The Day Coyote Stole the Sun

~ NightEyes DaySpring

After Coyote had stolen fire for man, he began looking for an even greater trick to play. He devised many different schemes, but none felt quit as satisfying as stealing fire. Then one day as he was looking up to the sky, he conceived the idea to steal something no one but Great Spirit had ever touched. He was going to steal the sun.

How he was going to accomplish this feat, was something he puzzled over for quite a while. He considered swimming to the edge of the world and dragging the sun all the way back to shore through the ocean, but that was a very far distance for him to swim. The currents in the ocean were very strong and Coyote was only a marginal swimmer. He considered learning to fly, and while pouncing out of the sky onto his prey from a very great height seemed like something he would never tire of doing, he had no earthly idea how he could grow wings.

The inspiration for accomplishing this feat finally came to him when he went to the western sea. Now, the western sea stretches all the way to the edge of the world. Its coast is full of peninsulas and inlets but there is one peninsula that juts out into the sea further then all the others. This peninsula is the closest piece of land to the edge of the world. It was here, watching the sun set right over the peninsula, that Coyote realized all he had to do was reach up there and pluck it down. The sun was closer here then he'd ever seen it anywhere else. He even stood up and stretched out his paws to try and clutch the sun, but it of course was far to high in the sky for him to get to it. If he just had something to stand on, he could reach it. There were plenty of boulders in the area, but none of them were very impressive. He would need something really tall like a tower for him to hook his claws into the sun. All he had to do was build one.

The next morning Coyote arose early, and started to work on the foundations for his tower. It was hard work leveling the ground and cutting the rock for the base of his tower. After many hours, he had made little progress.

“This will take forever,” thought Coyote as he lay panting on his side. Coyote though, persisted. Each day he got up and worked to level the ground and cut to the blocks for the foundation to the tower. He gained purpose and determination, things he usually lacked. Coyote worked hard for many months, and it was after he'd completed the foundation for the tower, that brother Wolf visited him.

“Brother, what are you doing here at the edge of the world?” Wolf asked as he came trotting by.

“Pushing rocks around for my health,” the trickster panted as he pushed one of the stone blocks into place.

“I see,” said Wolf. “You've missed the buffalo this year. They've headed south for the winter.”

“Only wolves chase such unwieldy prey,” huffed Coyote.

Wolf smiled. “Indeed, but I've seen many of your children stealing quick meals of buffalo from my children. Your children have missed your presence terribly.”

“They are grown,” said Coyote with just a ting of sentimentality. “They do well for themselves in my absence.”

“So what mischief has you out here pushing boulders?” Wolf inquired.

“I'm building a monument to the sky,” Coyote said as he trotted over to fetch another large stone.

Wolf was impressed by Coyote's dedication, and while he knew Coyote was up to no good, he left him to whatever that was. Coyote would obviously tire of this work at some point, long before Wolf had to worry about what trouble Coyote was planning. Coyote though, labored on into the winter. The wind was cold. The ice and snow made moving the boulders difficult, but he continued working on the tower. It was on a particularly cold day, when the tower was half finished, that Fox came to visit him. Coyote was brushing snow off another large stone to haul to the tower when a familiar voice called to him.

“Coyote,” called Fox. “What are you doing out here alone?”

“Working like a dog in the snow.” he responded to Fox.

“Indeed,” said Fox as he came closer. “But why?”

“I'm building a tower to the sky,” Coyote said pointing towards the half completed tower.

“Why cousin, would you want to do that? You've been away so long, that your brother, Wolf, has had to adopt some of your children and look after them in the winter snows until you get back.”

Coyote smiled. “Wolf has always been a better family man than I.” He then bent and began pushing another large stone towards the tower. “I will be back soon though. Thank Wolf for me, cousin.” Fox only nodded and watched Coyote work for a while. He knew Coyote had to be up to something, but for the life of him couldn't figure out what that was. He left Coyote to his labors and told Wolf of what he'd seen. Soon word had spread that Coyote was up to something devious, but nobody knew what that was.

Coyote kept working on the tower alone. Slowly the tower grew in height. Winter gave way into spring and it was when the earth was in full bloom that Coyote finished the tower. He climbed down from the top to admire it after it was completed. Satisfied with his handy work, he slept. His paws ached something terrible from the months of hard work, the pads on them were worn down. After a good night's rest, he woke up late and climbed the stairs of his tower towards the sky. The sun was high above in the sky when he reached the top, so sat and waited for the sun to set. It was here that Raven found him.

“Coyote!” called Raven, as he flew across the sky. “What are you doing all the way up here?”

“Sitting with my ears in the sky Raven.” Coyote responded flush with his accomplishment.

“Why yes you are,” said Raven as he fluttered in and landed next to him. “Wolf and Fox have been talking about your strange tower back at home for a while. I've thought, Coyote, build something? He must have fallen and bumped his head! I finally came to see it with my own eyes.” Raven spread his wings. “It is indeed a monument to the sky, but why build this?”

“I can't tell you my friend, it would ruin the surprise.” smirked Coyote.

“Last time I saw you smiling like this, you had made Great Spirit very mad by stealing fire for man. What mischief are you up to, my friend?”

The trickster smiled proud with himself. If there was one animal he could confess his plan to, it would be Raven. “I've built this tower into the sky Raven, so I can pull off my greatest trick ever. When the sun crosses over this tower as it sets, I will pluck it from the sky with my paws and steal it.”

Raven squawked in alarm. “You can't steal the sun! We will all live in perpetual night then. How will we play chase?”

Coyote considered. He did enjoy his games of chase with Raven a lot. “You could fly with the sun in your beak and I can chase you, but you will have to be careful not to drop it.”

Raven jump back and forth from foot to foot agitated. “I don't think this is a good idea coyote. Great Spirit will be furious with you.”

“Nonsense,” said coyote. “He will be proud of my ingenuity. Plus, if it means that much to him, he can make another sun.”

Raven was pretty sure Great Spirit would be livid with Coyote, but he didn't say anything else. He could see that Coyote could not be persuaded from taking the sun. So, he left Coyote waiting patiently at the top of his tower as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky towards the tower. Coyote waited with his eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun on his fur. He occasionally would peek at see where the sun was, but he couldn't watch it directly out of his eyes.

Finally, when the sun was overhead, he stood up on his hind paws. He reached out with his fore paws and brushed the sun. It was warm, and made his paws tingle with it's radiance. Gingerly, he leaned forward to wrap his muzzle around the sun and pulled it out of the sky. With his tail held high, he proudly descending the tower with the sun in his muzzle.

By the time he reached the ground, the moon was out, but all around him it was daylight. He took off towards the woods in a triumphal trot. His muzzle was hot from having to hold the sun, but he had pulled off the greatest trick of his life. This was his magnum opus, and nothing could dull this achievement.

Coyote trotted for a long time through the forest heading home. Eventually, he reached his den and entered it. He put the sun in the corner, and it lit up the room with it's warmth. Then exhausted from traveling, he lay down to sleep.

Yet no matter how much he tried to sleep, he couldn't. The sun lit up the little den beautifully, and even if Coyote tried to sleep with his back to the sun, the warmth tickled at his fur and kept him awake. It also become stuffy in his den with the sun in it. Eventually, exhausted form lack of sleep, Coyote dragged the sun out of his den and dug a hole next to the entrance. He then dropped the sun into the hole and covered it up with dirt. Exhausted, ears drooping, he crawled back into his den and slept.

It was still night when coyote was awoken by a clamber outside of his den. He was still so tired that he just rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Someone was calling his name though. Finally, he crawled out of his den and found Fox sitting patiently waiting for him, tail wrapped around his feat.

“Cousin,” said Fox, “have you seen the sun? It was supposed to be up hours ago.”

“It was?” said Coyote. “It's still looks dark out to me.”

“Well of course it's still dark out, the sun has gone missing,” said Fox. “Nobody has seen it since dusk yesterday, and when it didn't come up this morning, things got crazy.. Everyone is out looking for it.”

Coyote just laid down and put his head on his paws, “I wouldn't worry, I'm sure it's fine.”

“Coyote, this is serious,” said Fox. “We need to find whoever stole the sun immediately. Many of the animals are complaining bitterly about the prolonged darkness. Bear especially, had planned to go fishing today, but without it, he can't find the salmon he so loves.”

Coyote just flicked an ear. “As long as Fox doesn't know I have it, I'll be safe from Bear,” Coyote thought.

“I need your help looking for it cousin.” Fox said.

“Why not ask Wolf?” he volunteered. “Wolf would be happy to look for it I'm sure.”

“Wolf is busy,” said Fox. “He is already searching to the west for the sun together with some of his children.”

Coyote tried to think of another excuse not to go with Fox, but there was nothing he cold think of. So together they left to search to the north for the sun. Fox was insistent that they check the high mountains to the north. He lead them up steep slopes and over rough terrain.

It was pitch black since the moon and the stars had gone in. Coyote tired to follow Fox's lead. A few times Coyote slipped and tripped over rocks he couldn't see. Once Fox ducked into a log hollow and Coyote, not paying attention, smashed his nose into the log. Eventually the moon and the stars came out, but Fox kept searching. Coyote, for his part, tried to go through the motions of doing his part, yet after the moon and the stars went away and the dawn broke pitch black, he had had enough.

He told Fox they could resume searching later and he walked to his home in silence. Coyote was so tired, that at one point he walked head first into a tree. Finally, his paws aching, and his nose bruised, he arrived back at his home. He didn't realize anything was a miss, until he stepped into a hole in the complete darkness. Coyote scrambled out of the hole and looked around. This was his den all right, but someone had come while he was gone and dug up the sun! The orb was gone. Coyote panicked and frantically started searching and digging holes looking for it. Obviously someone must have seen him return with the sun, but who?

“Is everything okay brother?” asked Wolf coming up finding Coyote digging in the dirt.

“Yes,” he said poking his nose out of one of the holes he'd started digging. “Why do you ask?”

“You seem to be turning your home into a rabbit warren. I don't think any rabbits would be interested in moving in with you though.”

Coyote got up and climbed out of the hole he was digging and shook dirt off his fur. “Just changing things up,” Coyote said to wolf nervously.

“Well, I was wondering if you had seen Raven recently. He seems to have gone missing just like the sun. I think he may have been the one who stole the sun.”

“Raven?” said Coyote. “No, not since the day before yesterday.”

“Well many of the animals are getting desperate. Eagle has said if he finds Raven, he's going to claw his eyes out for this injustice, so I was hoping you might know where he is. Being one of your friends, I was hoping you could help me find him before Eagle did.”

“Eagle can't do that!” Coyote said. This was getting serious, he needed to find out who stole the sun from him before someone else found out he had taken it originally.

“I'm not sure there is much we can do about that, if we don't find him. Will you help me search for him?”

Coyote nodded and agreed to look for Raven. Together they searched the forest for hours. Coyote at this point could barely keep his eyes open, but he couldn't let Raven get hurt for his trick. He tripped repeatedly over roots and logs while searching. Wolf was determined to find Raven before Eagle did, and Coyote hoped they did find Raven too. Yet no matter how much they searched they couldn't find him. The moon rose and fell again, but still there was no sign of Raven. Eventually, exhausted beyond belief Coyote walked back to his home.

He'd just closed his eyes to sleep when Fox came back looking for him. “Coyote,” called Fox.

“What is it?” he said weakly. Coyote just wanted to sleep.

“I need you to help me search the eastern expanses.”

“I can't,” said Coyote. “I can barely feel my paws at this point Fox.”

“What?” said Fox poking his muzzle into Coyote's den. “There isn't any time to waste. Stop dawdling.”

“I haven't slept in days Fox,” he said. “I've been searching for Raven with Wolf.”

“Well Bear hasn't eaten in days,” said Fox. “How do you think he feels?”

“Horrible I'm sure.” moaned Coyote.

“Well come on them!”

The trickster groaned, crawling back out of his den and followed Fox. Together they searched for a few hours. After running into a few more trees due to the lack of sleep, Fox told him he really did need to get some sleep, and sent Coyote home.

Coyote crawled most of the way home. He was so exhausted at this point that his vision kept playing tricks on him. He tripped, and he ran into thing until the only choice left to him was to crawl back to his den on his stomach. Arriving home, he could see a glow emanating from his den. The sun was sitting in the center of his home.

“This is ridiculous,” Coyote said out loud to himself sitting at the mouth of the den. He know they were playing tricks on him at this point.

Sighing, coyote took the sun in his muzzle and set out gingerly walking back to his tower. He was so tired, he dragged his tail all the way there through the dirt. It was humiliating, but at least he could see where he was going. Coyote stopped a few times to rest, but he was afraid someone would find him. The trickster only paused long enough to catch his breath. He felt like he walked forever. Eventually he reached the western sea and his tower. He slowly crawled up the stairs dragging his tired exhausted body. When he eventually reached the top, he found Raven sitting there smiling at him.

“You told Fox and Wolf didn't you?” Coyote said ruefully to the bird putting the sun down on top of the tower.

“Perhaps,” said the bird as he paused to preen. “You look horrible.”

“Thanks,” said Coyote. “It's nice to see you too.”

“The sun is something we all share Coyote. You can't have it all to yourself. “Bear and Eagle aren't the only angry ones.”

“It was a brilliant trick,” Coyote mused to himself. “Just too high profile.”

With a grunt he reached down and gingerly clasped the sun in his muzzle. Then he reared up on his hind paws and held the sun up in his mouth and opened it and dropped back to the floor the tower. The sun hung above them, the sunset restored to the earth. Raven fluttered down from the edge of the tower to stand next to Coyote.

“It's beautiful.” said Raven spreading his wings out to enjoy the warmth.

Coyote snorted and just flopped over onto his side. The sun passed over the tower and started to set towards the ocean. Raven took off into flight to leave Coyote there on top of his tower to a well deserved night of rest.