Caddo

In the early days, Coyote advocated for beneficial rain at a council, suggesting water instead of dangerous lead. Coyote later encountered Bear, who intended to kill him but was deceived by Coyote’s claim of being the son of the Sun. Coyote then befriended Mountain-Lion, who taught him how to catch young horses. However, Coyote’s ambition led him to attempt to capture a larger horse, resulting in injury. He also faced Opossum, whose tricks resulted in Coyote being outsmarted yet again.

Chicken-Hawk, a poor hunter, seeks Eagle’s help to catch an antelope, boasting of his prowess. After Eagle kills the antelope, Hawk claims credit and shares a portion, misleading his family into believing he is an excellent hunter. When a friend visits, Hawk struggles to find food and, ashamed, sacrifices pieces of his own legs to save face. This act explains why hawks are said to have thin legs, a consequence of vanity and deception rather than true skill.

In a time when animals spoke like humans, a hunter named Running-Water sought a dog to aid him in hunting but despised the canine tendency to tattle. He attempted to train a pup to refrain from reporting his actions. Despite his efforts, the dog persistently ran home to brag about their hunts. Upon discovering the dog’s deception, Running-Water grew furious and punished him by pulling his tongue, resulting in dogs acquiring their long tongues and tendency to share stories.

In a tale of desperation, a grandmother’s ten grandsons venture out to find the oldest brother who has not returned from a hunt, but one by one, each brother goes missing. Only the youngest, undeterred by their fate, sets out to find them despite his grandmother’s pleas. After encountering a mysterious old man and facing trials, he ultimately discovers his brothers’ bones and, with the Sun’s help, resurrects them. Together, they defeat the cannibals and return to their grieving grandmother.

In a time when animals spoke, a man discovered his wife secretly met a snake while he was away hunting. Upon learning this from his dog, he followed her and killed the snake. He disguised the snake flesh as fish and fed it to her. Unbeknownst to him, she gradually transformed into a snake herself, scratching away her human skin. After completing her transformation, she sought the dead snake, while the man, unaware of her fate, continued his daily life.

The people, in search of a village site, mistakenly set up camp near what they believed was a rock by the big water. After dancing on it, they discovered it was a giant turtle. When they attempted to escape, they found themselves caught and unable to free their feet. Despite their cries for help, the turtle submerged, taking them into the depths of the water, ultimately leading to their demise.

The narrative recounts the tale of Tonin, the second man to emerge from the earth, who possessed extraordinary powers, including the ability to turn darkness to light and fulfill wishes instantly. After announcing his departure for six winters and seven summers, he ascended into the sky, leaving the people to wait for his return. As time passed, they began to forget him until a bright star signaled his arrival. Upon returning, he warned of impending changes brought by strange people before departing again, never to return.

A boy resting by the river is visited by a powerful entity claiming to be the Cyclone. The being reveals it has been observing the boy’s daily baths, sent by his grandmother to build strength. After instructing the boy to dive into the water, the Cyclone shares its waning power and chooses him as its successor. The boy learns to harness this strength, causing a fierce storm as he swings his arms. He is given the name Path-of-the-Cyclone, destined to wield this newfound power responsibly.

In a time when animals communicated freely, Bear and Buffalo recounted their origins and the powers imparted to them by a higher authority. Bear shared his transformation from human to his current form after a prophetic dream. Buffalo, similarly, narrated his people’s transition to wild animals due to a mistake made by Coyote, necessitating their role as prey. They demonstrated their strength and abilities, showcasing their newfound identities as powerful entities in nature, before parting ways to return to their respective domains.

In a two-month hunt, a poor hunter struggled to find game while others thrived. One day, he encountered a mysterious figure, who revealed himself to be Alligator. This figure bestowed hunting powers upon the man, instructing him to keep this gift secret. Upon returning to camp with impressive game, the hunter, later named Deer-Head, became known for his extraordinary skills. Eventually, he mysteriously vanished, leading to tales among the people of his transformation into a deer, as a sign of his enduring legacy.

An orphan boy, raised by his grandfather until the old man’s death, faced loneliness and ridicule from other village boys. Despite his struggles, he demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness, eventually making his own bow and hunting. One day, he met a mysterious boy who granted him extraordinary strength. After discovering his newfound power, he successfully competed in wrestling matches, earning both respect and fear from the villagers. His journey transformed him from a vulnerable child into a formidable figure within the community.

In ancient times, people shared a close bond with animals, which imparted unique powers through dreams and visions. The origins of the medicine-men began with two brothers who, after receiving their powers from a mysterious figure in a dream, became vital figures in their tribe, using their abilities for healing and protection. Over time, succeeding generations of medicine-men emerged, each gaining powers through similarly mystical experiences. The medicine-men practiced healing and protective arts, establishing a tradition that underscored their importance to the tribe’s survival and well-being.

In a time of complete darkness, the people yearned for light and convened a council. Coyote proposed they seek a solution and appointed a prophet to investigate. The prophet revealed that by killing both the black and white deer, they could create a cycle of day and night. The people heeded his advice, hunted the deer, and thus established the balance of light and darkness, allowing for daytime activities and nighttime rest. This marked the origin of day and night.

In the beginning, people and animals were one, but as their numbers grew, food became scarce. A council decided some humans should transform into animals to ensure survival. Those near the burned grass became bears, crafted with claws and teeth, granted ten lives that made them progressively fiercer. Others living in tall grass turned into buffalo, while deer and other animals followed in similar fashion. Thus, the separation of humans and animals was established, leading to a new order of hunting and existence.