Zuni Folktales · Chapter
How the Coyote Danced with the Blackbirds explained
A Coyote, enchanted by the Blackbirds' dance on Gorge Mountain, convinces them to let him join.
What happens
A Coyote, enchanted by the Blackbirds' dance on Gorge Mountain, convinces them to let him join. The Blackbirds attach feathers to his forelegs and tail so he can fly, but after a successful flight, they grow annoyed with his antics and trick him by plucking the feathers mid-air, causing him to fall. He survives but is left with shriveled black fringes on his forelegs and tail, explaining the markings on coyotes today.
Themes in this chapter
Folklore vs. Science
The tale uses folklore to explain a natural phenomenon—the black markings on coyotes—contrasting with scientific explanations.
Transformation and Identity
The Coyote attempts to transform into a flying creature, but his true nature as a coyote is ultimately reaffirmed through failure.
Characters to notice
- Coyote
The protagonist who desperately wants to join the Blackbirds' dance and fly, leading to his humiliation.
- Blackbirds
The group of birds hosting the dance; they initially help the Coyote but later trick him by plucking his feathers mid-flight.
Key passages
“A Coyote was out hunting (as if he could catch anything, the beast!) and saw them, and was enraptured.”
A Coyote, who was hunting unsuccessfully, saw the Blackbirds and was captivated by their dance.
Highlights the Coyote's envy and desire to join the Blackbirds.
“The agony of that fall had been so great and the heat of his exertions so excessive, that the feathers left in his forelegs and tail-tip were all shrivelled up into little ugly black fringes of hair.”
The fall and exertion caused the remaining feathers to become shriveled black fringes on his forelegs and tail.
Explains the origin of the coyote's distinctive black markings.