VALLEY QUAIL'S STORY

I AM GOING TO VISIT MY FATHER SAID QUAIL. I AM GOING UP TO THE MOUNTAIN TO VISIT MY FATHER.
"GIVE ME MY FATHER'S POISON" (YELLOW-JACKETS AND STINGING INSECTS, WHICH WERE IN A BAG). HE WENT UP TO THE MOUNTAIN AND TRIED MY FATHER'S POISON AND DISCOVER HOW MY FATHER USES IT. YOUNG QUAIL SAID THIS WHEN HE SAW THE DEER. THEN HE OPENED HIS BAG OF YELLOW-JACKETS. WHEN HE OPENED THE BAG THEY FLEW TO THE DEER AND KILLED THEM. THEY KILLED ALL THE DEER.

QUAIL WENT UP TO THE MOUNTAIN ANDTHROUGH THE CANYONS AND DEEP FORESTS. HE FOUND COYOTE UP IN THE FOREST, AND HE ASKED HIM TO OPEN HIS BAG. WHEN QUAIL OPENED THE BAGTHE YELLOW-JACKETS FLEW OUT AND STUNG HIM TO DEATH. THEN HE CALLED THE YELLOW - JACKETS BACK INTO THE BAG.

NEXT HE MET A BEAR AND QUAIL SAID TO HIMSELF, I DON'T THINK THAT MY POISON WILL KILL THE BEARS. HOWEVER, THEY KILLED ALL OF THE BEARS. AND AGAIN HE MET SOME MT. LIONS, A LARGE SNAKE, MT. SHEEP AND THE YELLOW-JACKETS ALSO KILLED THEM.

ONCE HE ARRIVED BACK HOME HE TOLD HIS FATHER THAT HE HAD LEARNED BY HIMSELF HOW TO USE THE YELLOW-JACKETS. HE SAID HE WOULD VISIT HIS FATHER BUT NOT LIVE WITH HIM.


MIWOK MYTHS - EDWARD GIFFORD