Old Man Coyote Creates the World
In the beginning, Old Man Coyote (Isáahkawuattee) was alone upon a great ocean. He saw two male ducks floating on the water and asked them what lay beneath. One duck dove deep and returned with a root in its beak; a second more dangerous dive brought up mud. Using this mud, Old Man Coyote built an island that grew into all the lands of Earth. He used the root to create plants and trees. Noticing the world was too flat, Old Man Coyote shaped mountains, rivers, and valleys. Then he molded man from clay, and created woman so that humans would be happy and multiply. He created female ducks so the