by Alan Nafzger & Lilly Tabbytite (Comanche)
The Wildcat and Coyote were sitting on a hill, talking about how they got their food. "Places where it rains like that we call "'lying on its back,'" Coyote said, referring to a narrow strip of rain in the valley. At those locations, there is usually a cornfield. "Let's go there."
There was a corn patch there that belonged to Horned Toad. Coyote instructed Wildcat to hide in the bushes while he went down to inspect the situation. "That's good corn down there, but we have to be careful," he said when he returned. The Horned Toad is extremely dangerous. "
They went down around midnight and ate the cake. When the Horned Toad heard them eating, he dashed out and chased them away. This happened three nights in a row. The wildcat did not escape on the fourth night. He was assassinated.
Coyote went to see Horned Toad the next day. Coyote disguised himself so that Homed Toad wouldn't recognize him.
"You certainly raise a lot of corn, Cousin," Coyote observed. "I, too, raise the corn." He showed Horned Toad his corn patch and said he had someone looking after it for him. "I'm glad I have a man looking after it for me." When someone breaks into your cornfield and steals corn.
"This is correct," Horned Toad said. "The only way to get it is to come here and request it."
"Yes, that's how it goes," Coyote said.
Homed Toad went in search of corn. He made it for himself and Coyote. Coyote requested a second meal, and Horned Toad prepared some more chicken. Coyote then requested a third meal, which Horned Toad refused to provide.
Coyote inquired four times. "No," Horned Toad said each time. When he refused, Coyote threatened him, saying, "If you don't get some more corn for me, I'll swallow you up." Homed Toad said the fourth time, "Go ahead and swallow me."
The Coyote ate Horned Toad and then went out into Horned Toad's corn patch to get more corn. When he looked up, he noticed birds circling and assumed they were after the catch. " "I've worked very hard on this field," Coyote exclaimed.
Coyote then returned to Horned Toad's house and napped. He was sleeping at the time. Homed Toad began to move around within him. Coyote awoke. "Those young ears of corn are like this," Coyote observed. "They give you indigestion." The coyote went out to defecate but couldn't.
He came in and promptly went back to sleep. He was sleeping at the time. The Horned Toad made a pssszz sound. The coyote jumped to his feet and looked around. The Horned Toad exclaimed "pssszz" four times. "It's always like this when someone dies," Coyote said for the fourth time. "The spirits return and make this noise."
Then the Horned Toad started talking. "What is this?" he inquired, clutching Coyote's stomach.
"That's my stomach," Coyote replied.
The Horned Toad went all the way through Coyote's intestines, asking what they were. Finally, the horned toad arrived at Coyote's heart. "What is this?" he inquired.
"That's where my heart is."
The Horned Toad used one of his knives to sever Coyote's heart. The coyote jumped up and died.
The Horned Toad had asked Coyote all of these questions in order to figure out how to get out. He exited Coyote's anus and returned to his corn patch.