Indian Legend Of The Creation Of Man

Aftor the coyoto had fiuished all the woi'k ot' tho World ahd tho interior animalsi ho called a council of them to delibérate on the creation of man. They siit down in an open space iu the forest, all ín !t circle, with tho lion at tho head. ün lus lig'it sat llio grrzly bear, next the browri bear, and so on around, acOOtding to rank, onding witll tho little mouse, which aat at the lion's left. Tiic lion was tho first to speak ; and ho deolarod he should like to see a man croatcd with a niighty voice, like himself, wherewith he could frighten all animalg. For tho rest, he would havo hita well covered with hair, terrible fangs in Lis jaws, etrong tnlonS) etc. ïhe grizzly boar said it was ridiciilous to havo sueli a voice as his ncighbor, for lio vu always roariug with it, and scared away the ve)1 prey he wiahed to oatch. He thought the man ought to have prodigious streugth, and move a'oout . , but vory swihly whfeH necestary, und ablo to grip Lis ineat without making any noise. The buck said the man would look vf-y foolish, in lus way of thinking, unless ho had a magnificent pair of liorns on hie head with which tofight. He also thougnt it was vi ■; y absurd to roaï so loudly, and he would pay loss attent i Ou to tile niaii's ihroat than he would to his -irs ;md his eyes, for he would mako the one like a spider's web, and the other like ftre. ïlio mountam sheep protested he never could see what sense there was in such horns. spreading eTery way, only to got oaüght in the branches. Ii' the man had horns neatly rolled up, t'ncy would bo like a stone on each BÏde of his head, giving weight, so that he could butb a gveatdeal harder. , Wlion it carne the ooyote's torn to ha (li'ciiin il all these were tha stupidest speeches he ever listonod to, and that he could hardly keep awako while such noodles and nnmompoops wero t !king. Every 011G of tl.em wa-ited to make the man just like himaelf. ïhey might as well tako ono of tbeir own cubs and cali it aman. As for himselfj ho very well knew that he was net the best animal that could bo made, and he could make ono a good deal better than bimself. Of course, he would be like himself in haviüg fcur legSj live tingors on eaeh, etc. It was well enough to havo a voice Hke tho lion's, but it should also bc as siuiiil aa that of the little mouse sometiaies. The gvizzly bear also had soma good points, one of which was the shape of lus foet by which he could stand up if he wislied, atld he was in favor of making the man's feot nearly the salDO. Tbc grizzly was also happy in having no tail, for he had learned trom his own experience that that oi'gah selved ])rincipal)y as a harbor for fleas. Thfi buck's eyes and ears were pretty good also - porhu.ps botter than his own. ïhon there was the nshj which was naked, and which he envieu, bccause hair was a burden most of the year ; 60 he favored a man without hair. His claw3 ought to be as long as the eagle's, bo that he could hold things in them. But, with all tlidir separate git'ts, they must aeknowlcdge that theio wara no animal besides himself that liad wit ènough to Bllpply the man : and he feit obliged, therefore, to make hiui liko himself in that respect - cunning and crafty. Ai'ter the coyote had mado art end, tho beave'r said that he had never heard such arrant twaddle in his lile. No tail, indeed ! Ha would mako a man with a broadi flat to.il, so that he could haulruud and sand on it. The owl declared all the aniulals Seomed to have lost their tcises ; none of Ihmu proposed to give nun wings. For solí, lio could not seo oi what use anything on earth would be to híin without wingg. ■ Tne molo said it was perfect folly to talk about wiugs, í'or with wiugs tlie poor man would be certain to tíy np nnd crack his noddle igainst tlie sky. Besidos, if he liad oyes, he would be certain to get theni singod against tho stin ; but without evos, lio could burrow in the coul, soft earth, and bo hivppy. Jjast of all, the little mouso squoakod out that he would ruake a man with eyes, of course, so he could seo what ho was eating ; and as for burrowiug in tlie ground, that was a humbug. So thoy all disagreed, and tlie council broke up in a row. The coyote flow at tho beaver, und nipped a piece out of his cheek; the owl juiupud on the coyote's liead, and commenced Uiting his scalp ; and so thoy all got to fighting. But flnally thcy stoppcd, and taking t:ach a luinp of olaj, tlioy commenced moldina; a inan aocording to their ideas; but tlie coyote began to iuake one liko that he describefl. It was so late when they fell to work, that nightfall bad corno on bofore any one had flnished his model, and they laid down and fell dead asleep. But tho cunning coyote reuiained awako, and workod hard on his model all tiiglit. When all tho other animáis were fast asleep, he went slyly around and threw water on their models, and spoiled thom. In the morniag, oarly, he íiuished lii?, and gave it life beforo the others could malte nc.w inodcls; and so it was that man was created by the coyote.- From "The California Iridian," in the Occrland Monllily for ApriL At a religious gathering in Chicago, a few years eincjo, one ot'. the speakers was tho venerable I'cv. Dr. Goodoll. Broken in mind and body, but animnted ly the occasion, thu aged olergyuaan saiil: "Friends, 1 ;iiu farupon unyjourney to tho Gelost iiil City; but could not help Stopping on my -viiy to attend this moetiüg ;it OhioAgO." ïioro a voieo from tíxe multitud) was heardby all : "Chicago is not on the road." The eil'rct was electrical, especiallv pon tho poor old gentlonian, wlio was 80 r n.iii -il tliat lio could Bay no inoio, and was obViged to Bit down.