"You sit on the hides, Chiquita, and eat these nuts, and old Klayukat will tell you what Coyote learned about the Land of the Dead."
Many, many moons ago, the animal people had one sorrow,—their relatives who died never came back again. The whole land was filled with mourning, for almost every household had lost one of its number. Eagle's wife was gone, and he wept all day and would not be comforted.
Coyote felt sorry for the animals. "The leaves come back to the trees," he thought. "Why should not people come back to the earth? I ought to be able to do something to bring them back."
He went to Eagle and said: "Don't grieve so, Brother Eagle. I think people ought to come back like the leaves on the trees. Wait until spring. Then, when the grass comes out in its greenness and the flowers smile in their beauty, the dead will return from the Land of the Dead."
"Spring is too far off," sobbed Eagle. "It is only autumn now. I want my wife before spring. I want her just now."
"Well, come with me, and we will see if we can get her now," said Coyote.
Eagle wiped his tears away and picked up a basket. Then they started out for the Land of the Dead.
