A Tale Told Of Arizona

 

        Once, long ago, in a time before our time, there was a garden high in the rocky upland of the land we call Arizona. It was not that first Garden of course, but it was, never the less, very fine indeed.
       This garden could be called a village, though this village had no houses, only the sweet earth. In the village lived, while colored with the colors of our world, a people. These people were dwellers from the sky. Many tales have been told of their exploits, and many wrongs have been falsely laid at their feet.
        They were a diffident race, given to observation and kindly intervention. Occasionally. They also took pleasure in tending their garden village.
        Now, the location of this garden is unknown in our time. But the dwellers are known to persist. From time to time, they are seen in the corner of someone’s eyes toward evening when things become less distinct and workaday in our world. Some have even spoken with them, but it is rare.
        The spirit of Coyote also persists. Whenever someone says they crave justice but are really seeking justification for some false desire, Coyote is there. He is greedy and will lie to get his way. He can be very charming, smiling to himself all the while.
        Now it happened that one deep night Coyote came to the chicken yard where the family we know keep their hens. He was chatting with these hens while they rested in their little hut.
        “Why should I not tear open your little fortress here and eat you all up?” said Coyote. “What will you give me to save your lives?”
        The foolish hens didn’t know that he would have had a hard time breaking in for his strength was all in his words. So, they were terrified and took counsel among themselves. They had seen Emmy’s Golden Frog many times and were not so foolish that they didn’t know it held great value in the world of men.
        One said, “In that little house there, right behind you, is a great Golden Frog, guarded only by some people, a cat, and a dog. Surely, one such as yourself could easily procure it. It is as large as two eggs and of great value.” It was a slight exaggeration.
        This gave him something besides meat to think about, and he started to devise a plan. He only knew of one kind of living being that could move around unseen. He puzzled long into the next morning about a way to bend one of these dwellers from the sky to his will. He thought of ways to justify his greed. It was almost beyond even Coyote’s wiliness.
        But at last, he walked out into the scrub desert seeking one of these dwellers and at last he came upon one. We shall call him Weller. Perhaps that was truly his name.
        Coyote called out in a friendly sounding voice, “hello there, I am glad to see you just now.”
        Weller looked down upon Coyote and said, “and why are you glad to see me just now?”
        “Something has been taken from me, that is rightfully mine, and I can’t get it back for it is guarded in a human’s house,” said Coyote. “I know that you can come and go without being seen and that no human, dog or cat can withstand you. I seek justice. Will you go into this house and get my treasure?”
        “What treasure is this,” asked Weller.
        “It is a great Golden Frog,” said Coyote. “These humans have taken what is rightly mine!” You will notice that he did not describe how this crime was done.
        Now Weller had been around for a couple of hundred years and understood Coyote’s nature pretty well. He was not so easily bent. But because he was curious to get to the bottom of this case, he agreed to go to the house with Coyote that very night once the moon was high in the sky and all was quiet in the house.
        Therefore, when all was quiet and dark, Weller and Coyote walked together to the little blue mobile home. Moonlight was all around giving the scene a very mysterious air. Coyote’s greedy heart was all aflutter with avarice and expectation.
        Honda, in the house, knew they were out there, but not who they were. A deep disapproving sound rumbled his chest, but he hadn’t decided to wake his people yet. He listened.
        Out in Julia’s hogan Billy opened his eyes. He looked to Julia’s bed, but it was empty!
        When Weller and Coyote came near the front of the little blue house they saw that a great tawny Cat sat watchfully upon the small porch. Her eyes glowed a dull yellow light. She spoke. “Hello Weller. Well met indeed. What have you here?”
        “This Coyote says that these people here have taken his treasure, a great Golden Frog. He wants me to pass into their house and steal it for him,” answered Weller, with a bracingly clear understanding of the situation.
        The cat laughed.
        “Oh, he is only jealous because the trap he set Klah failed. The bull that was Klah was restored to manhood and went to his people, and in the freeing of the bull in that mine up the hill, the Golden Frog was discovered in the wall. The man took it fairly for his troubles.
        “All of his mischief fell apart, but he still wants the prize!” said the Puma.
        Coyote began to consider how he might escape, but he thought too late.
        Weller put his great foot on Coyote and held him firmly to earth. “What shall we do with this thievish fellow, Cat?” he asked.
        “I say we mark him, so that he will always be known and that we assure him that for his own sake, that he must never come near here again,” said the Cat. “For if he might come again, I will know how to deal with him.”
        “Well said, Cat,” said Weller.
        So, together they made a simple spell involving moonlight and cat spit. The tip of Coyote’s tail was made bright white so that he would always be known from all the natural coyotes. He was marked forever as a thievish churl and a liar.
        Weller removed his foot. Coyote escaped out into the moonlit desert.
        The Puma yawned.
        Weller and she said their goodnights and parted company, each to their well-earned rest.

        So, now you know! If you are ever approached by a smiling coyote with a very bright white tail tip, you have been warned! Don’t believe a word he says!

Link to all of the Arizona story.