Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/182

 they jumped, every one of them. As he was trying to catch the last one, he saw that all the oil had come to life. It was running to the river. He tried to stop the oil, but it was too late. And then all the salmon roe he had buried suddenly jumped into the river.

Then all the people went home.

Soon after there was a great snowstorm. Coyote was snowed in and without food for so long he nearly starved. The snow was nearly as high as the trees all around Coyote's house. Coyote thought, "This is a very hard winter. The deer will all die."

Now Coyote's stock of dried fish and his roots had become exhausted. He wondered what he should do. He said, "This is a very long winter."

Coyote went to the top of the ladder and looked around. The heat and smoke had kept a little opening. The snow nearly hid the trees around his house.

Now the very next day a snowbird came and perched above the smoke hole. He gave Coyote a ripe berry, saying, "Why are you living here? It is summertime."

Coyote laughed and said, "Oh, but it is the middle of winter. See the snow all around."

Then again a snowbird came and gave him a ripe berry, saying, "See! The berries are ripe, but you are still in your winter house."