Coyote Imitates Mountain Lion

by Alan Nafzger & Lilly Tabbytite (Comanche)

A Mountain Lion Imitation by Coyote

Coyote was walking along when he noticed a rock rolling down the hill. It rolled downhill toward some deer, who jumped. The Coyote looked up at the top of the hill, wondering who was rolling stones. Another stone rolled down past Coyote toward the deer, and the deer jumped once more. Then a third stone fell, and the deer jumped only slightly. They were well aware that it was only a stone.

Coyote was approached by another stone the next moment. However, this was a soft rock. The Mountain Lion had rolled himself up the hill like a rock and was now rolling down the hill.

"What a strange rock," Coyote thought. "It makes no noise when it rolls."

The Mountain Lion rolled right up to the deer, who were no longer alarmed by the rolling rocks. Coyote then saw a mountain lion get up, jump on a large deer, and kill it. The Mountain Lion picked up the deer and carried it up to a cliff where he could eat it while looking out over the countryside. The remaining deer bolted around the hill.

Coyote reasoned that this would be a good way to catch deer.

He rolled a stone down the hill toward the deer, who jumped. They did not jump as far after he rolled another stone. They only looked around when he rolled the third stone to see that it was just another stone. Then, like a mountain lion, Coyote rolled himself into a ball and rolled down the hill. He jumped up and tried to catch a deer when he arrived, but he couldn't. He was feeling dizzy. He simply collapsed, and the deer bolted.