LESSON OF LIFE FROM THE COYOTE AND THE BADGER
The evening was cool the campfire felt good and as grandfather sat staring into the campfire, enjoying its warmth. He suddenly became aware that he had been surrounded by a number of the camps children.
With one voice the children begin entreating the old man, “Please tell us a story”.
The old man smiled but said nothing for what seemed to the children an eternity.
Then thoughtfully the old man began.
Everyone knows that Coyote is not to be trusted, but do you know why?
He paused and looked at each one. There was no answer.
He continued.
Now coyote loved to eat mice. But was unable to catch as many of them as he would like for they would quickly scurry down their burrows and coyote was not a good digger.
One day after not being able to catch many mice and having a very empty stomach. He thought. How can I catch more mice? For if I can’t catch more mice I will surely starve.
If only he could dig…. like badger…. he thought. I could get more mice. But badger had his own problem, for the mice often had a back door and they would escape through it.
After watching badger for some time, he saw an opportunity, and being very wise, he came up with a plan.
I will have badger do the digging and I will get the mice. Only one problem, badger wasn’t likely to want to share.
Coyote begin to devise a deceptive plan.
I will tell badger that I am a very fast runner and that if the mouse escapes through the back door, I will catch the mouse and give badger the mice because I don’t like mice.
After hearing the plan, badger thought. That sounds almost too good to be true,
but I trust coyote.
So coyote and badger became partners.
Almost immediately they flushed a mouse which scurried down a hole Doing what badgers do best, badger began digging, and doing what coyotes do best coyote began watching others work, but also keeping a sharp eye out for the mouse’s escape.
sure enough the mouse darted out the back door and quick as a wink coyote caught the mouse and ate it. ( the old man made a chomping sound)of course badger didn’t see this because his head was in the hole that he was digging.
After more digging, badger thought maybe my partner caught the mouse.
pulling his very dirty face out of the hole (the old man made the
snorting sound). Where is my mouse the badger demanded?
To which coyote replied. I did not see a mouse.
Puzzled by this badger decided to find another mouse
As the partners continued across the prairie, they soon flushed another mouse which
like the earlier mouse, dived down a hole and like before badger began to do what badgers do best. (the old man made a digging motion with his hands). Coyote began doing what coyotes do best.( leaning forward the old man looked intensely at each one)
there was a giggle from the children as he continued .
Like earlier the mouse escaped out the back door and just like before coyote quickly caught and eat the mouse (the old man made a smacking sound and rubbed his belly).
Like before badger backed out of the hole (the old did the snorting sound again) and in a very gruff voice ask where is my mouse? To which coyote replied sorry no mouse.
Again they continued across the prairie. This went on for the rest of the day with badger digging many holes but having an empty stomach at the end of the day. While coyote had a full stomach for a change.
Finally at the end of the day badger, not being very smart but being very hungry, decided for find out why. Getting very close to coyote. (the old man made a sniffing sound) “ MOUSE, I SMELL MOUSE. no I SMELL, MICE MANY MICE”!!! Growled the badger.
Now, badger had many friends and it wasn’t long before badger told all of his friends and it wasn’t long until all the animals of the prairie heard what coyote had done.
Coyote was not to be trusted. That is why badgers always chase coyotes away and why none of the animals trust coyote.
The old man never told his audience what they were to learn from the story. Each one would learn something from the story, but only what affects each hearer.
author Larry Waldron