Nih'ancan and Coyote

Note: Nihancan is the Arapaho trickster figure, a role played by Coytoe in many other Native American myth cycles. Even though Coyote is not the trickser figure in this myth, he maintains his cunning characteristics. *** Nih’ancan and Coyote

Nih’ancan went down the river and met Coyote. “Well, partner, it makes me mad when I hear that you are a cunning creature. Let us have a contest now,” said Nih’ancan.

“Well, no! Keep still Nih’ancan. I know that you are a tricky creature,” said Coyote.

“No! We must have this contest to find out who is the smartest.” said Nih’ancan.

“No! I cannot do it. You are too tricky for me,” said Coyote, walking away.

Nih’ancan went around Coyote and lay down as a buffalo cow in front of him. Coyote went around the buffalo cow (Nih’ancan) and smelled of him. “Oh, don’t do that,” said Coyote. So Nih’ancan went around Coyote and lay down as an elk in front of him. Coyote went around and smelled of the elk from the leeward side, but it was still Nihancan. “Oh, don’t do that, Nih’ancan,” said Coyote. Nihancan now went around and lay down in front of him as an antelope. Coyote went around to the leeward side and smelled of it, but it was still Nih’ancan. ‘Oh, don’t do that, Nih’ancan,” said Coyote. Nih’ancan now went around and lay down in front of him as a deer. Coyote went around to the leeward side and smelled of him, but it was still Nih’ancan. “Oh, don’t do that, Nih’ancan,” said Coyote. “Well, I am going to see if I can trap my partner, Nih’ancan,” said Coyote.

So Coyote went around Nih’ancan and became a woman sitting on the ground with a robe on. “Where are you going, woman, what is the matter with you,” said Nih’ancan. “My mother scolded me and I didn’t like it, so I wandered off,” said the woman. “She told me to go to my brother, Nih’ancan.”

“Oh, you are mistaken, I am your brother-in-law; you are not related to me,” said Nih’ancan. “My mother told me plainly that I must come to you, as a sister,” said the woman. Nih’ancan then grabbed her and laid her on the ground. He was about to have intercourse with her when she turned into a coyote and jumped away from him and ran through the brush. “I was just fooling you,” said Nih’ancan.

“Yes, but I fooled you all right,” said Coyote, howling at him.