Free American Indian Trickster Tales (Myths and Legends) by Richard Erdoes

Coyote cried. Aunt took a burning stick and plunged it into Pitch’s side. As soon as the flame touched Pitch, he grew soft. He began to melt. Then Coyote could extricate himself. Coyote told his defeated opponent: “You will be nothing but pitch. People will call you pitch. Now you are no longer a person, you are just a gooey, sticky, unpleasant lump.” Then Coyote and his aunt went off to attend to some matter.

ANYTHING BUT PINON PITCH!
    {Navajo}

    One day Coyote was out walking. He was walking in the forest. He saw Rabbit. He started to chase Rabbit. Rabbit ran in a hole. Coyote said: “I’ll get you out of that hole. Let me think.” Coyote sat down to think. “Now I know. I’ll get you out. I’ll get weeds. I’ll put them in the hole. I’ll set fire to them. Then you will come out,” said Coyote.
    Rabbit laughed. “No, I will not come out, my cousin. I like weeds. I’ll eat the weeds.”
    “Do you eat milkweeds?” asked Coyote. “I’ll get milkweeds.”
    “Yes, I like milkweeds. I’ll eat milkweeds,” said Rabbit.
    “Do you eat foxtail grass?” asked Coyote. “I’ll get foxtail grass.”
    “Yes. I like foxtail grass. I’ll eat foxtail grass.”
    “Do you eat rabbit brush?” asked Coyote. “I’ll get rabbit brush.”
    “Rabbit brush? I like rabbit brush best of all. I’ll eat rabbit brush, too,” said Rabbit.
    “I know,” said Coyote. “Piñon pitch.”
    Rabbit looked sad. “You will kill me. I do not eat piñon pitch,” said Rabbit.
    Coyote was happy. He ran from piñon tree to piñon tree. He gathered piñon pitch. He put the piñon pitch in the hole. He set the piñon pitch on fire. He bent low. He blew on the fire.
    “Come closer,” said Rabbit, “blow harder.” Coyote came closer. He blew harder. “I’m nearly dead,” said Rabbit, “come closer. Blow a little harder.”
    Rabbit turned. He kicked hard. The fire flew in Coyote’s face. Rabbit ran away. He was laughing very hard.

FAT, GREASE, AND BERRIES
    {Crow}

    Coyote was walking along and met four men and every part of their bodies was made of fat, grease, and all kinds of berries, fruits, etc. Before the four men saw him, he transformed his body into that of a poor dog, and he got in front of them, when they came nearer, so they would have pity on him, and they patted his head while he licked them to get the grease of which they were made. They passed and went on their way and Old Man Coyote went over the hill and got in front of them again. This time he had transformed himself into a larger dog than the previous one, and he licked them again and occasionally bit small pieces off them. Again they passed on and he met them again, a still larger dog, and bit larger pieces. The fourth time, he met them and bit still larger pieces, and then they discovered it to be Old Man Coyote; so they began to run. Old Man Coyote took a young sapling and knocked them down in an old lake bed, and they all melted into a soup.
    As Old Man Coyote started to drink up the soup, he called to his partner to come, and when his partner came, he said, “Now you go after my spoon” (which was the tail of the lynx). His partner started for the spoon and shortly returned, claiming that his moccasins were worn out on the bottom. So Old Man Coyote fitted him out in rawhide moccasins, but his partner, after going but a short distance, took a sharp piece of rock and made holes in the soles, returned again, and again complained of his moccasins. Again he was fitted out, this time with stone-sole moccasins. These he smashed on the rocks and again returned and complained. Old Man Coyote said: “You stay here—you know nothing—and when I reach the top of the hill, you dip your hand in the soup and lick it for me.” When Old Man Coyote went over the first hill for his spoon, his partner drank a lot of the soup, and when the last hill was reached by Old Man Coyote, the partner had drunk the last of the soup and then ran away. When Old Man Coyote came