Coyote Christmas: A Lakota Story

Coyote did not know that it was Christmas Eve. He only cared that his empty stomach was growling and that the shivering cold of night was settling upon the land. As he trotted along a hilltop of the Indian reservation, his ears perked to the sound of turning tires and moving metal. Below him an old pickup truck was making its way along a dirt road toward a little ranch house.

Sister Raven swooped down from the darkening sky with outstretched wings. She circled once above Coyote and perched nearby on a twisted branch. “Coyote, you old devil, what tricks are you plotting?” asked Sister Raven.

Coyote chuckled. He did not mind being mocked by the black bird. After all, he was proud to be called the Trickster. “Well, my feathered friend,” answered Coyote, “if you hang around, I will show you. I think I’ll pay those two-legged creatures a visit and get me a hot meal.”

Down the hill the trickster went with Sister Raven tagging along overhead. He sneaked around to the side of the house. A gray-haired woman removed a pumpkin pie from the oven. Coyote smacked his lips. The one thing he admired about the two-leggeds was their food. It was delicious! Other than that, he thought people were foolish and easily duped.

A girl busily stacked pretty packages tied with ribbons. The Trickster saw a juniper tree sparkling with lights, which appeared to be growing inside the house. Coyote had heard about Christmas trees and realized it must be Christmas Eve. A boy and a girl sang a silly song about a reindeer with a red nose. Coyote listened to the entire tune, and near the end he was humming right along.

Old Coyote’s empty belly groaned. That gave him an idea for a trick. He had heard stories about a man in a red suit who visits children on Christmas Eve. If he could pretend to be Santa Claus, he just might be able to get a free meal. But where, on such a snowy night, could he find a Santa costume?