A light came to earth and brought teachers to Human. They taught Human all the time, even in Human’s sleep, and thinking to nourish themselves, they ate truths while they were teaching.
Over time and because of what they were themselves learning from being around Human, the teachers split up into Wolf, Coyote and Dog, so that they could make more opportunities to eat.
Wolf fed itself by convincing Human that the best way to survive was to be the fiercest and strongest. With no one else to fight, Human fought Shadow. Wolf would watch Human rage and it would fill him up.
Coyote would range far and wide. Wherever Human went, Coyote played tricks to make Human think and do crazy things. Coyote would laugh and laugh, and it filled him up.
Dog stayed close to Human, and instead of eating truths or making Human crazy, was fed by Human’s friendship, of which he was very protective.
One day Coyote thought to himself, “Why should Wolf have so much influence? And why should Dog’s life be so simple? I’m the clever one! I will break this bond between Wolf and Dog and Human!”
At this same time, Dog was thinking to himself, “I feel good when Human and I help each other, but when Wolf eats truth and Coyote plays his tricks, Human is not friendly, and I don’t get all I want to eat.”
Coyote decided he was so clever that he should get all the food. He decided to play a trick on everyone…
He found Wolf howling at the moon, lonely for the light of their Home. Staying hidden in the shadows, Coyote pretended to talk for the moon, saying, “I am Moon. I make it possible to see things when others cannot. Wolf, you spend so much time teaching Human, only to receive scraps of truth. Look at Dog; his life is so simple, and Coyote is always laughing! You are stronger than Dog and Coyote and Human. You should have all the food, and more time to rest and have fun!”
The next time Human was sleeping, Wolf, tricked by Coyote, taught Human to sleep and not wake up. To conceal what he had done, Wolf started to eat Human’s body. He was not used to this kind of food, so he would eat a little and then go away for a while. Coyote would come out from hiding and eat as much as he could, too, worried that the others might discover what he had done. Dog found Human and even he came to eat, not wanting to allow the other two a chance to share his friendship with Human.
Now inside each teacher animal, Human’s heart took Human to Truths and Magics that eyes cannot see and a body cannot feel.
The animals avoided each other. Wolf had no influence, Dog had no friendship. Everyone went hungry (even Coyote, as there was no one to laugh at now that Human was dead). When they could no longer stand their hunger, Wolf, Coyote and Dog came together where Human’s body had been and stood facing each other.
They all spoke, each opening his mouth and saying, “Where is Human?! You see how hungry I am?! My stomach is more empty than yours!” They argued about who was the more famished, louder and louder, becoming more and more frantic, bemoaning their fates until their tongues tangled together. Starving and no longer able to speak, they stood there through three days and nights, pulling taught against each other, but panting and exhausted.
Moon came and went. On the third night, Moon shone full. It shone so bright that a shadow was cast from the ball of their tied tongues. Moon moved across the sky, and the shadow moved. Wolf, Coyote and Dog became afraid, each worried that the shadow might somehow betray them for what they had done. They all yelped, and snapping down on their own tongues so hard that they severed them, the ball fell to the ground. Too weak to run, they sank to the ground too, and watched as the ball relaxed and untangled.
Their tongues laid straight over where Human’s body had been. Wriggling this way and that under Moon’s light, the tongue pieces became Snakes. Two slithered away into the brush. Looking at Wolf, Coyote and Dog, the third Snake took pity on them, saying, “I will feed you with my own body, but to remind you to respect this gift that I am giving you, I will not make it easy; if I bite you, I will inject you with a poison like death”.
Too afraid to attack Snake in their weakened condition, Wolf, Coyote and Dog laid on their bellies, watching Snake and wishing they could eat. Sun started to rise, and Snake began to grow. He grew and grew until the sun was straight over their heads. Snake’s skin got so dry it started to crack. It split down the length of Snake and to the animals’ surprise, Human stepped out, awake. Breaking what remained of Snake into three pieces, Human fed one to each and expressed gratitude for their help as teacher animals.
Big Medicine Love to All
David ‘Black Feather’ Nagy