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Children of the Coyote
Chapter 18
Womb of the World
Bigmouth falls silently through the mist arms and legs clawing at empty space. Suddenly
His descent is arrested in the branches of a large very old Juniper tree growing on a
shelf not far below the drop off. He lay clutching the branches for a short time amazed
that he is still alive then he carefully climbs slowly from the tree.
The thick mist's swirl around him, he can just
make out the limits of the shelf he is on.. It is approximately three man length long by
slightly more than one wide. He looks up at shear smooth rock disappearing into the fog.
When he looks over the side all he can see is the mist.
Battered, bruised, shivering from cold and
bleeding from many small cuts from the sharp branches of the juniper Bigmouth sinks to the
ground and leans against the cliff face.
"I don't believe this!"
he thinks. "I don't believe that Coyote would send me all this way just to starve
to death on the side of a cliff. There must be some way out of this. I just need to think,
use my intelligence."
In his mind Bigmouth takes inventory, "I
am alive and except for some scratches and bruises I am unharmed. I still have my food bag
with a small amount of food and water. My spear is gone, I am sure going to miss that, of
coarse if I don't get off this shelf it won't mater. It will be dark soon so the only
thing I can do is eat something and try to rest until morning. Hopefully, things will look
a little brighter by then.
The first red glow of the sun wakes
Bigmouth with its warmth and the temperature rises through out the day until Bigmouth
feels he is being grilled alive. As soon as the sun passes the lip of the cliff above him,
the temperature begins to plummet. By dark Bigmouth can only curl himself into a ball and
endure the chill until daylight returns again and the cycle repeats it self.
By the third day Bigmouth is delirious. The
extremes of his ordeal have taken their toll. His meager supply of food and water
exhausted he makes a decision. Shakily he gets to his feet and stagers to the edge of the
shelf. He stands at the precipice and stretches out his arms, takes a deep breath and in a
loud voice addresses the world around him
Powers of this world!" He begins in as
loud a voice as he can command. "I am Bigmouth, I am Fug-a-we, I am a human being. I
have been sent here on a mission by the Great Coyote. I am his messenger to my people. My
quest is to travel the land learning the ways of it's creatures and having learned, I am
to return to my people and instruct them in the proper way to live in harmony with the
others of this world. To accomplish this I must enter the valley of the wa'ste River. If I
am to die here, I will not die of starvation on this ledge like a mouse. If I am not to
complete my journey then I will die like an Eagle. I will fly from this cliff and soar to
my death on the rocks below. He raises himself on his toes with his arms outstretched he
is about to launch himself from the ledge when a shadow covers him.
Bigmouth looks up in time to see a huge Eagle
diving on him. The Giant Raptor digs its talons into the pectoral muscles of Bigmouth's
chest and lifts him from the rock ledge carrying him in large circles high into the air.
Bigmouth cries out from the pain and the fear. He can do nothing but hang there by his
chest his paralyzed arms dangling to each side.
He cranes his neck around, and can see a
beautiful emerald valley below him. He can see the river running down the center. High on
the slopes to ether side are a myriad of small lakes strung like jewels along the foot of
the high cliffs that enclose this paradise.
The Eagle circles lower and lower toward the
green meadows at the head of the stream. About two men's height above the ground the huge
bird flexes its claws, they tear through Bigmouth's flesh and he falls to the ground
unconscious. As the raptor gains altitude three feathers fall from him. A feather from
each wing and one from the tail float down to rest on Bigmouth's hair which is spread like
a fan on the ground at his head.
The first thing Bigmouth is conscious of is a
searing pain in his chest, then he recalls the Eagle and the flight into the valley. He
lies there for a time with his eyes closed trying to force the pain from his mind.
Presently the outside world begins to penetrate his pain filled brain. First he hears the
sound of water trickling over moss covered rock, then he hears the breeze blowing through
the Aspen trees that surround the high mountain meadow where he lay. Against his skin he
can feel the warmth of the morning sun.
Bigmouth becomes aware of sounds close by. A
sniffing sound, a low growl, whining, and the sound of a light tread on the soft grass,
falls on his ears. He remains motionless with his eyes closed afraid of what they might
reveal if opened.
"What do you suppose it is?" A soft
undulating almost feminine voice whines in the language of its kind.
"I don't know," an other voice
growls. "It's just like that scavenger Eagle to drop his garbage in our valley."
"Is it alive?" Whines the first
voice.
"I think so. I can see it breathing but it
has lost a lot of blood, it may not last long." replies the gruff voice.
"Can we eat it?" asks a third younger
sounding voice.
Bigmouth can't understand their words but he
feels that they are discussing him, He opens his eyes and attempts to sit up. The pain in
his chest flashes white hot through his body and he falls back in a faint. Though his eyes
were only open for a flash he has the definite impression that he is surrounded by a group
of large predators.
When Bigmouth sits up, the wolves retreat to
the safety of the bushes surrounding the meadow.
A few moments after he lays back down, they
cautiously creep forward again.
"Well, can we?" Repeats the young
male wolf.
"I don't think so," replies his
Father. "It doesn't smell like anything that I would want to eat, at least not unless
I was starving." The large wolf snorts disgustedly.
"See, I told you so," the female pup
taunts her brother.
"Oh, go choke on a rodent" The young
male replies with a growl.
"Now children, That's enough of
that." The mother wolf whines.
"But mom!" Both the pups cry in
unison.
"Enough!" Growls the father. "We
must decide what is to be done with this creature that Eagle has dropped into or
midst."
"It will surely die if we do nothing"
Says the mother.
"What are you saying?" Asks the large
male.
"Well," she considers for a moment.
"If he is truly a living being, he will need food water and his wounds will need
attention." She declares.
"Are you suggesting what I think you are
suggesting?" The father wolf asks.
"I see no other way, We must lick the
wounds clean or they will rot and it will certainly die." She replies.
"What if it's blood is poison?" Asks
the male pup.
"Yuck! What if it tastes bad?" Asks
the little female.
"No blood can poison a wolf," the
mother wolf replies. "And the taste can be no worse than it's smell."
"That's bad enough," grumbles the father. "But you are
right, we should do what we can for it. At least until we find out what it is and why it
is here. We can always kill it later." He concludes.
"Good! Now, I will clean the wound on this
side and you father, can work on that side." The mother wolf announces.
"Yuck," grumbles the large male as he
begins licking Bigmouth's wounds.
"I can bring water in my mouth,"
suggests the female pup.
"I can hunt for mice to feed him,"
declares the young male as he bounds off in pursuit of prey. Thus the family of wolves
nurse Bigmouth back to health. They clean his wounds, the young female brings him the
healing waters of the Wa'ste River and when he is strong enough the young, male brings him
fresh rodents to eat.
When Bigmouth opens his eyes he is alone. He
has the impression that he has slept for some days. In his sleep he dreamed that he was
surrounded by predators but instead of eating him they were helping him by giving him
water and cleaning his wounds. Slowly he rises to his elbows. He is relieved to find that
the pain in his chest is less. When he looks down he sees that he is free of the blood
that before had covered him. His wounds are closed and scabbed over. He hears the stream
babbling near by and is reminded of his thirst. Slowly he attempts to stand, the world
spins out from under him and he falls back to his knees. He crawls slowly to the brook and
lies down on the soft green grass with his face in the water. He drinks deeply of the cold
sweet liquid. With each swallow he can feel his strength returning. Like some magic elixir
the water revives him.
Presently Bigmouth sits back and surveys his
surroundings. He is in a large clearing surrounded by beautiful trees that he does not
recognize. They are tall and slender with white bark and little hart shaped green and gold
leaves that quiver at the slightest breeze.
The small brook boils up from the ground only a
few paces up stream from this spot. Along the stream in small patches are service berries,
black caps, and several other berries that he does not recognize.
He beholds, fruit trees of many varieties, as
well as Hickory, Hazel and other nuts in groves scattered about the valley.
His eyes wander to the cliffs surrounding him
on three sides. Near the tops he can see the white forms of mountain goats scaling the
almost vertical sides of the canyon searching out the lichens that make up their diet.
Lower down on the on the piles of debris at the base of the cliffs are the tawny shapes of
bighorn sheep feeding on the rank grasses that grow up through the stone rubble.
In the many clearings dotting the valley are
grass eaters of all kinds contentedly cropping the lush vegetation. From this spot he can
see, Elk, Deer, Bison, Antelope, and even a small family of the rare Mammoth. There are
others that he does not recognize at all.
One stands on long legs with incredibly knobby
knees, it has a long neck toped by a comical looking head with a split upper lip like that
of a hare and large flaring nostrils. In the middle of the creatures back is a hump that
sags to one side.
Another stranger to him is a small creature of
beauty and speed. He can see these animals in groups dashing back and forth. Bigmouth is
awed by the grace and beauty of the little creatures as they careen through the valley
with their tails held high and the long hair of their mains flying behind them.
Behind him, Bigmouth hears a sound like someone
clearing his throat. He turns to see a very large wolf watching him. An instinctive fear
stabs at his belly and he backs away on his hands and buttocks.
"I see that you live" growls the
wolf.
"Yes I live thank you," Bigmouth
assures him, not stopping to think about the fact that he can understand and talk to this
wolf.
"Oh, don't thank me," says the wolf .
"Thank my mate, it was her idea to save you. I would have left you for the
Condors."
"Now, now, don't be rude to our
guest," the voice of the mother wolf chides from behind the male.
The large female pushes passed her mate and
strolls up to Bigmouth. "I am Mother Wolf," she announces as she stops before
him. "This," she says indicating the male with a nod of her head, "is my
mate, Father Wolf."
"Who or what might you be," she asks
after her introduction.
"I am a human being. I am Bigmouth of the
Fug-a-we." He answers.
"Human being? Fug-a-we? A Bigmouth?"
She repeats thoughtfully. "I am not familiar with any of those names. The only
Bigmouth I know of lives in the warm ponds at the West end of the valley but it is a fish.
You can't be a fish for you would not have survived out of the water so long." She
finally concludes.
"I am not a fish, I am a human being of
the Fug-a-we tribe." Bigmouth explains.
"A, a human being." The female wolf
turns the words over in her mind. "Nope, she finally declares. "I've never heard
of them. You were obviously not spawned in the Wa'ste valley. Where do your kind come
from?".
"The elders of the tribe tell us that we
were brought forth from under the ground by the Great Coyote." Bigmouth says proudly.
"You see?" Barks Father Wolf.
"He's from the underworld. I told you we should have let him die. Who knows what evil
he may be capable of. To think we actually nursed this demon back to life. I will summon
the bears and the great Puma and we will destroy him before he can do any mischief."
"Hold on there Father, we do not know that
he is evil. He doesn't look dangerous. Look how skinny and frail he is." Mother Wolf
argues. "Before we take it upon our selves to destroy its life we must be sure if it
is a danger to us or to the valley."
"How did you come to be in this valley,
human being?" She asks Bigmouth. "I am aware that Eagle brought you here but why
were you wandering in the wilderness to begin with and what is your purpose in coming
here?"
Bigmouth takes a deep breath and thinks back on
his adventures since leaving the home fires of the Fug-a-we. A single tear slides down his
cheek and then he begins his tail. He relates every detail of the journey from the day of
the council when Lizardfoot told of his dream, to being seized by the eagle and dropped
into the valley. At the end he repeats his now familiar litany. "I am Bigmouth, I am
a human being, I am Fug-a-we. I am on a mission for the Great Coyote. My quest is to
travel the land to learn of its creatures then to return to my people and teach them how
to best live in harmony with all the creatures of this world."
The Wolves sit quietly watching him through
piercing yellow eyes.
The young male strolls from behind a bush and
rubs against his mother. "That was a really neat story mother. Do you think it might
be true?" The youngster asks.
"Yes son, I believe it is," she
replies.
"Wow," the young wolf says
breathlessly. He looks at Bigmouth with something like admiration in his enigmatic eyes.
"I don't know," complains the large
male. "I am a little uneasy about any thing that concerns Coyote. You Know what a
practical joker he is. How do we know that this isn't just some elaborate prank of
his."
"Come now Father. Do you think even Coyote
would be so irresponsible as to put this poor creature through all that he has endured
just for a joke?" Mother Wolf asks.
"I don't put anything past Coyote."
Father Wolf argues. "Look what he did to poor Lynx."
"Oh, I don't know," Mother Wolf says
with a wolfish smile. "I think the Link's tail is much cuter short. Besides Links was
insufferably vain about that fluffy tail of his. I think it was a good lesson for him to
loose it. He is not nearly so vain any more. Yes I think we should help this human being
all we can. If his mission is successful it will benefit all," She concludes.
"Well, If you insist mother I will do what
I can" Father Wolf agrees. "But I am going to keep one eye on him at all times
and if he steps out of line....." The old male turns and disappears into the
undergrowth with out finishing his thought.
Bigmouth looks pleadingly at the female wolf.
"It will be okay" she says. "I
will work on him some more, he will come around."
"Oh good" the young male wolf says
bounding up to Bigmouth's side. "Tell your story again, will you please? That was a
neat story, especially the part about being trapped in the cave by the bear. That was
really exciting. Nothing exciting ever happens here in the valley. Tell us more about the
outside world." The young wolf sits back on its haunches and waits expectantly
wagging his tail.
Bigmouth is overwhelmed by this outpouring of
friendship from the young creature. He instinctively reaches out and begins scratching the
young canine behind the ears.
"Oooh, that feels good," the young
wolf declares. "I think I am going to like having a, uh, human for a friend."
The Little female remains aloof following her
father's lead.
"Now son, don't be a burden to our
guest." Mother Wolf says. "He is still recovering from his wounds let him rest
now and when he is stronger he can play with you."
"Aw gee mom" the little male begins
to argue.
"That is enough now run along and let the
human rest." She scolds gently.
The young wolf is leaving the clearing
with a drooping tail until a young cotton tailed rabbit jumps from behind a bush.
"Wan'a race?" The bunny calls as it
dashes off into the under growth. In a flash the young wolf is in hot pursuit its tail
curled tightly with excitement.
With a smile on his face Bigmouth watches the
youngster dash away. He looks to where the little female sits watching him. Their eyes
meet she holds his stare for a moment then she stands, turns her back to him and with her
nose and tail held high she slips out of sight through the foliage.
"Ah, Children" the mother wolf sighs.
"No mater how many generations I raise each seams more of a trial than the one
before."
"I have many questions Mother Wolf"
Bigmouth begins.
"As do I" she interrupts. "But
now you must rest we will have plenty of time for questions when you are stronger."
The Wolf turns to leave then stops and turns
back to face Bigmouth. "Are humans carnivore or herbivore?" She asks.
"Excuse me?" Bigmouth pleads.
"What do your kind eat?" she asks
again.
"Eat? Well almost any thing, nuts,
berries, some seeds and grasses, fish, fowl, meat, almost anything," he replies
"Ah, then it is as I suspected, you humans
must be somehow related to the bears. I will have to speak with them," she declares
as she leaves the meadow."
For the next two days Bigmouth lounges in the
area of the meadow sampling the various fruits and nuts that grow in profusion all around
him. He can not get enough of the cold sweet water of the stream. Each time he drinks he
can feel his body being recharged and his wounds healing. The scabs have fallen from the
wounds on his chest to reveal long pink scars that will be a sign to all of his entry to
the sacred valley.
To Chapter19
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