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Coyote Obtains Fire, Chiricahua Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

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10. Coyote Obtains Fire as told by Lawrence Mithlo

10.1.

Long ago, there was no fire.

10.2.

Then the Flies held a ceremony.

10.3.

Then they spoke thus to him:

10.4.

10.5.

Then many of them circled around him.

10.6.

Then, farther on, he gave fire to the Eagle.

10.7.

Then these Flies tried to put out the fire but they tried in vain.

10.8.

Then, that Coyote having been helped by the blowing of the wind, the fire, becoming impossible to control, burned on.

10.9.

Then [the Flies] hated that Coyote.

10.10.

Then he was dashing around and around.

10.11.

"This, also, used to be cool."

10.12.

At this time, anything that they said occurred in exactly that way.

10.13.

Then, it having happened so in this place, fire came into existence.

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

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Coyote Obtains Fire, Chiricahua Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

Hoijer, Harry

University of Chicago Press

Chicago

1938