🧚 The Girl Who Was the Ring [1]

By the bank of a river stood a lodge, in which lived four brothers and their sister.1 The boys made arrows.2 To the branch of a tree in front of the lodge they had hung a rawhide strap, such as women use for carrying wood, so as to make a swing for the girl.3

Whenever their meat was all gone and they began to get hungry, the girl used to send her brothers into the timber to cut dogwood shoots to make arrows.4 When the arrows were ready, she would get into the swing and the boys would swing her.5 As the swing moved, they would see dust rising all around the horizon, and would know that the Buffalo were coming.6 Then all four boys would take their bows and arrows, and stand about the swing so as to protect the girl and not let the Buffalo come near her.7 When the Buffalo had come close, the boys would kill them in a circle all about the swing.8 They would quickly carry the girl into the lodge, and would kill so many Buffalo that the rest would be frightened and run away.9 So they would have plenty to eat, and the dried meat would be piled high in the lodge.10

One day the boys went out to get wood for arrows, and left the girl in the lodge alone.11 While they were away a Coyote came to the lodge and talked to the girl.12 He said to her: “Granddaughter, I am very poor, and I am very hungry.13 I have no meat in my lodge, and my children also are hungry.14 I told my relations that I was coming to ask you for food, and they have been laughing at me.15 They said, ‘Your granddaughter will not give you anything to eat.’”16

The girl answered him: “Grandfather, here is plenty of meat.17 This house is full of it.18 Take what you want.19 Take the fattest pieces.20 Take it to your children.21 Let them eat.”22

The Coyote began to cry.23 He said: “Yes, my relations laughed at me when I said I was going to visit you and ask you for something to eat.24 They said you would not give me anything.25 I do not want any dried meat—I want some fresh meat to take to my children.26 Have pity on me, and let me put you in the swing, so as to bring the Buffalo.27 I do not want to swing you hard so as to bring the Buffalo in great herds.28 I want to swing you only a little so as to bring a few Buffalo.29 I have a quiver full of arrows to keep the Buffalo off.”30

The girl said: “No, grandfather, I cannot do this.31 My brothers are away.32 Without them we can do nothing.”33

Then the Coyote slapped his breast and said: “Look at me.34 Am I not a man and strong?35 I can run around you fast, after you are in the swing, and I can keep the Buffalo off.36 I can shoot clear through a Buffalo.37 I have plenty of arrows, and I need only use a single one for each Buffalo.38 Come on, I want to swing you just a little, so that but few Buffalo will come.”39 So he coaxed the girl, but still she refused.40

After he had begged her for a long time, she agreed to let him swing her a little, and got in the swing.41 He began to swing her, at first gently, but all at once he pushed her very hard, and kept doing this until she swung high.42 She screamed and cried, and tried to get off the swing, but it was now too late.43 All around—from all sides—the Buffalo were coming in great crowds.44 The Coyote had made ready his arrows, and was running around the girl, trying to kill the Buffalo and keep them off, but they crowded upon him—so many that he could do nothing—and at last he got frightened and ran into the lodge.45 The Buffalo were now just all over the ground about the lodge, and suddenly one of the young Bulls, the leader of a big band, as he passed under the swing, threw up his head, and the girl disappeared, but the Coyote, peeping out of the lodge door, saw on the horn of this Bull a ring, and then he knew that this ring was the girl.46 Then the Bull ran away fast, and all the Buffalo ran after him.47

When the Buffalo had gone, the Coyote came out of the lodge and saw that the girl was not there.48 He did not know what to do.49 He was frightened.50 Pretty soon he heard the girl’s brothers coming.51 They had seen the dust, and knew that some one was swinging their sister, and that the Buffalo had come.52 They hurried back, running fast, and when they reached the lodge they found the Coyote just dragging himself out of a mud-hole.53 He crawled out, crying, and pretended that the Buffalo had run over him and trampled him.54 His bow and arrows were in the mud.55 He told the brothers his story and said that he had tried hard to save the girl, but that he had not known that so many Buffalo would come.56 He said he had thought that the girl must be swung high, so that the Buffalo could see her from a long way off.57

The brothers felt very sorry that their sister was lost.58 They counselled together to see what they should do, trying to decide what would be the best plan to get her back again.59 While they were talking about this, the Coyote, with all the mud upon him, stood before them and said: “Brothers, do not feel sorry because your sister is lost.60 I will get her back again.61 Live on just as you always do.62 Do not think about this.63 Do not let it trouble you.64 I will get her back again.”65 After he had spoken thus, he said, “Now I am going to start off on the war-path,” and he left them and went away.66

He journeyed on alone considering what he should do, and at length, as he was travelling along over the prairie, he met a Badger, who said to him, “Brother, where are you going?”67 The Coyote said: “I am going on the war-path against my enemies.68 Will you join my party?”69 The Badger said, “Yes, I will join you.”70 They went on.71 After they had gone a long way, they saw a Swift Hawk sitting on the limb of a tree by a ravine.72 He asked them where they were going, and they told him, and asked him if he would go with them.73 He said he would go.74 After a time they met a Kit Fox, and asked him to join them, and he did so.75 Then they met a Jack Rabbit, who said he would go with them.76 They went on, and at length they met a Blackbird, and asked him to join them.77 He said: “Let it be so.78 I will go.”79

Soon after they had all got together they stopped and sat down, and the Coyote told them how the girl had been lost, and said that he intended to try to get her back.80 Then they talked, and the Coyote told them the plan that he—the leader—had made.81 The others listened, and said that they would do whatever he told them to do.82 They were all glad to help to recover the girl.83

Then they all stood up and made ready to start, and the Coyote said to the Blackbird, “Friend, you stay here until the time comes.”84 So the Blackbird remained there where they had been talking, and the others went on.85 After they had gone some distance farther, the Coyote told the Hawk to stop and wait there.86 He did so.87 The others went on a long way, and then the Coyote said to the Rabbit, “You stay here.”88 The others went on, and at the next stopping-place he left the Kit Fox; and at the next—last of all—he left the Badger.89 Then the Coyote went on alone and travelled a long way, and at length he came to the Buffalo camp.90 He went out to the place where the young Bulls used to play the stick game, and lay down there.91 It was early in the morning.92

After a time some of the young Bulls came out, and began to roll the ring and to throw their sticks at it.93 The Coyote now pretended to be very sick.94 His hair was all covered with mud, and his tongue hung out of his mouth, and he staggered about and fell down and then got up again, and seemed to feel badly.95 Sometimes he would get over near to where the ring was being rolled, and then the young Bulls would call out: “Here, hold on!96 Get away there!97 Don’t get in the way.”98