--- title: The Coyote and the Bear[17] — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: The Coyote and the Bear[17], «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: [17] The Coyote, you must know, is very stupid about some things; and in almost all Pueb --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/7/) [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 Bear\[17\] # The Coyote and the Bear\[17\] The Coyote and the Bear\[17\] of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 61 sentences and 890 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. \[17\] The Coyote, you must know, is very stupid about some things; and in almost all Pueblo fairy stories is the victim of one joke or another.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The bear, on the other hand, is one of the wisest of animals.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") ONCE upon a time Ko-íd-deh (the Bear) and Too-wháy-deh (the Coyote) chanced to meet at a certain spot, and sat down to talk.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") After a while the Bear said:[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Coyote, do you see what good land this is here?[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") What do you say if we farm it together, sharing our labor and the crop?”[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote thought well of it, and said so; and after talking, they agreed to plant potatoes in partnership.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” said the Bear, “I think of a good way to divide the crop.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") I will take all that grows below the ground, and you take all that grows above it.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Then each can take away his share when he is ready, and there will be no trouble to measure.”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote agreed, and when the time came they plowed the place with a sharp stick and planted their potatoes.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") All summer they worked together in the field, hoeing down the weeds with stone hoes and letting in water now and then from the irrigating-ditch.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") When harvest-time came, the Coyote went and cut off all the potato-tops at the ground and carried them home, and afterward the Bear scratched out the potatoes from the ground with his big claws and took them to his house.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Coyote saw this his eyes were opened, and he said:[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “But this is not fair.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") You have those round things, which are good to eat, but what I took home we cannot eat at all, neither my wife nor I.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") “But, friend Coyote,” answered the Bear, gravely, “did we not make an agreement?[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Then we must stick to it like men.”[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote could not answer, and went home; but he was not satisfied.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The next spring, as they met one day, the Bear said:[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come, friend Coyote, I think we ought to plant this good land again, and this time let us plant it in corn.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") But last year you were dissatisfied with your share, so this year we will change.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") You take what is below the ground for your share, and I will take only what grows above.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") This seemed very fair to the Coyote, and he agreed.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") They plowed and planted and tended the corn; and when it came harvest-time the Bear gathered all the stalks and ears and carried them home.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Coyote came to dig his share, he found nothing but roots like threads, which were good for nothing.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He was very much dissatisfied; but the Bear reminded him of their agreement, and he could say nothing.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") That winter the Coyote was walking one day by the river (the Rio Grande), when he saw the Bear sitting on the ice and eating a fish.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote was very fond of fish, and coming up, he said:[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Bear, where did you get such a fat fish?”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, I broke a hole in the ice,” said the Bear, “and fished for them.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") There are many here.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") And he went on eating, without offering any to the Coyote.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") “Won’t you show me how, friend?” asked the Coyote, fainting with hunger at the smell of the fish.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, yes,” said the Bear.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is very easy.”[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") And he broke a hole in the ice with his paw.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, friend Coyote, sit down and let your tail hang in the water, and very soon you will feel a nibble.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") But you must not pull it till I tell you.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Coyote sat down with his tail in the cold water.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon the ice began to form around it, and he called:[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Bear, I feel a bite\![42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Let me pull him out.”[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, no\![44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") Not yet!” cried the Bear, “wait till he gets a good hold, and then you will not lose him.”[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Coyote waited.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") In a few minutes the hole was frozen solid, and his tail was fast.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, friend Coyote,” called the Bear, “I think you have him.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Pull!”[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote pulled with all his might, but could not lift his tail from the ice, and there he was--a prisoner.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") While he pulled and howled, the Bear shouted with laughter, and rolled on the ice and ha-ha’d till his sides were sore.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he took his fish and went home, stopping every little to laugh at the thought of the Coyote.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") There on the ice the Coyote had to stay until a thaw liberated him, and when he got home he was very wet and cold and half starved.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") And from that day to this he has never forgiven the Bear, and will not even speak to him when they meet, and the Bear says, politely, “Good morning, friend Too-wháy-deh.”[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") “Is that so?” cry the boys.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") “That is so,” says Felipe.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") “But now it is time to go home.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Tóo-kwai\![58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") The story-telling is over for to-night.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Grandmother Reyes is unrolling the mattresses upon the floor; and with pleasant “good-nights” we scatter for our homes here and there in the quaint adobe village.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") VI[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Coyote and the Blackbirds](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/6/) - next →: [The First of the Rattlesnakes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/8/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)