He went down to the creek and began to model a figure out of the clay. As he worked, he became dissatisfied with the figure. "I wish I could make it better," he thought to himself. "I think I will ask the other animals for their opinions. Perhaps they can give me some good ideas."
He called all the animals of the world to meet together on the hilltop. The fishes wobbled up from the sea, the birds swept down from the heavens, and the other animals came hurrying from all the corners of the earth. They sat round in a circle,—Cougar, Grizzly, Antelope, Mountain Sheep, Deer, and so on, down to little Mouse, who was on the left of Cougar. In the center sat Coyote.
He said: "It is time for us to make man. Tell me how we shall make him."
"O-ho!" burst out Cougar. "That 's easy. Give him a mighty voice to frighten all the animals, and long hair, and strong talons with terrible fangs at the end of them. Then he will be master of the world. O-ho!" and Cougar chuckled, as poor little Mouse shrunk away from him.
"Gru-u-u!" rumbled Grizzly. "It 's perfectly ridiculous to have such a great voice. Half the time it frightens the prey so that it can hide. Give him a big enough voice, of course, but give him sense enough to seldom use it. Let him move quietly
