--- title: The Race of the Tails — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: The Race of the Tails, «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: NEARLY every people has its own version of the race of the Hare and the Tortoise. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/16/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The man who married the moon, and othe…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/) / The Race of the Tails # The Race of the Tails The Race of the Tails of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 64 sentences and 1039 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. NEARLY every people has its own version of the race of the Hare and the Tortoise.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") That current among the Pueblos makes the Rabbit the hero, by a trick rather cleverer than Æsop’s.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Once the Coyote came where Pee-oo-ée-deh, the little “cotton-tail” rabbit, sat at the door of his house, thinking.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") “What do you think, friend Pee-oo-ée-deh?” said the Coyote.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am thinking, friend Too-wháy-deh, why some have large tails like you; but we have no tails.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Perhaps if we had tails like yours, we could run straight; but now we have to hop.”[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is true, \_ah-bóo\_,”\[57\] said the Coyote, not knowing that the Rabbit laughed in his heart.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “For I can run faster than any one, and never did any gain from me in the foot-races.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") But \_you\_,--you just hop like a bird.”[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") \[57\] Poor thing.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The Rabbit made a sad face, and the Coyote said: “But come, friend Pee-oo-ée-deh, let us run a race.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") We will run around the world, and see who will win.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") And whichever shall come in first, he shall kill the other and eat him.”[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") \[58\][14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") \[58\] A challenge of this sort, with life as the stake, was very common among all Indians; and it was impossible for the challenged to decline.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") This story recalls that of the Antelope Boy.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Four days always elapsed between the challenge and the race.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is well,” answered the Rabbit.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “In four days we will run.”[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Coyote went home very glad.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") But Pee-oo-ée-deh called a \_junta\_ of all his tribe, and told them how it was, and the way he thought to win the race.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") And when they had heard, they all said: “It is well.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Fear not, for we will be the ones that will help you.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") When the fourth day came, the Coyote arrived smiling, and threw down his blanket, and stood ready in only the dark blue \_taparabo\_,\[59\] saying: “But what is the use to run?[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") For I shall win.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") It is better that I eat you now, before you are tired.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") \[59\] Breech-clout, which is the only thing worn in a foot-race.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Rabbit threw off his blanket, and tightened his \_taparabo\_, and said: “Pooh\![28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") For the end of the race is far away, and \_there\_ is time to talk of eating.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Come, we will run around the four sides of the world.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") \[60\] But \_I\_ shall run underground, for so it is easier for me.”[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") \[60\] Which the Pueblos believe to be flat and square.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they stood up side by side.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") And when they were ready, the Capitan shouted “\_Haí-koo\![34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") \_” and they ran.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote ran with all his legs; but the Rabbit jumped into his hole and threw out sand, as those who dig very fast.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Now for many days the Coyote kept running to the east, and saw nothing of Pee-oo-ée-deh.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") But just as he came to the east and was turning to the north, up jumped a rabbit from under the ground in front of him, and shouted: “We do this to one another”; and jumped back in the hole and began to throw out dirt very hard.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ai!” said the Coyote.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") “I wish I could run under the ground like that, for it seems very easy.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") For all these days I have run faster than ever any one ran; yet Pe-oo-ée-deh comes to the east ahead of me.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") But he did not know it was the brother of Pee-oo-ée-deh, who had come out to the east to wait for him.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") So Too-wháy-deh ran harder; and after many days he came to the end of the world, to the north.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") But just as he was to turn west, up sprang a rabbit in front of him, and taunted him, and went back in its hole, digging.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote’s heart was heavy, but he ran \_very\_ hard.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Surely,” he said, “no one can run so fast as \_this\_.”[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") But when he came to the west, a rabbit sprang up ahead of him, and mocked him, and went again under the ground.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") And when he had run to the south, there was the same thing.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") At last, very tired and with his tongue out, he came in sight of the starting-point, and there was Pee-oo-ée-deh, sitting at the door of his house, smoothing his hair.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") And he said: “Pooh\![50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Coyote-friend, we do this to one another.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") For now it is clear that big tails are not good to run with, since I have been waiting here a long time for you.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Come here, then, that I may eat you, though you are tough.”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") But Too-wháy-deh, being a coward, ran away and would not pay his bet.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") And all the brothers of Pee-oo-ée-deh laughed for the trick they had put upon the Coyote.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") In a case which I knew of, years ago, this folk-story seems to have given a hint to human racers.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") A Mexican who owned a large and very fleet-footed burro, challenged a young Indian of Acoma to a ten-mile race.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indian was a very famous runner, and the challenger depended on the distance alone to wear him out.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") In accordance with the conditions the rivals started together from the goal, the Indian on foot, the Mexican on his burro.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") For about four miles the Indian left the galloping donkey far behind; but he could not keep up such a tremendous pace, and the burro began to gain.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") About midway of the course where the trail touches a great lava-flow, the Indian dove into a cave.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Just as the Mexican was passing, out came an Indian, passed the burro with a magnificent spurt, and after a long run reached the farther goal about a hundred feet ahead.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Unfortunately for him, however, the trick was detected--he was the twin brother of the challenged man, and had awaited him in the cave, taking up the race fresh when the first runner was tired\![63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") XV[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Magic Hide-and-seek](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/15/) - next →: [Honest Big-ears](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/17/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)