The Creation as the Maidu Told It (coyote with fire print)

Creator

• Indiana State University

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Created by Púktim. Text: "But Earthmaker picked it up and threw it back again. /” take the porcupine, /bake it in the ashes and eat it!” he said. But she threw it back again and said:/” bake it and eat it!” So then, he spread the embers apart/and laid the porcupine down into them/He covered it over, /stretched himself out with his back to the fire, /and went to sleep. /He usually slept with his back to the fire. /In truth, only a shadow of his real self was there-/a log, a rotten log. That old woman reached across/and picked up her stone pestle, /and, when she had taken careful aim, /she bashed the log with it, /She made the log burst and fly all to pieces. “well, well!” she said/” I didn’t think that was really you there. /I really did believe that it was some old thing!” The rotten log did look like him, /but Earthmaker, who had been lying with his back to the fire, /had already gone away to some other place. /Only his shadow remained there. /Though he seemed to be lying with his back to the fire, /it was really only his shadow."