{\rtf0\mac\deff21{\fonttbl{\f7102 \fnil Andale Mono;}{\f2311 \fnil Apple Chancery;}{\f2001 \fnil Arial;}{\f12077 \fnil Arial Black;}{\f15251 \fnil Aristocrat LET;}{\f1686 \fnil Bertram LET;}{\f15038 \fnil Bickley Script LET;}{\f1551 \fnil BlairMdITC TT-Medium;}{\f2420 \fnil Bodoni Ornaments ITC TT;}{\f13616 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo ITC TT-Bold;}{\f2513 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo ITC TT-Book;}{\f1505 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo ITC TT-BookIta;}{\f1483 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo OS ITC TT-Bold;}{\f1417 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo OS ITC TT-Book;}{\f2487 \fnil Bodoni SvtyTwo OS ITC TT-BookIt;}{\f15112 \fnil Bordeaux Roman Bold LET;}{\f2527 \fnil Bradley Hand ITC TT-Bold;}{\f2003 \fnil Capitals;}{\f2002 \fnil Charcoal;}{\f16383 \fnil Chicago;}{\f4513 \fnil Comic Sans MS;}{\f22 \fmodern Courier;}{\f2005 \fnil Courier New;}{\f11098 \fnil FrenchScript;}{\f2307 \fnil Gadget;}{\f3 \fswiss Geneva;}{\f12171 \fnil Georgia;}{\f21 \fswiss Helvetica;}{\f2013 \fnil Hoefler Text;}{\f2018 \fnil Hoefler Text Ornaments;}{\f1260 \fnil Humana Serif ITC TT-Light;}{\f1850 \fnil Humana Serif ITC TT-LightIta;}{\f1058 \fnil Humana Serif ITC TT-MedIta;}{\f2559 \fnil Humana Serif ITC TT-Medium;}{\f2039 \fnil Impact;}{\f15345 \fnil Jokerman LET;}{\f11099 \fnil Kidprint;}{\f1268 \fnil LunaITC TT-Bold;}{\f11103 \fnil Lydian MT;}{\f1887 \fnil Machine ITC TT;}{\f1221 \fnil Mona Lisa Solid ITC TT;}{\f4 \fmodern Monaco;}{\f2515 \fnil MT Extra;}{\f2 \froman New York;}{\f16 \froman Palatino;}{\f15248 \fnil Party LET;}{\f1506 \fnil PortagoITC TT;}{\f2004 \fnil Sand;}{\f2040 \fnil Skia;}{\f1737 \fnil Stone Sans ITC TT-Bold;}{\f2063 \fnil Stone Sans ITC TT-Semi;}{\f1769 \fnil Stone Sans ITC TT-SemiIta;}{\f1054 \fnil Stone Sans OS ITC TT-Bold;}{\f1892 \fnil Stone Sans OS ITC TT-Semi;}{\f1776 \fnil Stone Sans OS ITCTT-SemiIta;}{\f2574 \fnil Stone Sans SC ITC TT-Semi;}{\f10892 \fnil Swing;}{\f23 \ftech Symbol;}{\f2006 \fnil Techno;}{\f2305 \fnil Textile;}{\f20 \froman Times;}{\f2010 \fnil Times New Roman;}{\f1109 \fnil Trebuchet MS;}{\f1804 \fnil TremorITC TT;}{\f7203 \fnil Verdana;}{\f15318 \fnil Wanted LET;}{\f14213 \fnil Webdings;}{\f32525 \fnil VT100;}}
{\colortbl\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red255\green0\blue0;\red0\green255\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green255\blue255;\red255\green0\blue255;\red255\green255\blue0;}
{\stylesheet{\sbasedon222\snext Normal;}}
\paperw12240\paperh15840\margt1440\margb1440\margl1440\margr1440\widowctrl\ftnbj\ftnrestart\ftnstart1\pgnstart1\deftab720\sectd\linemod0\linex0\cols1\colsx0
\pard\plain\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 Coyote The Storyteller\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 Mara Lynn Barbee\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab \{This is my own Coyote myth, in the Hopi style.  The dialogue at the beginning is between the speaker of the story and the audience.\}  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 ==================================================================\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2527\fs28\cf1 \'d2Have I told you of how Coyote wanted to be a storyteller?\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f1551\fs20\cf1 \'d2Like you, Uncle?\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2527\fs28\cf1 \'d2Yes, like me.\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f1551\fs20\cf1 \'d2No, never.\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2527\fs28\cf1 \'d2Shall I tell it?\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f1551\fs20\cf1 \'d2Yes.\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f2527\fs28\cf1 \'d2Then listen.\'d3\par }
\pard\ql\sl360{\plain\f1551\fs20\cf1 \'d2We\'d5re listening.\'d3\par }
\pard\ql{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \par }
\pard\ql{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab It was wintertime, and Coyote was on his way home after a day out hunting.  He hadn\'d5t caught anything at all that day, and he was cold.  He came across a village full of houses with warm fires, and he stopped beside one house.  He warmed himself by the do}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 or before moving on.  There was conversation inside, which caught his interest.  An old man was telling a story.  There were a lot of people in the room listening: from young children to other old ones.  They all paid attention, and answered back at the ri}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 ght parts of the tale.  The storyteller spoke with authority, weaving a story that Coyote could see as clear as day.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab Coyote was entranced.  He moved over so he could peer inside, and watched as the storyteller told his tale.  The story ended and a new one began, and still Coyote listened.  Never had he heard such well-told tales.  He stayed by the door listening all nig}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 ht until the sky was beginning to lighten and the storyteller was done.  It was said inside that there would be more stories the next night.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab Coyote crept away from the door and ran home, head full of grand tales.  He came back the next night, and took his place by the door.  The storyteller was already in the middle of a story.  Coyote sat quietly and listened.  He stayed there all night, then}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1  returned the following night, and the night after that as well.  He found that the stories began after dinner, and planned his nights accordingly.  For many nights to come, he watched and listened as the storyteller told his tales.  He liked the respect t}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 he other people were giving the old man, and he liked the way the children asked for more.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab }
{\plain\i\f2001\fs24\cf1 If I can learn to tell stories so well,}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1  he thought, }
{\plain\i\f2001\fs24\cf1 Then my neighbors will respect me more, and they will invite me to their homes and feed me every night.}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1   He decided that he would learn, and began taking careful note of everything the storyteller did.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab Coyote saw that the old man was confident, in words and posture.  He acted as if he knew what he was doing, and that made the stories all the stronger.  He smiled and looked like he was enjoying it all just as much as the listeners, if not more.  It was a}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1  game to him, not work.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He didn\'d5t just sit there and speak, but rather put his whole face and body into the telling.  His expressions were fascinating to watch; he told the whole story on his face.  And he gestured, moving his hands and making shapes in the air.  Coyote could al}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 most see the pictures he drew out of nothing.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab The storyteller had a perfect sense of timing, pausing in just the right places and speaking quickly when he needed to.  Sometimes he would stop and just look around at the audience with one raised eyebrow, which did more for the story than speaking could}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1  have.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He seemed like someone who appreciated a good joke, and told many stories with humor.  Coyote had no trouble imagining a different kind of person telling other tales, ones that suited their own personality.  He began planning out what kind of tales he him}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 self would tell.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab The old man took his time in finishing. He didn\'d5t rush through the ending as someone nervous might have.  Instead he told it slowly then looked at people, smiled, and listened to their applause.  Coyote was thinking that if he was in the storyteller\'d5s pla}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 ce, he might be embarrassed and dismiss the applause, but this one appreciated it, which was obviously the right thing to do.  The people looked happier that the storyteller was pleased with their reaction.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab Coyote made note of all of this, doing his best to remember everything the storyteller did.  He Imagined himself in the old man\'d5s place, and told himself what he would have to do.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab After many nights of watching and listening, Coyote decided he was almost ready.  But before he began telling stories for an audience, he wanted to practice.  So He stopped going to watch the storyteller every night, and began rehearsing his own stories i}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 n the privacy of his own house.  He did this for a number of nights, until he was finally sure he was ready.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab Then he invited his neighbors to his house for dinner and stories, all the while imagining the nights to come when his presence would be in demand and other people would feed him.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab His guests arrived, and Coyote welcomed them.  They all visited, and ate the dinner Coyote had prepared: antelope meat, wafer bread, and grease cakes.  Then when everyone was done eating, Coyote suggested that the stories begin.  The others agreed that th}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 is was a good idea, and settled down to listen to him speak.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab As he began, Coyote pretended he was confident, sitting up straight and keeping his voice steady.  He reminded himself to relax, and breathe, and enjoy himself as best he could.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He started with shorter tales.  It was easier for him to keep people\'d5s attention this way at first.  He worked his way up to longer stories.  He also kept to stories that he felt comfortable with, most of which depicted someone winning great respect after}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1  working long and hard for it.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He told the tales in his own words. He had memorized the general plots instead of individual phrases, so he wouldn\'d5t get stuck trying to remember details.  When he did get stuck, he kept going. He didn\'d5t frown, curse, stop, or apologize. He simply describ}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 ed details of sounds, smells, and similar things while he figured out what came next.  Sometimes when he was completely lost he would just stay silent and look into people\'d5s eyes, so that they thought he meant to have a dramatic pause there.  Then he impro}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 vised details as he waited for inspiration to return.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He was careful to put in enough pauses and slow moments, rather than speaking quickly the whole way through.  Since he was nervous, it was difficult to keep from speeding along.  But he managed.  He knew it was important to time things properly.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He made a point of using his whole body to tell the story.  He smiled and grimaced when appropriate, and he shaped the air with his hands just as he had seen the old storyteller doing.  He even managed to pause and raise an eyebrow for effect a time or tw}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 o, which worked wonderfully.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He tried his best to enjoy the experience, though he was mostly far too anxious to truly have fun with it.  But whenever the audience laughed or otherwise showed their appreciation, he had a good time indeed.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab And the audience was indeed paying attention to him.  They were actually interested in what he had to say.  This made him very happy.  While they didn\'d5t hang on his every word, he was sure that this would come with experience.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab He took his time to finish.  Remembering how the old storyteller had acted, he looked at people, smiled, and listened to the applause.  He would have liked to either hide his head in embarrassment or exclaim in triumph, but instead he calmly accepted thei}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 r approval.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab His guests all congratulated him on stories well told, and left with plans to come back the following night.  Coyote was sure that they would soon be inviting him to their own houses and providing dinner.  He went to bed happy.  \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab The next morning Coyote got up early, for even though he had stayed up late telling stories, he was too excited to sleep.  He went out hunting, and planned out which tales to tell that night.  The moon could still be seen in the sky: a sharp crescent.  Co}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 yote took no notice of this, thinking instead of how good it was that he had spent so much time observing the other storyteller.\par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab }
{\plain\i\f2001\fs24\cf1 Now I know everything I need to know, }
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 he thought smugly,}
{\plain\i\f2001\fs24\cf1  I can keep telling stories for many nights to come.}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1   \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab But if he had stayed watching longer (or if he had bothered to ask for instruction instead of spying at the door), he would have known that the old man had stopped telling stories some nights ago, when the month-long Gamwaya ended.  Storytelling season wa}
{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 s over, and Coyote had been telling tales anyway. \par }
\pard\ql\sl480{\plain\f2001\fs24\cf1 \tab That day when Coyote was out hunting, he was bitten by a snake.  Because  that is what happens when you tell stories out of season.  }
}