Old Mr Coyote was tired of walking. He reached a tree and decided to rest there. So he said, “Please Mr Tree, open up and let me in so that I may rest safely inside.”
The tree opened up and let him in before it shut itself. Mr Coyote went to sleep safe and snug inside. He awoke refreshed and wanted to get out. But he had forgotten what he had said to get in. He tried different sentences. “Let me out Mr Tree!” “O Tree! Please let me out!” “Get me out of here!”
But nothing worked, because Mr Tree was very upset that Mr Coyote did not say ‘Please’ when he first asked to be let out!
Mr Woodpecker heard him shouting and pecked on the tree-trunk. He managed to make a small hole. Then suddenly, his beak bent so it became useless for any more pecking.
Mr Coyote couldn’t get out because the hole was too small. If his arm went through, his leg would not! Finally, he decided that he would put different parts out through the hole and then put them together.
So first, he took off his arms and pushed them out. Next, his legs went through the hole. His head proved too big, so he first took off the ears and then his eyes. Mr Coyote’s eyes were bright blue and attracted Mr Raven sitting on the tree. He flew down and took them into a hollow where he hid all his treasure!
When Mr Coyote got out, he felt around for all the parts and fitted them together. But his eyes were missing. He groped all over the place but couldn’t find his eyes anywhere! He didn’t want anyone to know he was blind, so when he felt a rose bush, he took the petals of a rose and covered his eyes with them. He continued to search for his eyes.
Mr Snail was passing by and saw Mr Coyote with rose petals over his eyes. “Hello Mr Coyote, why are you going around with rose petals over your eyes?” he asked.
“Don’t they look beautiful?” replied Mr Coyote, “Would you like to try them? I’ll look after your eyes while you try them on if you like,” he offered. Mr Snail gave him his eyes and put on the rose petals. Mr Coyote fixed the eyes and ran from there before Mr Snail asked for his eyes.
That’s why coyotes have brown eyes and snails are still creeping along hunting for their eyes.
