Grandfather Rock (A Pawnee Tale)
Retold by Susan Selk (Fairfield Public Schools permission to copy)
Old Man Coyote was a trickster. He thought he was wiser than any of the other animals. They warned him that he needed to show respect to the spirits and to other animals, but Old Man Coyote just laughed. He thought he knew best.
One day, coyote was running along the path. He was very hungry, and could not remember the last time he had eaten. He came to the top of a hill when he saw a large rock. He knew right away, it was Grandfather Rock, the oldest and wisest rock in all the world. Everyone knew that Grandfather Rock deserved the greatest respect. When Old Man Coyote saw Grandfather Rock, he took his flint stone knife out of his belt and gave it to him.
“Grandfather, I am giving you this gift, and in return, help me find some food, because I am hungry." Then Old Man Coyote continued his way.
When he reached the other side of the hill, he noticed that at the bottom was a freshly killed buffalo. “Thank You Grandfather Rock!” he thought to himself, as his mouth began to water. “But how will I cut the meat off the bones?” Then Old Man Coyote remembered his knife, and he walked back up the hill to grab his knife.
"You won’t need this," he said, "but I do." Laughing to himself, he hurried back down the hill. When he reached the bottom, the buffalo was gone, and all that was left was a pile of old bones.
Old Man Coyote realized what he had done. He had angered Grandfather Rock. He turned around to return the knife, but it was too late. Grandfather Rock was angry. He was rolling down the hill, right toward Old Man Coyote.
Old Man Coyote ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran, and he ran, and he ran. And every time he slowed down to look behind him, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote.
As he ran, Old Man Coyote looked for help. When he saw cougar’s cave he called out, “Save me, please.” Cougar peeked out of his den when he heard the shouting, but when he saw Grandfather Rock rolling toward Old Man Coyote, cougar said, "I can’t help you. I don’t want Grandfather Rock to be angry at me." And he quickly ran back inside his den.
Old Man Coyote continued to run, as fast as his legs would carry him. And every time he looked back, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote.
A bear was walking back to her den when she felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. She turned just in time to hear Old Man Coyote’s shouts for help. When she saw Grandfather Rock rolling close behind, she called out, “If you have angered Grandfather Rock, no one can help you!” She hurriedly ran back to her den.
Old Man Coyote continued to run, as fast as his legs would carry him. And every time he looked back, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote. When He saw a grazing herd of buffalo up ahead, Old Man Coyote got an idea. "Listen," he said, "That big rock told me he was going to roll over all the buffalo, and when I tried to stop him, he began to chase me."
The bull buffalo looked up and saw Grandfather Rock rolling toward them. They braced their legs in the ground and pushed their horned heads forward, but Grandfather Rock brushed past them. Leaving them dazed, with their horns bent, and their head pushed back into their shoulders. And the buffalo look that way to this day.
Old Man Coyote was growing tired, and Grandfather Rock was getting closer, showing no signs of slowing down, none at all.
"Then Old Man Coyote looked up and saw a nighthawk. "Save me," he cried out. "That big rock said you were ugly, with your tiny feet, beady eyes and a pinched beak, and when I told him not to say that, he started to chase me."
When the nighthawk heard this, he called to all the other hawks, and soon a huge flock of birds swooped down and aimed their beaks right at Grandfather Rock. They dived down and pecked at the rock, and each time they struck, a tiny piece of rock broke off. As he continued to roll, Grandfather Rock got smaller and smaller, until there was nothing left but a pile of pebbles.
Old Man Coyote stopped and turned, and when he saw that he was no longer being chased, he began to laugh. "My goodness" he said to the nighthawks that had helped him. "You tiny feet, beady-eyed, pinched beaked creatures, how could you do such a thing to Grandfather Rock, who deserves nothing but respect?"
When the hawks heard this, they realized that they had been tricked. They began to fly over the pile of pebbles, circling above and fanning their wings. They fanned and fanned, and soon all the pebbles were back together again. And Grandfather Rock was whole again.
The next thing Old Man Coyote knew, Grandfather Rock was rolling right back after him. Old Man Coyote ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran, and he ran, and he ran. They say he is still running today.
One day, coyote was running along the path. He was very hungry, and could not remember the last time he had eaten. He came to the top of a hill when he saw a large rock. He knew right away, it was Grandfather Rock, the oldest and wisest rock in all the world. Everyone knew that Grandfather Rock deserved the greatest respect. When Old Man Coyote saw Grandfather Rock, he took his flint stone knife out of his belt and gave it to him.
“Grandfather, I am giving you this gift, and in return, help me find some food, because I am hungry." Then Old Man Coyote continued his way.
When he reached the other side of the hill, he noticed that at the bottom was a freshly killed buffalo. “Thank You Grandfather Rock!” he thought to himself, as his mouth began to water. “But how will I cut the meat off the bones?” Then Old Man Coyote remembered his knife, and he walked back up the hill to grab his knife.
"You won’t need this," he said, "but I do." Laughing to himself, he hurried back down the hill. When he reached the bottom, the buffalo was gone, and all that was left was a pile of old bones.
Old Man Coyote realized what he had done. He had angered Grandfather Rock. He turned around to return the knife, but it was too late. Grandfather Rock was angry. He was rolling down the hill, right toward Old Man Coyote.
Old Man Coyote ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran, and he ran, and he ran. And every time he slowed down to look behind him, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote.
As he ran, Old Man Coyote looked for help. When he saw cougar’s cave he called out, “Save me, please.” Cougar peeked out of his den when he heard the shouting, but when he saw Grandfather Rock rolling toward Old Man Coyote, cougar said, "I can’t help you. I don’t want Grandfather Rock to be angry at me." And he quickly ran back inside his den.
Old Man Coyote continued to run, as fast as his legs would carry him. And every time he looked back, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote.
A bear was walking back to her den when she felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. She turned just in time to hear Old Man Coyote’s shouts for help. When she saw Grandfather Rock rolling close behind, she called out, “If you have angered Grandfather Rock, no one can help you!” She hurriedly ran back to her den.
Old Man Coyote continued to run, as fast as his legs would carry him. And every time he looked back, Grandfather Rock was still rolling, right after Old Man Coyote. When He saw a grazing herd of buffalo up ahead, Old Man Coyote got an idea. "Listen," he said, "That big rock told me he was going to roll over all the buffalo, and when I tried to stop him, he began to chase me."
The bull buffalo looked up and saw Grandfather Rock rolling toward them. They braced their legs in the ground and pushed their horned heads forward, but Grandfather Rock brushed past them. Leaving them dazed, with their horns bent, and their head pushed back into their shoulders. And the buffalo look that way to this day.
Old Man Coyote was growing tired, and Grandfather Rock was getting closer, showing no signs of slowing down, none at all.
"Then Old Man Coyote looked up and saw a nighthawk. "Save me," he cried out. "That big rock said you were ugly, with your tiny feet, beady eyes and a pinched beak, and when I told him not to say that, he started to chase me."
When the nighthawk heard this, he called to all the other hawks, and soon a huge flock of birds swooped down and aimed their beaks right at Grandfather Rock. They dived down and pecked at the rock, and each time they struck, a tiny piece of rock broke off. As he continued to roll, Grandfather Rock got smaller and smaller, until there was nothing left but a pile of pebbles.
Old Man Coyote stopped and turned, and when he saw that he was no longer being chased, he began to laugh. "My goodness" he said to the nighthawks that had helped him. "You tiny feet, beady-eyed, pinched beaked creatures, how could you do such a thing to Grandfather Rock, who deserves nothing but respect?"
When the hawks heard this, they realized that they had been tricked. They began to fly over the pile of pebbles, circling above and fanning their wings. They fanned and fanned, and soon all the pebbles were back together again. And Grandfather Rock was whole again.
The next thing Old Man Coyote knew, Grandfather Rock was rolling right back after him. Old Man Coyote ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran, and he ran, and he ran. They say he is still running today.