COYOTE WAS LIVING IN a big village.
“Oh Grandmother,” he said one day, “I wonder where that younger brother of mine dwells.”
“Who is that?” said his grandmother.
“Oh, you know, Woodpecker.”
“Why, yes, of course. There is a certain point over near some hills in that direction where the river starts. In that place all the trees grow up close to the river and there is good bottomland. That’s the place where he lives.”
“So that’s where it is. I can’t see that dwelling from here, but I suppose that’s where he lives. I think I might as well go over and pay him a visit.”
“That’s the way,” said his grandmother. “Your aunts and uncles are always doing this kind of visiting.”
So Coyote went over to where the trees grew at the head of that river. He found Woodpecker’s house and went inside.
“Hey, my brother, what a pleasant surprise,” called Woodpecker.
“I haven’t come for anything in particular,” said Coyote, looking around. “I merely happened to think of you all of a sudden. ‘Why, I think I’ll go over and visit my brother Woodpecker!’ is what I thought.”
“Well, I wonder what I can give you to eat. We haven’t any food right now. I’ll have to hunt something up.” Woodpecker called out to his wife, “My wife, where is that gathering skin?” She gave it to him and he set out.
He went out into the woods to the place where a great tree was. He landed on the side and began to thump it to see what sort of sound it made. He moved up the side like that, thumping, until he heard a sound he liked. Then he began to peck a hole, because this was where the honey was. It was beautiful honey and when he got a good flow going he spread his gathering skin on the ground to catch it. After he got a good supply he stopped the flow and dropped back to the ground. Then he tied up his bundle and started for home.
When he arrived at the place where he and his wife lived, he went inside. He put the honey in a wooden bowl and put it in front of Coyote. “There, my brother, go right ahead and eat this.”
Coyote was so delighted with the sweet taste that he ate the whole thing up. “Oh, I don’t think I’ve been this full in a long time. And say, my brother, I should be starting on my way now. I think our grandmother is looking for me. I told her I would be back early.”
So Coyote left and went back to the place where he lived and went inside.
“So, you have come back,” said his grandmother. “Did you really see your brother Woodpecker?”
“Oh yes, Grandmother, and I’ll tell you, he gave me something to eat that was delicious.”
“What is that?”
“Honey, that’s what it was. It was in a big wooden bowl filled right up to the brim. You may not believe it, but I ate up every bit of that honey it was so good.”
“That’s the way with your uncles and your aunts when they go to visit one another. They give each other the best of whatever they have. They are good to each other like that. They talk a lot. Did you have a good talk with your brother?”
“Oh, yes, we talked a lot over that honey.”
“That’s good.”