Coyote’s Tale: The First Sip of Fire Water
And sometimes, that’s the only kind of redemption a trickster gets. What’s your take—does Coyote deserve forgiveness, or just better judgment? Drop a thought in the comments. 🐺🔥
“You look like you swallowed a porcupine,” said the crow.
Not for rabbit. Not for roots.
Because Coyote is a trickster, and tricksters don’t do never . They just get better at pretending they’ve learned. In Indigenous oral traditions, “fire water” is an old metaphor for alcohol—something that gives a false warmth, then takes more than it gives. The Coyote tales aren’t warnings in the strict sense; they’re mirrors . Coyote is the part of us that knows better and does it anyway.
At first, he felt powerful. His fur stood on end. He could see the wind. He could count the bones in his own tail.
“You’re drunk, brother,” said Badger. Coyote-s Tale. Fire Water
“I’m enlightened ,” slurred Coyote, and promptly fell into the cooking fire.
But Coyote, clever and crooked as a juniper branch, had other plans.
He waited until the Moon ducked behind a cloud. Then he crept into the village, stole a gourd, and lapped up the fire water until his belly swelled like a toad’s throat. Coyote’s Tale: The First Sip of Fire Water
He stumbled into Badger’s den and declared himself Chief of Everything.
Finally, on the fourth morning, Coyote buried the gourd and sang a quiet song: “I stole the flame for warmth and light. I stole the water to feel bright. But fire in the belly burns the soul. And too much bright will leave you coal.” Then he walked away, limping a little, and never stole fire water again.
He went back three times. Each time, he told himself: This time I’ll control it. And each time, the fire water controlled him—until the stars turned into needles, and his own howl sounded like a stranger. 🐺🔥 “You look like you swallowed a porcupine,”
He had already stolen fire from the Fire People, tucking a burning coal into a hollow reed and racing across the plains until the smoke made him sneeze and sparks flew into the pine trees. That trick worked so well, he thought, why not try again?
“That’s the fire water,” said the crow. “It promised you wings. It gave you stones.”