One Good Story, That One: Stories

A Coyote Columbus Story

A Coyote Columbus Story This page intentionally left blank You know, Coyote came by my place the other day. Shewas going to a party. She had her party hat and she had her party whistle and she had her party rattle. I'm going to a party, she says. Yes, I says, I can see that. It is a party for Christopher Columbus, says Coyote. That is the one who found America. That is the one who found Indians. Boy, that Coyote is one silly Coyote. You got to watch out for her. Some of Coyote's stories have got Coyote tails and some of Coyote's stories are covered with scraggy Coyote fur but all of Coyote's stories are bent. Christopher Columbus didn't find America, I says. Christopher Columbus didn't find Indians, either. You got a tail on that story. Oh no, says Coyote. I read it in a book. Must have been a Coyote book, I says. No, no, no, no, says Coyote. It was a history book. Big red one. All about how Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue looking for America and the Indians. 124 - Thomas King Sit down, I says. Have some tea. We're going to have to do this story right. We're going to have to do this story now. It was all Old Coyote's fault, I tell Coyote, and here is how the story goes. Here is what really happened. So. Old Coyote loved to play ball, you know. She played ball all day and all night. Shewould throw the ball and she would hit the ball and she would run and catch the ball. But playing ball by herself was boring, so she sang a song and she danced a dance and she thought about playing ball and pretty soon along came some Indians. Old Coyote and the Indians became very good friends. You are sure a good friend, says those Indians . Yes, that's true, says Old Coyote. But, you know, whenever Old Coyote and the Indians played ball, Old Coyote always won. She always won because she made up the rules. That sneaky one made up the rulesand she always won because she could do that. That's not fair, says the Indians. Friends don't do that. That's the rules, says Old Coyote. Let's play some more. Maybe you will win the next time. But they don't. You keep changing the rules, says those Indians. No, no, no, no, says Old Coyote. You are mistaken. And then she changes the rules again. So, after a while, those Indians find better things to do. Some of them go fishing. Some of them go shopping. Some of them go to a movie. Some of them go on avacation. Those Indians got better things to do than play ball with Old Coyote and those changing rules. So, Old Coyote doesn't have anyone to play with. A Coyote Columbus Story « 125 So, she has to play by herself. So, she gets bored. When Old Coyote gets bored, anything can happen. Stick around. Big trouble is coming, I can tell you that. Well. That silly one sings a song and she dances a dance and she thinks about playing ball. But she's thinking about changing those rules, too, and she doesn't watch what she is making up out of her head. So pretty soon, she makes three ships. Hmmmm, says Old Coyote, where did those ships come from? And pretty soon, she makes some people on those ships. Hmmmm, says Old Coyote, where did those people come from? And pretty soon, she makes some people on the beach with flags and funny-looking clothes and stuff. Hooray, says Old Coyote. You are just in time for the ball game. Hello, says one of the men in silly clothes and red hair all over his head. I am Christopher Columbus. I am sailing the ocean blue looking for China. Have you seen it? Forget China, says Old Coyote. Let's play ball. It must be around here somewhere, says Christopher Columbus. I have a map. Forget the map, says Old Coyote. I'll bat first and I'll tell you the rules as we go along. But that Christopher Columbus and his friends don't want to play ball...