The Pima Indians/Sophiology/Abstracts of nursery tales

by Frank Russell

SOPHIOLOGY

Abtracts of Nursery Tales

THE FIVE LITTLE ORPHANS AND THEIR AUNT

Parents killed by Apaches and unmarried aunt supported children. While hunting one day warned by cottontail rabbit that Apaches had been at their house. On return find aunt dead, but never having seen a corpse did not recognize her. With mescal kept fire against her return; at night frightened and pursued by her ghost until all turned to stone.

COYOTE AND THE QUAILS

Quails cut pieces of fat from Coyote as he slept; he awakened and overtook them in camp; asked for refreshment and was given of his own flesh; starting on he was taunted about it by the quails. Turned to pursue them and almost ran them down when they ran into a hole, the foremost carrying a cholla stem. Coyote asked each in turn if she were guilty; on denial, let them go; finally asked cholla, and receiving no reply, bit it hard and it killed him.

THE WOMAN AND COYOTE

Coyote in cottonwood tree asked woman wading in river to give him some of her tortillas; she refused, but on being threatened went up to tree and told him to jump down, as the water was shallow; but she was standing on a stump; when he jumped he was drowned in the deep water.

THE PIMA CAPTIVE AND HER SON

Boy whose mother captured by Apaches lived with his grandmother. Quarreled with her and started to find his mother. Reaching her he turned into a dove, and she carried him home; Apaches heard her talking in her language to it, so the chief crushed it in his hand; pieces flew up through the smoke hole and turned into flock of hawks, who beat the Apaches to death. Mother and son started home, but turned into saguaros on the way.

COYOTE AND THE BLUEBIRD

Bird became blue by bathing in lake. Taught Coyote how, and he became blue, too. So proud that he gazed at himself as he went along and ran into a stump, fell into the dust, and became gray, as he is to-day.

THE BOY AND THE BEAST

Parents killed by Apaches and boy lived with grandmother. Frightened from berry bushes by terrible beast. Boy took some sharp stones and approached the beast, who swallowed him; cut his way out with the stones and thus killed the beast.

THE NAUGHTY GRANDCHILDREN

Quarreled with grandmother and ran away; when pursued the boy turned into a saguaro and the girl into a palo verde. Old woman grasped the cactus and it killed her.