his tracks again. He saw the meat. This time Porcupine saw what Coyote had done, and it wanted to warn Coyote, Porcupine picked up a rock and threw it in its mouth. Porcupine killed Coyote’s excrements and took all...

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