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 | | Native American Myths and Legends | |
Coyote and the spring at Plante's Ferry
There is a spring at Plante's Ferry on the other side of the
Spokane river north of Millwood. The Indians have always feared
that spring because of the evil that would befall them if they
touched a certain plant that grows there. Anyone going there
would have a terrible itching for many days and might even die.
Many years ago there was a tent up on the hill above the spring.
There lived an old woman who had a real pretty granddaughter.
Everyone wanted to marry her, but the grandmother refused.
Coyote heard about the beautiful girl, so he asked the grandma
if he could marry her.
Grandma told him, "No."
Coyote asked
twice more if he could marry the granddaughter, but Grandma
again told him, "No."
So Coyote went down to the spring and
broke a branch off the itching bush. He went back up and went in
and said he would marry the granddaughter. If not, he would
touch her with the branch.
"Don't, " she screamed, "that will kill
me. That's poison!
"Oh, Coyote danced around, "if you
don't give me your granddaughter, I will touch you with this!"
She said, "No!"
So Coyote touched her with the branch and she
fell and died.
(Inland Northwest - Spokane)
As told by Margaret Adams.
Margaret Adams was an Upper Spokane, who moved with her family to
the Coeur d'Alene Reservation according to the Agreement of 1887.
from Children of the Sun - A History of the Spokane Indians
by David C. Wynecoop, Wellpinit, Washington © 1969
Last Updated
December 23, 2004
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