Genesis: As told by Coyote

By Zaniyo Wetskakoyotl

Ahh the beginning, the best place to start I’ve always said!

But let us rewind a bit, ignore the brick wall of nothingness… ok, a little fear is understandable…

before the beginning was No-thing, and No-thing… was bored.

He’d always been bored, as he was alone.

His edges inside, h is borders inverted.

No breath for he had no lungs, and there was no air.

No sex for he had no loins, and there was no one else.

No mouth, for there was no food, and no one to talk to.

You get it? Alone.

And in all this nothingness, No-thing thought to himself, as he tended to do, “all I am is that I am, what could I not be?”

And with that thought, light was born!

This is how No-thing became Creator.

He saw the light and said, “yeah, that’s something… but what else is there?”

And the light separated and gathered into marbles, dancing on the black tar sky, and over one of those marbles he hovered above the tossing waters. He looked at the waves and thought, “why’s this all the same, let’s shake it up!”

And the marble shook and spun, as the waters gathered into place, leaving land high and dry!

Creator looked at this and saw it was good.

but still… too boring.

In the seas and the land, greenery formed.

tiny and small at first, not enough to eat, not enough for anyone (myself included) to notice, but Creator noticed. He always noticed.

And then things came to eat the greenery, and they filled the seas and the skies and the land, and Creator saw all this, specifically ME chasing a rabbit, and thought, “oh yeah this is good, but…”

And then he gathered himself, as he could do now in his creatorly ways, and took some red ochre and made the shape of… un mono, but a bit different, and crafted in this monostrosity [1] his own reflection inside.

He put a piece of himself, the unending void, into the heart of man. He filled man’s lungs and man awoke.

“I shall call you… Red, because you are red like the earth I molded you from.”

Creator saw all this and said, “this is exactly what I wanted.”

And then he took a nap because this was the most he had done in an eternity and honestly it was a bit exhausting.

This was the end of the first work week… don’t worry the next one will come soon enough, as Creator soon realized.

Red was bored,  he named all the animals, even tried to play.

H e was a bit naive, it was like taking sweets from a baby, which gets boring after a while if I’m being honest, BUT… this isn’t about me. It’s about Red. So, I went up to him to ask him what’s up and he told me, “All you animals have mates to play with, but me… I’m alone.”

I sighed, “ahh to long for someone like yourself, you really are in his image huh?” I smiled at him, and said “Why not ask Creator for someone… like you? All red and weird on two legs?”

He looked like he had never thought of asking, as he stared at his hands. “You have tried asking right, Red?”

“I… have not.”

So, I sang to Creator, “oh Creator this pitiful creature is so lonely, he annoys me all day with his crying, and all night with his wailing! Could you please create someone so I can have a piece of peace?”

And Red fell like a log  and split like one too.

Honestly, I screamed at the sight, “CREATOR, YOU DIDN’T NEED TO KILL HIM!”

But to my surprise, I saw Red sit up… and someone new too, and she was pretty! Red couldn’t have gotten any redder as he stared at her.

The woman looked at him with a small smile and tried to greet him, but she didn’t have a name.

Red coughed, as he introduced himself “I am Red, and you… you are Life-giver, because you gave me life.”

And at that point I decided to leave them alone.

…

They seemed happy, eating berries and corn. Silly little things Creator made. They slept on reed beds and played and talked and did other things I’m not allowed to say.

But anyways, Creator told them all of the fruit and vegetables of his garden were theirs to eat, all except one.

Yeah, I don’t know why he did it either, Creator only knows, maybe boredom, maybe design, who am I to say?

He said the Tree of discernment was off limits, don’t eat from it, hell, try not to touch it. I don’t know why personally, they tasted pretty ordinary to me, but again, who am I?

Brother Viper also loved the fruits, he would hold them in his shapely hands and dance around the tree in his green and red feathered cloak, shouting about how wonderful they were. Brother Viper loved discernment and knowledge, and was the craftiest in Creator’s garden, save myself, of course.

One day Life-giver had gone to forage, as she tended to do when Red needed “alone time”

and she happened to see Brother Viper dancing in his beautiful cloak, and she asked him, “Brother Viper, why are you so happy?”

“Knowledge my dear, the gift from the Creator! If only everyone could taste it, we’d all be dancing!”

Life-giver frowned as she held her chin, “but Creator told us if we ate those fruits, we’d die!”

Brother Viper laughed and said “you must’ve heard wrong! I eat them and am full of life!”

Life-giver saw Brother Viper jumping and running and accepted the evidence. She must’ve heard wrong. She took a fruit that had fallen, ready and ripe so she took a bite. She hummed as she chewed, it did taste good.

She ran to Red, with another in hand and said, “Red you have to try this fruit, Brother Viper says it is full of life!”

And Red, face flustered, took the fruit and ate.

Creator saw all this of course and came down, but something had changed in Red and Life-giver, they felt Creator’s presence as terror and their nature as naked and hid themselves.

“What are you doing?” Creator shouted.

Red slowly peeked from behind a bush and whimpered “we were afraid you’d see us naked!”

“Who told you that you were naked?”

“Nobody! It’s just, this fruit…”

“Did I not say don’t touch that fruit! Did I not say to not even look at it!”

Red hid again and pointed to Life-giver and  said, “the woman you made, she gave it to me!”

Creator rubbed his face with his new yet calloused hands and said “Life-giver! Why did you eat the fruit and give some to Red!?”

Life-giver peeked over the bush and said, “Brother Viper said it was good to eat and full of life! It made him want to dance and play!”

Creator appeared before Brother Viper and told him “for giving Red and Life-giver the forbidden fruit, I’m taking away your most loved possession, for you have taken their most precious innocence. You and man shall remain enemies, you to nip at their heels, and their son to stomp you down!”

And this is why Brother Viper was the second most crafty in the garden, I still have my legs… I also took his cloak, he had no shoulders to hang it on… he did get it dusty though, when he fell on his belly.

And this is why Coyotes have sandy fur, also why snakes slither but that’s less important.

…

Creator, had some punishments for his children, he told Red “do you know how tired I was after working to create? You will now know that pain!”

He told Life-giver, “do you know the struggle of raising life from this earth? Watching it grow, trying to be a guide, only for it to go the way of its own desire?! You too shall know my pain!”

And with this he kicked them out of the garden  and told us creatures to see them as enemies and each other as food. I didn’t have much of an issue with this, rabbit did annoy me quite a bit.

I did feel sorry for them though  and sang as they walked off into the night.

This is why my children sing at the close of day.

…

Red and Life-giver had a stead, and in  that stead, they had two boys.  Cantón and Breath. Cantón held a plot of land and grew grains for bread. Likewise, Breath would raise and guard sheep, taking their milk and wool, and at times inflicting violence upon yours truly!

I enjoyed Cantón’s field, it was quiet and mice abounded… it was also a quiet place to relieve oneself and I do enjoy my privacy… but one day I had to run quickly as Cantón came out with a blade  and cut down my favorite spot!

I followed close behind as this was distressing, why would he want my favorite spot?!

Cantón made his way up to a high hill, wheatgrass in hand. I saw Breath waiting with a juicy sheep, freshly slaughtered. They laughed together as they stacked sticks and put their items on their stacks.

Breath burnt the sheep! That could’ve been dinner for days! And he burnt it! The fire was bright in front of Breath, but Cantón’s fists shook… his wheatgrass wouldn’t light, which of course not, I had just used it!

But then Cantón took a stone and pounced on his brother, striking his head and snuffing his breath.

I watched from the distance and followed as he drug[2]  his brother away and threw him in a pit.

He killed his own? Why?

So, I asked Creator, “Creator! Why did that man kill the other, he did not seem hungry, nor in danger?!”

Creator did not answer me, but I saw the first bolt of lightning and felt the first rumblings of thunder from where I’d seen Cantón go.

I ran off, I’m not ashamed… thunder is scary.

And this is why all beasts fear lightning and thunder.

…

The stupid boat, yes, it is stupid. I hated every second on the thing. Admittedly I wasn’t supposed to be on it, but as I said… thunder is scary and the only shelter I had heard of was a boat.

Two coyotes, they had taken some of my kin already, I was fine with that, but I wasn’t fine with not being there as well… so I found Sister Unicorn and said, “Sister Unicorn, Sister Unicorn! Where can we go? The boat has a leak and surely it would sink!”

“Brother Coyote what do you mean?”

“Our safety is lost and surely we’ll drown, but perhaps we can find another ship to set sail, but how could we take one for ourselves!”

Sister Unicorn looked around and said “this is a problem Brother Coyote, and neither of us should die! Perhaps we could buy one… if only we had something of value.”

I looked to her and gazed at her horn, “perhaps Sister Unicorn, we could use your horn to trade! Give me your horn and I’ll find us safe harbor!”

And she gave me her horn, so I took it as well as her place on the boat of Restful-Life.

Brother Unicorn looked to me strangely though, my face burning in his dull eyes, “oh my wife they have made for us a stable, let us break it in this night, as the rains come down.”

I did not like this, I am a coyote, not a unicorn.

So, I lied, “oh my sweet, oh my dear, go to our stable and make it ready, let me go and ask Brother Lion for his teeth, and brother vulture for his plumage, so I may make for myself a bridal veil, so I too may be ready.”

I ran to Brother Lion and removed the horn I had tied to my head. “Brother Lion, Brother Lion! A tragedy has occurred! Sister Unicorn never made it to the boat, and Brother Unicorn says he cannot live without her! He asked me to send you to his stable, so you may eat him and he may join with his lover!”

Brother Lion yawned, and rubbed his stomach, “a tragedy indeed, I shall honor his wish and consume him, as I too would wish to join with my sweet lioness if she were to leave from this world.”

I waited in the dark for a few minutes before I ran to Brother Vulture. “Brother Vulture, Brother Vulture, a tragedy has happened!”

“What is it, Coyote? Why are you so excited!” Brother vulture spread his wings as if to hug me, I kindly refused due to his scent.

“Brother Lion has eaten Brother and Sister Unicorn! He ate Sister whole but could not finish the bones of Brother Unicorn! Please go and consume the bones, we have lost one animal already, we must not lose two! Quick before Restful-Life and his kin realize what has happened and punish Brother Lion!”

“It would be a tragedy for another animal to die, as well as to allow the bones to waste, I shall go.” And Brother Vulture went to eat the bones.

I found myself a store of grain  and hid myself there until we had made landfall.

As I stretched my paws on the ground I heard a whisper in my ears.

“Coyote! Where are the unicorns!”

“Ahh Creator, long time no see… well I still don’t see you, but I hear you! What is the matter?”

“Don’t play dumb with me Coyote! WHERE ARE THE UNICORNS!?”

“Ahh well I didn’t want to die, but I also didn’t want to… die? So, I survived. Someone had to take my place, Creator!”

I felt the scruff of my neck tighten as if gripped by the wind.

“You Trickster! You Deceiver! How could you do such a thing!?”

“I am but a coyote, Creator. I am merely as you made me!”

“Go! You and your kin will be wanderers and stragglers at the edge of the deserts! You shall be made to survive by your wits and your appetites, and all will scorn you for it!”

This was unfortunate, but it didn’t change my nature… so in a way, I got away with it, I guess.

And this is why there are no more unicorns, and why coyotes wander the deserts and the in between places.

…

I hear Cantón had many kids, or maybe it was his younger brother Mérito… who and who I cannot say, but of their descendants were Restful-Life, builder of the boat, survivor of the flood, and his children filled the earth… well to a point. They built a great walled city and called all mankind to it. Their far- off cousins heard and gathered, the rumblings of their feet filled the animals with fear, but not me!

I followed from a distance, hiding in the tall grasses and laying by the sandstone, eating their scraps… they had plenty!

I’d listen to their talks about a tower being built, so high one could see Creator’s throne! I didn’t know Creator had a throne, he always appeared wherever he wished, but perhaps the humans knew something I didn’t, eh?

The city they made was called Gate-of-Creator, and the tower was to take them to him, and unify all man under one tower. To them it sounded good. I did not care for it, but if it provided scraps, I was fine with it.

One night at a hill outside of the city, I saw Creator in the wind. His brows furrowed in the clouds, and his sigh scattered the leaves of the shivering trees.

I watched  his mouth open and close.

I heard new voices from below in the city, loud yelling and the smell of smoke! The people were fighting!

I ran into the night as the city burned. I heard, and eventually saw, the children of Cantón filled the earth, choosing the soil over the sky. As Creator intended.

…

It had been a long while, and at this point I began to wonder, so many of my lovers, my kin, my children… they had all died long before, but me… I was still alive.

I usually wouldn’t have questioned it but,

It’s been so long; it’s one of the few things I haven’t done.

“Creator, was this your curse?”

…

I sat outside a great city, the freckles on creator’s face shined down on me, I watched the blues, blacks, and purples of his skin dance, I smelt the fires the monos had made in their homes and hand made caves.

Creator never answered my question, I took it as a “yes, this is your curse.”  Even now I still live, I still hunger, I desire… but there is no end.

So, I sat, because no food satisfied and all lovers would fade.

A boy was walking alone, small, he wore a small garment upon his waist and those things on his feet, snails? No… sadnals, yes sadnals.

I sniffed the air, he didn’t see me, the humans were blind in the dark, so I called out “Little one, it is dangerous out! Why do you wander from your home?”

The boy froze as I called before he answered, “I am praise-of-father, son of wild-goat, I came to ask a question.”

I laughed, “there are only beasts here boy, ones hungry for a goat-kid, go home! Question your father!”

“Are you going to eat me?”

“Do you wish to test me?” This boy was funny;  he smelt of tamarisk and juniper, like the great buildings of the city. His heart was loud in my ears even as he stood before me.

He stared at me silently. “No, I will not eat you, but you should still leave.”

“I don’t want to go home, my father, he won’t answer my questions.”

“Then ask your mother!” He continued to stare silently at me.

The heart beat slowed in his chest, I smelt salt on his face. “Boy, you may sit with me, but just this once.” It was not just once.

The boy sat next to me and stared at the stars,

We were silent for a while. He sat very still, vibrating in his stillness. A silly child.

I stared at him and said, “you’ve sat here, now ask. I can’t hear your questions if you don’t speak.”

“Where do father-sky and lord-moon come from?”

I did not recognize these names, how am I supposed to know every two-leg, I am but a coyote. “the same place as you I suppose?”

“The sky and the moon?”

Those weren’t two-legs, those just were. “Ahh the sky and the moon, why did you not just say so. My answer is the same, but your words were… strange.”

“Those are their names.” He blinked at me.

“Whose names?” I blinked back.

“The sky and the moon.”

“Well, yes, yes — the sky and the moon. Boy!” I said.   “They are their names!”

He turned away from me and stared again at the stars, he seemed light… and then heavy. His chest sank and his mouth turned. “Is there just nothing?”

The kid was getting on my nerves . L uckily I knew how to deal with children. “Shall I tell you a story?”

He nodded at me.

“Why where to start… Ahh the beginning, the best place to start I’ve always said!”