--- title: The Coyote and the Woodpecker — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: The Coyote and the Woodpecker, «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: WELL, once upon a time a Coyote and his family lived near the edge of a wood. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/9/) [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 Woodpecker # The Coyote and the Woodpecker The Coyote and the Woodpecker of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 42 sentences and 657 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. WELL, once upon a time a Coyote and his family lived near the edge of a wood.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") There was a big hollow tree there, and in it lived an old Woodpecker and his wife and children.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") One day as the Coyote-father was strolling along the edge of the forest he met the Woodpecker-father.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") “\_Hin-no-kah-kée-ma\_” (Good evening), said the Coyote; “how do you do to-day, friend Hloo-rée-deh?”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well, thank you; and how are you, friend Too-wháy-deh?”[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") So they stopped and talked together awhile; and when they were about to go apart the Coyote said:[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Woodpecker, why do you not come as friends to see us?[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Come to our house to supper this evening, and bring your family.”[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “Thank you, friend Coyote,” said the Woodpecker; “we will come with joy.”[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") So that evening, when the Coyote-mother had made supper ready, there came the Woodpecker-father and the Woodpecker-mother with their three children.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") When they had come in, all five of the Woodpeckers stretched themselves as they do after flying, and by that showed their pretty feathers--for the Hloo-rée-deh has yellow and red marks under its wings.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were eating supper, too, they sometimes spread their wings, and displayed their bright under-side.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") They praised the supper highly, and said the Coyote-mother was a perfect housekeeper.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") When it was time to go, they thanked the Coyotes very kindly and invited them to come to supper at their house the following evening.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") But when they were gone, the Coyote-father could hold himself no longer, and he said:[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “Did you see what airs those Woodpeckers put on?[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Always showing off their bright feathers?[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") But I want them to know that the Coyotes are equal to them.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") \_I’ll\_ show them!”[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day, the Coyote-father had all his family at work bringing wood, and built a great fire in front of his house.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") When it was time to go to the house of the Woodpeckers he called his wife and children to the fire, and lashed a burning stick under each of their arms, with the burning end pointing forward; and then he fixed himself in the same way.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” said he, “we will show them\![22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") When we get there, you must lift up your arms now and then, to show them that we are as good as the Woodpeckers.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") When they came to the house of the Woodpeckers and went in, all the Coyotes kept lifting their arms often, to show the bright coals underneath.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") But as they sat down to supper, one Coyote-girl gave a shriek and said:[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, \_tata\_\![26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") My fire is burning me!”[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Be patient, my daughter,” said the Coyote-father, severely, “and do not cry about little things.”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ow!” cried the other Coyote-girl in a moment, “my fire has gone out!”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") This was more than the Coyote-father could stand, and he reproved her angrily.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “But how is it, friend Coyote,” said the Woodpecker, politely, “that your colors are so bright at first, but very soon become black?”[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, that is the beauty of our colors,” replied the Coyote, smothering his rage; “that they are not always the same--like other people’s--but turn all shades.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Coyotes were very uncomfortable, and made an excuse to hurry home as soon as they could.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") When they got there, the Coyote-father whipped them all for exposing him to be laughed at.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Woodpecker-father gathered his children around him, and said:[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, my children, you see what the Coyotes have done.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Never in your life try to appear what you are not.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Be just what you really are, and put on no false colors.”[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “Is that so?” cried the boys.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") “That is so; and it is as true for people as for birds.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, \_tóo-kwai\_--for it is bedtime.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") VIII[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The First of the Rattlesnakes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/8/) - next →: [The Man Who Married the Moon](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/10/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)