--- title: Honest Big-ears — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: Honest Big-ears, «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 all of you have seen pictures of the Burro, the quaint little donkey of the Southwest. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/17/) [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/) / Honest Big-ears # Honest Big-ears Honest Big-ears of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 41 sentences and 693 words. 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NEARLY all of you have seen pictures of the Burro, the quaint little donkey of the Southwest.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") He is very small,--not more than half the weight of a smallish mule,--but very strong, very sure-footed, and very reliable.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") And he is one of the drollest, “cutest,” wisest-looking creatures on earth.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") T’ah-hlá-a-hloon, or Big-ears, as the Tée-wahn call him, does not appear very often in their folk-lore--and for a very natural reason.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Most of these myths were made centuries before a white man ever saw this country; and until Europeans came, there were neither horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, cats, nor cattle (except the buffalo) in either America.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") It was the Spanish pioneers who gave all these animals to the Pueblos.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Nor did the Indians have milk, cheese, wheat, or metals of any sort.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") So when we see a story in which any of these things are mentioned, we may know that it was made within the last three hundred and fifty years--or that an old story has been modified to include them.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") There is one of these comparatively modern nursery-tales which is designed to show the honesty and wisdom of the Burro.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Once Big-ears was coming alone from the farm of his master to Isleta, carrying a load of curd cheeses done up in buckskin bags.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") As he came through the hills he met a Coyote, who said:[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Big-ears, what do you carry on your back?”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “I carry many cheeses for my master, friend Too-wháy-deh,” answered the Burro.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") “Then give me one, friend, for I am hunger-dying.”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “No,” said the Burro, “I cannot give you one, for my master would blame me--since they are not mine but his, and a man of the pueblo waits for them.”[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Many times the Coyote asked him, with soft words; but Big-ears would not, and went his way.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Too-wháy-deh followed him behind, without noise, and slyly bit the bag and stole a cheese.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") But Big-ears did not know it, for he could not see behind.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") When he came to the pueblo, the man who awaited him unloaded the cheeses and counted them.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") “There lacks one,” he said; “for thy master said he would send \_so\_ many.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Where is the other?”[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “Truly, I know not,” answered Big-ears, “but I think Too-wháy-deh stole it; for he asked me on the way to give him a cheese.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") But wait--I will pay him!”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") So Big-ears went back to the hills and looked for the house of Too-wháy-deh.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he found it, but the Coyote was nowhere.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") So he lay down near the hole, and stretched his legs out as if dead, and opened his mouth wide, and was very still.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Time passing so, the Old-Woman-Coyote came out of the house to bring a jar of water.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") But when she saw the Burro lying there, she dropped her \_tinaja\_, and ran in crying:[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “\_Hloo-hli\![29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") \_\[61\] come out and see\![30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") For a \_buffalo\_ has died out here, and we must take in some meat.”[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") \[61\] Old Man.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") So Old-Man-Coyote came out, and was very glad, and began to sharpen his knife.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") But his wife said: “But before you cut him up, get me the liver, for I am very hungry”--and the liver is that which all the foxes like best.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Old-Man-Coyote, thinking to please her, went into the Burro’s mouth to get the liver; but Big-ears shut his teeth on Too-wháy-deh’s head, and jumped up and ran home.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The Old-Woman-Coyote followed running, crying: “\_Ay, Nana\![36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") \_ Let go!”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") But Big-ears would not listen to her, and brought the thief to his master.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") When the master heard what had been, he killed the Coyote, and thanked Big-ears, and gave him much grass.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") And this is why, ever since, Big-ears strikes with his hind feet if anything comes behind him slyly; for he remembers how Too-wháy-deh stole the cheese.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") XVI[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Race of the Tails](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/16/) - next →: [The Feathered Barbers](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/18/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)