How Coyote One Night Caught the Moon

How Coyote One Night Caught the Moon

         A way back in the dreamtime, the evening sun, now only a glowing ember, slipped behind a rocky escarpment and darkness filled the land. Like small children, the stars scurried out onto the sky until they were more numerous than snowflakes.
         The stars sprinkled down enough blue light so that Coyote could leave his wickiup and tiptoe across the compacted dust of the desert. He had a family that needed feeding and he had never failed to provide.
         As he passed a sacaton grass clump, Pack Rat thrust his nose out of his burrow to investigate a strange new odor, which was Coyote's scent. His curiosity made an appetizing, light evening meal for Coyote.
         Coyote tramped on through the sparse vegetation until he came to a small pond: a lake in the desert. It was a spring-fed cienaga, cool and clear. Coyote knew this location: the water attracted small animals which he called prey.
         Moon peeked his forehead between two distant mountains. Then, moving as slowly as a tortoise, he climbed above the peaks until his full roundness shone. It was enormous! This was the first night of the Moon of Drying Grass and so Moon was at his plumpest and yellow as a summer poppy. When Moon was high enough he projected down a reverse shadow of light onto the mirror surface of the pond.
         Just for a moment Coyote gazed at this spectacle with awe and wonderment. He bent his head up in tribute and gave out a yodel. But he had work yet to accomplish and a hungry brood to feed.
         Suddenly the wind hastened and tousled the water's surface shattering Moon's reflection into ten thousand gold coins.
         Wind blew Coyote's scent far to the White North. Rabbit came out from his hiding place beneath a prickly pear, searching for the spare browse the desert offered. He did not see, nor smell danger. Instead he looked up to see the silhouette of his Grandfather, etched on the surface of Moon's face. In that split-second Coyote filled his stomach with a substantial supper.
         Wind nudged ahead of itself heavy, gray, moisture-laden clouds, which soon obscured the light of Moon. This was an impediment for Coyote for he could not see prey nor smell them.
         Before releasing the rain the clouds held, the Spirit People unloosed shafts of white-hot lightning. One bolt struck a tall pine tree and set it ablaze. But it was more than a mile away and Coyote dismissed it as of no concern. The kachinas playing with their lightning had ripped great holes in the clouds so that sheets of torrential rain poured out. Coyote was soon drenched to the skin beneath his fur. Coyote traipsed onward searching for an elusive meal for his people.
         As quickly as they had come, Wind swept the dissipating clouds over a hill and the storm was gone. By this time Moon had risen high in the sky and was much smaller and brilliantly white. Moon's image on the surface of the pond shimmered like mercurial silver metal, no longer gold.
         Coyote caught a glimpse of stirring beneath Moon's twin. He recognized it as the coursing of prey.
         Coyote stood on dainty paws but his hind legs were powerfully muscled. They catapulted him into the water. He was already soaked through. His splash scattered glittering silver gems like a new shower of sun sparkled rain.
         Coyote's jaws clamped on something big and round. He had caught Moon! Moon fought hard, wriggled and squirmed to get free, but Coyote bit harder. He paddled with his delicate feet to the bank of the pool where he hauled himself out and gave a brisk shudder to toss off the water.
         Coyote looked carefully at his prize: a great bulging thing glistening silver and almost half his size. He gathered Moon back up and loped gleefully back to his den.
         His vixen and her pups were ecstatic to see him. They danced acrobatically and yowled their delight. Coyote was sated by the gifts given him by Pack Rat and Rabbit so he did not partake. Instead he presented Moon to his family. The female and the three pups ate every bit of Moon . . . except for the scales and fins.