--- title: The Coyote and the Blackbirds — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: The Coyote and the Blackbirds, «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: ONCE upon a time a Coyote lived near an open wood. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/6/) [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 Coyote and the Blackbirds # The Coyote and the Blackbirds The Coyote and the Blackbirds of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 44 sentences and 732 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. ONCE upon a time a Coyote lived near an open wood.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") As he went to walk one day near the edge of the wood, he heard the Blackbirds (the Indian name means “seeds of the prairie”) calling excitedly:[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") “Bring my bag\![3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Bring my bag\![4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") It is going to hail!”[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote, being very curious, came near and saw that they all had buckskin bags to which they were tying lassos, the other ends of which were thrown over the boughs of the trees.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Very much surprised, the Coyote came to them and asked:[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “Blackbird-friends, what are you doing?”[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, friend Coyote,” they replied, “we are making ourselves ready, for soon there will be a very hard hail-storm, and we do not wish to be pelted to death.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") We are going to get into these bags and pull ourselves up under the branches, where the hail cannot strike us.”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") “That is very good,” said the Coyote, “and I would like to do so, too, if you will let me join you.”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, yes\![12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Just run home and get a bag and a lasso, and come back here and we will help you,” said the Pah-táhn, never smiling.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Coyote started running for home, and got a large bag and a lasso, and came back to the Blackbirds, who were waiting.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") They fixed the rope and bag for him, putting the noose around the neck of the bag so that it would be closed tight when the rope was pulled.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they threw the end of the lasso over a strong branch and said:[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, friend Coyote, you get into your bag first, for you are so big and heavy that you cannot pull yourself up, and we will have to help you.”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote crawled into the bag, and all the Blackbirds taking hold of the rope, pulled with all their might till the bag was swung clear up under the branch.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they tied the end of the lasso around the tree so the bag could not come down, and ran around picking up all the pebbles they could find.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") “Mercy\![20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") How the hail comes!” they cried excitedly, and began to throw stones at the swinging bag as hard as ever they could.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “Mercy!” howled the Coyote, as the pebbles pattered against him.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “But this is a terrible storm, Blackbird-friends\![23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") It pelts me dreadfully\![24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") And how are you getting along?”[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is truly very bad, friend Coyote,” they answered, “but you are bigger and stronger than we, and ought to endure it.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") And they kept pelting him, all the time crying and chattering as if they, too, were suffering greatly from the hail.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ouch!” yelled the Coyote.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “That one hit me very near the eye, friends\![29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") I fear this evil storm will kill us all!”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “But be brave, friend,” called back the Blackbirds.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") “We keep our hearts, and so should you, for you are much stronger than we.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") And they pelted him all the harder.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") So they kept it up until they were too tired to throw any more; and as for the Coyote, he was so bruised and sore that he could hardly move.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they untied the rope and let the bag slowly to the ground, and loosened the noose at the neck and flew up into the trees with sober faces.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ow!” groaned the Coyote, “I am nearly dead!”[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") And he crawled weeping and groaning from the bag, and began to lick his bruises.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") But when he looked around and saw the sun shining and the ground dry, and not a hailstone anywhere, he knew that the Blackbirds had given him a trick, and he limped home in a terrible rage, vowing that as soon as ever he got well he would follow and eat the Blackbirds as long as he lived.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") And ever since, even to this day, he has been following them to eat them, and that is why the Coyote and the Blackbirds are always at war.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") “Is that so?” cried all the boys in chorus, their eyes shining like coals.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, yes, that is the cause of the war,” said old Antonio, gravely.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") “And now, brother, there is a tail to you,” turning to the tall, gray-haired Felipe\[16\]; and clearing his throat, Felipe begins about the Coyote and the Bear.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") \[16\] Pronounced Fay-lée-peh.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") V[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The War-dance of the Mice](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/5/) - next →: [The Coyote and the Bear\[17\]](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/7/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)