by Alan Nafzger & Lilly Tabbytite (Comanche)
There was a camp out on the plains where the hunters were never successful. They couldn't comprehend it. Every time they went hunting, the game scattered and hid in places where they couldn't be killed. As a result, the people went hungry.
The people had no idea that someone had gone out and told all the buffalo and deer within range that the hunters were coming and that they should hide. In the camp, there was a man who could transform himself into a white crow. He went outside and told all the animals to flee. The White Crow would return later in the day, when no one could see him, and transform himself back into a man.
The hungry people moved their camps in various directions, hoping to find out where the game had gone. The White Crow remained motionless. There was a hole under his lodge where all the buffalo were. He got his food from here.
When the people returned to one of the camps, they discovered that this man was still alive. "Why did you return?" he asked. I don't have anything to eat. I've been having the same problems as you. I haven't eaten anything since you left.
One day, some of the men were playing a stick game when White Crow approached them. The players detected the odor of buffalo fat coming from the direction of the man. They noticed that the man was dressed in a nice-looking buffalo hide that had been turned inside out to hide its newness. He also had a sacred stick that had been rubbed with buffalo fat and could be smelled. He didn't like how they were staring at him. He slipped away, so they couldn't question him.
A coyote was present in the village. That night, he gathered the men and offered to look around White Crow's camp and report back. Coyote watched White Crow's camp for a while before returning and telling the men that he needed two good men with good eyes. An owl and a dragonfly were selected. Coyote instructed them to lie down in the grass and keep an eye on White Crow wherever he went. Dragonfly was staring so hard that his eyes popped out. The owl strained his eyes until they grew bigger than normal eyes. The owl stood there watching the man until he fell to the ground.
When Owl returned, Coyote told the men to gather everyone and announce that they were moving camp. Coyote was going to transform into a small pup and they were going to abandon him. Coyote informed them that White Crow had a daughter. "When the people leave, she'll search the camp for anything left behind and track me down."
Everyone moved the next day, and Coyote transformed himself into a dog, but he forgot to put on dog whiskers. The little girl discovered him and took him to her lodge. When White Crow entered, he requested that the dog be examined. When he noticed that there were no whiskers, he told his daughter that he was afraid. He claimed it was a person dressed as a dog. However, the girl stated that she intended to keep it. She would not throw it away. While her father went out to warn all the game to be on the lookout, she gave them a piece of meat.
When the man was no longer present, the little girl removed the stone that covered the buffalo hole. She called the puppy over to look into the hole, but he acted scared. "Please come over here. Look inside, pup, and see what we have. " When she said this, the puppy approached. Suddenly, he leapt into the hole, transformed into a man, and began yelling, "Scatter all over the world! "Shatter! Shatter!" The buffalo erupted from the ground like a torrent. The Coyote transformed into a cocklebur and snagged the fetlock of the last buffalo to pass the girl, who was waiting for him with a club. After the buffalo had left White Crow's lodge and were a long distance away, Coyote reverted to his human form and yelled, "Scatter! Scatter!"
When White Crow returned to his camp and saw what had occurred, he exclaimed to the young girl, "See what you've done! I was terrified that something like this would happen. We're going to have a difficult time now. "
When Coyote returned to his people, they began to enjoy the buffalo once more. This enraged White Crow. He told the buffalo and the other animals to run away from the hunters. People were soon starving again. White Crow warned them that he was going to make things even more difficult. "I want you to know it was me who kept you from killing the buffalo before," he said as he flew over the camp. "You are no longer going to slaughter meat animals.
That night, Coyote summoned the men and informed them of his plan. They would have to carefully follow his instructions. They were to announce that everyone should relocate to a nearby forest. Coyote would disguise himself as a bull elk and hide in the brush where White Crow would not notice him. When the people arrived, they were supposed to kill and butcher him, but they were supposed to leave behind his skeleton and his head with the antlers attached.
So, the next morning, the people went to where he had directed them, and some of them went hunting. The elk was startled, chased, and killed by a hunter. They butchered him exactly as instructed.
While they were chasing him, White Crow flew over Elk and said, "I wonder how I missed you." I should have warned you that they were hunting and hiding. It is my fault. But you can save yourself if you run quickly.
White Crow discovered the skeleton after the hunters had left. "I know this isn't an elk," he thought as he lit on its antlers. I'm aware of what Coyote did previously. This is simply a coyote, who has disguised himself once more. I'll put him to the test to find out. " So White Crow climbed Elk's back and began to strike Elk's nose with his sharp beak, saying, "I know you're Coyote!" "I recognize you as Coyote!" He continued to strike. He came to a halt just as Coyote was about to cry out. "Well, I'll try somewhere else." He returned to the back leg, to the knee cap. With his beak, he struck. "I recognize you as Coyote!" "I recognize you as Coyote!" Coyote was about to yell again when White Crow came to a halt.
Well, you must be an elk, but I don't understand how I missed you. White Crow then decided to pick at the meat scraps left on the ribs. Coyote closed his ribs and held White Crow in a vise when he stuck his head between them. Then he stood up and transformed himself into a man. "I've got you now!"
"Coyote, please let me go," White Crow said. I will not repeat my mistakes. I will treat you all with respect. "Please let me go!"
People were watching from a distance and began to yell when they saw Coyote had a white crow.
"Now that I've caught you, I'm going to take you to camp and let the people do whatever they want with you," Coyote said. He brought him to the camp, and the people exclaimed, "This is the one who has caused us so much misery and starvation." "What shall we do with him now that we have him?"
"Let me have him," the Spider Old Woman said. I want to see the person who has caused us to go hungry. " She was entangling White Crow with her web while holding him, but no one knew. The White Crow slipped out of her grasp and flew into the air as she did so. He laughed as he circled the camp. This time, I'm not feeling sorry for you. I'm going to starve you this time! "
"I'm going to tell the people to kill you for letting White Crow get away," Coyote said to Spider Old Woman. "That White Crow doesn't know what he's talking about," Spider Old Woman said. "I'll get him." She started dragging White Crow in like she was pulling on a rope. "Hey, I was just joking," White Crow said. I'll be fine. Please be kind to me. " But Spider Old Woman continued to draw him in until she had him in her grasp. She handed him over to Coyote. "Do what you want with him," she instructed.
Coyote told the men to go get some firewood. They started a big fire and threw White Crow in it until he was completely blackened. "I'm going to make it so you can never do anything your own way," Coyote said. You'll spend your entire life flying around looking for scraps. You will be terrified by everything. "
This is how Crow operates.