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Nez Perce - Grizzly-Bear and Coyote
Grizzly-Bear was a chief, and Coyote was jealous of him. Now, Coyote had many friends who would do whatever he told them to do. He arose early in the morning, and announced that there would be a great hunt that day, and that he himself would take part in it. So the people all went out, and with them went Grizzly-Bear.
Coyote told his friends just what to do when they arrived at the hunting-grounds. He told the people that he wanted Grizzly-Bear to go up a draw between the hills, because he was a chief and the best hunting was there. Every one could scare the game towards him. He told all the people where to hunt, and he stationed six of his friends in the hunting-ground of Grizzly-Bear. Coyote had some arrows poisoned with rattlesnake-poison. He gave one arrow to each of his friends. These men waited for Grizzly-Bear with their arrows on their bows. Coyote said to Grizzly-Bear, "If you see objects like men, do not be afraid, for they are only rocks." When Grizzly-Bear saw the men, he was afraid; but Coyote shouted to him, "Do not be at all afraid!" Grizzly-Bear went up close to the men, and they shot him with their arrows. When he was dead, they skinned him and took him into camp. The sister and wife of Grizzly-Bear were in this camp along with the six hunters.
When Coyote came into camp, he went around and made a speech to all the people, bidding them to a great feast when the game they had taken was cooked. Soon the meat was cooked and dressed up finely. Then every one was called in to the feast. The sister and wife of Grizzly-Bear were called in with the rest; and as soon as they entered, they knew from the smell that the meat was Grizzly-Bear meat. The tears rolled from their eyes; but they were afraid of Coyote, and said nothing.
The wife and sister made up their minds to get revenge. Their plan was to go with the hunters and kill them one by one. But there was a Black-Bear in camp who heard the planning of the two women, and told Coyote. As a result of this, Coyote did not send out the hunters one by one, but in bands of three and four. When the wife of Grizzly-Bear was killed, that put an end to it all. A younger brother and the sister were spared, so that there would always be grizzly bears in the country. That is the reason there are still grizzly bears.
Nez Perce Tales, By Herbert J. Spinden, 1907
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