NINE TALES OF COYOTE

A collection of nine legends from the Numipu Indian tribe in Idaho. Long ago when animals ruled the world, they were able to change to men on short notice, and one of the most skillful of these animals was Coyote, the medicine man -- who used his magic to help his people and himself out of difficult situations. There is the story of his visit to the Upper World, Old Man Moon who is still climbing the sky looking for the Coyote who killed his son, and of the Coyote's slaying of the monster who devoured his people, and of the origins of the Indian tribes. A fresh group of totemic stories, told well and with a minimum of academic flourishes.