The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-05-09
Indian Legend of the Creation Of Man

After the coyote had finished all the
work of the world and the inferior ami
mails, he called council of them to de-
hberate on the creation of man. They
sat down in an open space in the forest.
all in circle, with the lion at the head.
On his right sat the grizzly bear. next
the brown bear, and so on around ac-
cording to rank, ending with the little
mouse, which sat at the lions left.
The hon was the first to speak and
he declared heshould like to see man
created with mighty voice, like him
self, wherewith he could fr1ghten all
animals. For the rest, he would have
him well covered with hair, terrible
fangs in his jaws, strong talons, etc.
The grizzly bear said it was ridicu-
lous to have such voice as his neigh
Dor, for he was always roaring with it,
and scared away the very prey he wish
ed to catch. He thought the man
ought to have prodigious strength, and
move about silently, but very swiftly
when necessary, and be able to grip
his meat without making any noise.
The buck said the man would look
very foolish, in his way of thinking,
unless he had magnificent pair of
horns on his head with which to fight,
He also thought it was very absurd to
roar so loudly, and he would paw less
attention to the mans throat than he
would to his ears and eyes, for he would
make the one like spiders web, and
the other like fire.
The mountain sheep protested he
never could see what sense there was in
such horns, spreading every way only
to get caught in the branches. IF the
man had horns neatly rolled up, they
would be like stone on each side of
his head, giving weight, so that he
could butt great deal harder.
when it came the coyotes turn to
speak, he declared all these wero the
stupidest speeches he ever listened to,
and that he could hardly keep awake
while such noodles and nincompoops
were talking. Every one of them want
ed to make the man Just like himself.
They might as well take one of their
own cubs and call it man. AS for
himself, he very well knew that he was
not the best animal that could be made,
and he could make one good deal bet
ter than himself. Of course, he would
be like himself in having four legs,
five fingers on each, etc. 1t was well
enough to have voice like the lions,
but it should also be as small as that of
the little mouse sometimes The griz-
Fly bear also had some good points,
one of which was the shape of his feet,
by which he could stand up if he wish
ed, and he was in favor of making the
mans feet nearly the same. The griz-
Fly was also happy in having no tail,
for he had learned from his own expert
ence that that organ served principally
as a harbor fer feas. The bucks eyes
and ears were pretty good, also-per-
haps better than his own. Then there
was the fish, which was naked, and
which he envied, because hair was a
burden most of the year so he favor
ed a man without hair. His claws
ought to be as long as ethe lagos, so
that he could hold things in them. But,
with all their separate gifts they must
acknowledge that there was no animal
besides himself that had wit enough to
supply the man and he felt obliged,
therefore, to make him like himself in
that respect-cunning and crafty.
After the coyote had made an end,
the beaver said he had never heard
such arrant twaddle in his life. No
tail, indeed He would make a man
with broad. fiat tail, so that he could
haul mud and sand on it.
The owl declared all the animals
seemed to have lost their senses ; none
of them proposed to give man wings.
For himself, he could not see of what
use anything on earth would be to him
without wings.
The mole said it was perfect folly to
talk about wings, for with wings the
poor man would be certain to fly up and
crack his noddle against the sky. Be
sides, if he had eyes, he would be GER
tain to get them singed against the
sun but without eyes, he could bur-
row in the cool, soft earth, and be
happy.
Last of all, the little mouse squeaked
out that he would make a man with
eyes, of course, so he could see what
he was eating as for burrowing in the
ground, that was humbug.
So they al disagreed, and the coun-
Gil broke up in row. The coyote few
at the beaver, and nipped a piece out
of his cheek; the owl jumped on the
coyotes head, and commenced lifting
his scalp; and so they all got to fight
ing. But finally they stopped, and TAX
ing each lump of clay, they commend
ed moulding a man according to their
ideas but the coyote began to make
one like that he described. 1t was so
late when they fell to work, that night
fall had come on before any one had
finished his model, and they lay down
and fell dead asleep. But the cunning
coyote remained awake, and worked
hard on his model all night. When all
the other animals were fast asleep, he
went slyly around and threw water on
their models, and so spoiled them. In
tho morning, early, he finished his, and
gave it life before the others could
make new models; and so it was that
man was created by the coyote. -OUer-
land Monthly.