by Alan Nafzger & Lilly Tabbytite (Comanche)
Coyote was out hunting when he came across a rattlesnake. "Come over to my house tomorrow," Coyote said as they walked and slitthered along. We'll both eat together."
Rattlesnake arrived the next morning. He shook his tail as he moved slowly around the floor of Coyote's lodge. When Coyote heard this, he shifted to the side. He was not pleased. It made him nervous. The rattlesnake finally calmed down.
Coyote placed a large pot of hot rabbit stew in front of Rattlesnake. "Please eat, my friend. You'll enjoy it."
"I can't eat this. I don't understand your cuisine."
"What kind of food do you eat?"
"I eat the yellow corn flowers."
The coyote was taken aback, but he searched for some yellow pollen. "That's good," Rattlesnake said when he found some. Put some on my nose now so I can eat it. " Coyote moved as far away from the snake as possible and smeared some on the top of the rattlesnake's nose. "Come over here and put enough on my nose so I can find it," Rattlesnake said. He rattled a little, and Coyote backed away, but after a while, he approached Rattlesnake and rubbed more pollen on his nose.
"I'm going now," Rattlesnake said after finishing his meal. Come over to my house and eat tomorrow. "
Coyote reflected on what Rattlesnake had done and how terrified he had been to approach Rattlesnake. He put some pebbles in a gourd and tied it to his tail the next day before leaving for Rattlesnake's house. Then he continued on his way, moving on his stomach like a snake. He entered Rattlesnake's house in this manner, shaking his tail to make the rattle sound.
"Oh, my friend, I am afraid when you do that," the snake said when Coyote shook his rattle. Rattlesnake had a stew of mice on the fire and placed it in front of Coyote, staying as far back as possible, as if he was afraid of getting too close to Coyote. The coyote displayed his teeth. Rattlesnake reacted quickly. "Please, my companion, eat some of my food," he said.
"I'm afraid I can't eat your food because I don't understand it."
The rattlesnake persisted, but Coyote turned down the food. "If you put some of the corn flowers on my head, I'll eat them," he said. That is the type of food I consume. That's something I understand. "
The Rattlesnake collected some corn pollen but pretended to be afraid of the Coyote.
"Come in closer, my friend. Spread some corn pollen on my head."
"I am terrified of you."
"Come closer. I'm not bad."
A rattlesnake approached Coyote and placed pollen on top of his nose. Coyote attempted to take it with his tongue. He didn't have a snake's tongue, so he couldn't get to the pollen. He tried repeatedly, putting his tongue on one side of his nose and then the other, but he couldn't get to the pollen. To hide his laughter, the snake had turned away. Finally, Coyote stated that he was not hungry and would eat later. He began to walk away, clutching his tail and shaking his rattle. "Oh, my companion, I am so afraid," the snake said as it backed away.
Later on, Coyote was still crawling along on his belly like a snake. "What a fool I was. I wouldn't eat any of the snake's stew because it was delicious. I'm just hungry right now."
He continued in this manner, looking for something to eat.