Excerpt

Excerpt from Old Indian Legends, by Zitkala-Sa

All the while the coyote on his back lay gazing into the sky with wide
open eyes. His long white teeth fairly gleamed as he smiled and smiled.

“To ride on one's own feet is tiresome, but to be carried like a warrior
from a brave fight is great fun!” said the coyote in his heart. He
had never been borne on any one's back before and the new experience
delighted him. He lay there lazily on Iktomi's shoulders, now and then
blinking blue winks. Did you never see a birdie blink a blue wink? This
is how it first became a saying among the plains people. When a bird
stands aloof watching your strange ways, a thin bluish white tissue
slips quickly over his eyes and as quickly off again; so quick that you
think it was only a mysterious blue wink. Sometimes when children grow
drowsy they blink blue winks, while others who are too proud to look
with friendly eyes upon people blink in this cold bird-manner.

The coyote was affected by both sleepiness and pride. His winks were
almost as blue as the sky. In the midst of his new pleasure the swaying
motion ceased. Iktomi had reached his dwelling place. The coyote
felt drowsy no longer, for in the next instant he was slipping out
of Iktomi's hands. He was falling, falling through space, and then he
struck the ground with such a bump he did not wish to breathe for a
while. He wondered what Iktomi would do, thus he lay still where he
fell. Humming a dance-song, one from his bundle of mystery songs, Iktomi
hopped and darted about at an imaginary dance and feast. He gathered dry
willow sticks and broke them in two against his knee. He built a large
fire out of doors. The flames leaped up high in red and yellow streaks.
Now Iktomi returned to the coyote who had been looking on through his
eyelashes.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa

Context of the Source

Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a Sioux (Yankton Dakota) writer, activist, and musician who bridged Native American oral traditions with Western literary forms. Old Indian Legends (1901) is a collection of retold Dakota and Lakota stories, blending folklore with her own literary style. The tales often feature Iktomi, a trickster figure in Lakota mythology—sometimes a spider, sometimes a man—who embodies cunning, mischief, and moral ambiguity. This excerpt comes from a story where Iktomi deceives a coyote, a common trickster in Native American lore, though here the coyote is the one being fooled.

The story reflects Zitkala-Sa’s dual perspective: she preserves Indigenous oral traditions while adapting them for a broader (often white) readership. Her work critiques colonialism and cultural erasure, but this particular excerpt focuses more on the trickster dynamic, humor, and the consequences of pride and gullibility.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. The Trickster Archetype

   • Iktomi is a classic trickster—clever, deceptive, and unpredictable. His actions are neither purely good nor evil but serve to expose folly (here, the coyote’s pride and laziness).
   • The coyote, though also a trickster in other myths, is the dupe here, highlighting how tricksters can be both perpetrators and victims of deception.

2. Pride and Overconfidence

   • The coyote’s delight in being carried ("like a warrior from a brave fight") blinds him to Iktomi’s true intentions. His "blue winks" (a sign of sleepiness and pride) foreshadow his downfall.
   • The fall symbolizes the consequences of arrogance—literally and figuratively.

3. Deception and Appearances

   • Iktomi’s humming and dancing mask his malicious intent. His "mystery songs" suggest supernatural power, reinforcing the idea that tricksters operate in the space between reality and illusion.
   • The coyote’s passive observation ("looking on through his eyelashes") shows his belated realization of danger, but it’s too late.

4. Nature and Animal Behavior

   • The passage anthropomorphizes the coyote and birds, attributing human traits (pride, sleepiness, coldness) to them. This reflects Indigenous storytelling traditions where animals embody moral lessons.
   • The "blue wink" motif ties the natural world (birds, children, the sky) to human behavior, suggesting universal truths about vanity and aloofness.

5. Humor and Irony

   • The coyote’s fall is slapstick—his dramatic crash ("he did not wish to breathe for a while") contrasts with Iktomi’s nonchalant dancing.
   • The irony lies in the coyote’s initial joy ("great fun!") turning to pain, a common trickster tale structure where hubris leads to humiliation.

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Literary Devices

1. Imagery and Sensory Language

   • Visual: The coyote’s "long white teeth fairly gleamed," the "red and yellow streaks" of fire, and the "mysterious blue wink" create vivid pictures.
   • Tactile/Kinetic: The "swaying motion" of being carried, the "bump" of the fall, and Iktomi’s snapping of willow sticks engage the reader’s senses.
   • Auditory: Iktomi’s "humming a dance-song" and the implied silence of the coyote’s fall ("he did not wish to breathe") add atmospheric tension.

2. Simile and Metaphor

   • Simile: The coyote is carried "like a warrior from a brave fight," ironically comparing his laziness to heroism.
   • Metaphor: The "blue wink" becomes a metaphor for pride, sleepiness, and emotional distance, extended to birds and children.

3. Foreshadowing

   • The coyote’s drowsiness and pride ("affected by both") hint at his vulnerability. The cessation of motion ("the swaying motion ceased") signals impending danger.

4. Personification

   • The coyote is given human thoughts ("said the coyote in his heart") and emotions (pride, delight).
   • The fire "leaped up high," attributing agency to nature.

5. Cultural Allusion

   • The "blue wink" is explained as a saying "among the plains people," grounding the story in Indigenous oral tradition. This also educates non-Native readers about Dakota observations of nature.

6. Juxtaposition

   • The coyote’s initial comfort ("lazily on Iktomi's shoulders") vs. his sudden fall ("striking the ground with such a bump") creates dramatic contrast.
   • Iktomi’s cheerful dancing vs. the coyote’s silent suffering underscores the trickster’s indifference to his victim.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Moral Lesson

   • The excerpt warns against complacency and overconfidence. The coyote’s pleasure in being carried (without questioning why) leads to his downfall—a cautionary tale about trusting appearances.

2. Trickster as Cultural Critique

   • Iktomi’s deception can be read as a commentary on colonial trickery. Zitkala-Sa, who faced cultural displacement (she was sent to a missionary boarding school), may use the trickster to critique those who exploit trust.
   • The coyote’s gullibility mirrors how Indigenous peoples were often manipulated by settlers under false pretenses.

3. Oral Tradition in Written Form

   • Zitkala-Sa preserves the rhythmic, descriptive style of oral storytelling. The passage’s conversational tone ("Did you never see a birdie blink a blue wink?") invites the reader into the story as if listening to a elder.
   • The explanation of the "blue wink" serves as a cultural bridge, ensuring the legend’s meaning isn’t lost on outsiders.

4. Nature as Teacher

   • The coyote’s experience reflects Indigenous teachings where nature (animals, weather, fire) imparts wisdom. His fall is both literal and metaphorical—a lesson in humility.

5. Humor as Resistance

   • Trickster stories often use humor to cope with hardship. The coyote’s absurd crash and Iktomi’s nonchalant dancing make the tale entertaining, but the underlying message about power and deception is serious.

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Line-by-Line Analysis of Key Moments

1. "To ride on one's own feet is tiresome, but to be carried like a warrior from a brave fight is great fun!"

   • The coyote’s internal monologue reveals his laziness and vanity. The comparison to a warrior is ironic—he’s not heroic, just being used.

2. "His winks were almost as blue as the sky."

   • The sky symbolizes openness and freedom, but the coyote’s "blue winks" (pride/sleepiness) blind him to reality. The color connects him to nature while highlighting his flaw.

3. "He was falling, falling through space, and then he struck the ground with such a bump he did not wish to breathe for a while."

   • The repetition of "falling" stretches time, emphasizing the shock. The "bump" is both physical and a metaphor for his shattered pride. His breathlessness suggests stunned silence—a moment of reckoning.

4. "Humming a dance-song, one from his bundle of mystery songs, Iktomi hopped and darted about at an imaginary dance and feast."

   • Iktomi’s "mystery songs" imply supernatural power, but his actions are performative ("imaginary dance"). The trickster’s power lies in illusion, not reality.
   • The contrast between Iktomi’s liveliness and the coyote’s stillness underscores the trickster’s control.

5. "The flames leaped up high in red and yellow streaks."

   • Fire is often a symbol of transformation or danger. Here, it foreshadows the coyote’s figurative "burn"—his humiliation. The vivid colors also reflect the trickster’s dramatic, almost theatrical nature.

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt encapsulates the essence of trickster tales: deception, humor, and moral instruction. Zitkala-Sa’s retelling preserves the oral tradition’s richness while making it accessible to a broader audience. The coyote’s fall is both comedic and cautionary, reflecting broader themes of pride, trust, and the unpredictable nature of power.

For Indigenous readers, the story reinforces cultural values (humility, awareness). For non-Indigenous readers, it offers a window into Dakota storytelling and the complex role of tricksters in Native cosmology. The passage also subtly critiques colonial dynamics—where those who seem benevolent (like Iktomi) may have hidden motives, much like the settlers who offered "help" to Indigenous peoples while taking their land.

Ultimately, the excerpt is a masterclass in how folklore conveys timeless truths through simple, vivid storytelling. The coyote’s "blue winks" and painful fall linger as a reminder to stay alert—both in the wild and in life.

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Questions

Question 1

The passage’s description of the coyote’s "blue winks" serves primarily to:

A. establish a cultural motif that links human behavior, animal instinct, and natural phenomena into a unified moral framework.
B. illustrate the physiological similarities between birds, children, and trickster figures in Indigenous cosmology.
C. emphasize the coyote’s physical exhaustion as a direct result of Iktomi’s deceptive carrying technique.
D. contrast the coyote’s momentary vulnerability with Iktomi’s sustained cunning through color symbolism.
E. foreshadow the coyote’s literal blindness to Iktomi’s intentions by equating vision with perceptual limitation.

Question 2

Iktomi’s actions after dropping the coyote—humming, dancing, and breaking willow sticks—are most effectively interpreted as:

A. a ritualistic preparation for a feast, signaling the trickster’s adherence to communal Dakota traditions.
B. an expression of remorse disguised as celebration, revealing the trickster’s internal conflict over his deception.
C. a performative distraction to mask his fear of the coyote’s potential retaliation.
D. a deliberate amplification of the coyote’s humiliation by juxtaposing his own vitality with the coyote’s immobilized state.
E. an invocation of supernatural forces to ensure the coyote remains passive and unable to interfere with his plans.

Question 3

The passage’s narrative tone is best described as:

A. didactic, prioritizing moral instruction over character development or atmospheric immersion.
B. melancholic, using the coyote’s fall as an allegory for the erosion of Indigenous autonomy under colonialism.
C. wryly observational, blending folkloric warmth with a subtly ironic detachment from the coyote’s predicament.
D. suspenseful, employing kinetic imagery and abrupt shifts in motion to create a sense of impending danger.
E. nostalgic, idealizing the trickster dynamic as a lost aspect of pre-colonial Indigenous storytelling traditions.

Question 4

Which of the following statements best captures the functional role of the "warrior" simile in the coyote’s internal monologue?

A. It underscores the coyote’s delusional self-aggrandizement by equating passivity with martial valor.
B. It exposes the cultural disconnect between the coyote’s perception of honor and Iktomi’s manipulative exploitation of that perception.
C. It serves as a meta-commentary on the fluidity of trickster roles, where victims and perpetrators frequently invert positions.
D. It highlights the coyote’s momentary alignment with human values, bridging the gap between animal instinct and human ambition.
E. It foreshadows the physical violence of the fall by framing the coyote’s ride as a post-battle transport, where injury is implicit.

Question 5

The passage’s conclusion—where the coyote observes Iktomi "through his eyelashes"—primarily reinforces which of the following themes?

A. The inevitability of cyclic revenge in trickster narratives, as the coyote’s gaze suggests a future counter-deception.
B. The paradox of agency within deception, where the coyote’s passive resistance mirrors the limited control of the deceived.
C. The fragility of pride, as the coyote’s reduced perspective (literal and metaphorical) contrasts with his earlier arrogance.
D. The communal nature of Indigenous storytelling, where even a trickster’s victim remains an active witness to the tale.
E. The ambiguity of moral judgment, as the coyote’s suffering evokes sympathy despite his earlier complacency.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The "blue winks" motif explicitly ties together three domains: human behavior (children blinking drowsily or proudly), animal instinct (birds and the coyote’s winks), and natural phenomena (the sky’s blueness). This tripartite connection serves a moral framework—the passage explains how the saying arose among "plains people," implying that the observation of nature (birds) informs human social behavior (pride, aloofness). The coyote’s winks, then, are not just a physiological detail but a cultural symbol embedding ethical lessons (e.g., pride’s dangers) into the natural world. This aligns with Indigenous storytelling traditions where nature and morality are intertwined.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• B: The passage does not suggest that trickster figures (like Iktomi or the coyote) are physiologically similar to birds or children; the "blue wink" is a behavioral and symbolic link, not a biological one.
• C: While the coyote is drowsy, the "blue winks" are more about pride ("others who are too proud") than exhaustion. The motif’s cultural explanation undermines a purely physical reading.
• D: Color symbolism (blue vs. Iktomi’s red/yellow fire) is present, but the primary function of the winks is cultural unification, not contrast. The passage does not frame the blue as opposing Iktomi’s colors in a structural way.
• E: The "blue winks" do not equate vision with perceptual limitation; if anything, they symbolize overconfidence (pride) and inattention (drowsiness), not blindness. The coyote sees but misinterprets.

2) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: Iktomi’s post-fall actions—humming, dancing, and breaking sticks—are theatrical and vital, while the coyote lies immobilized. This juxtaposition amplifies the coyote’s humiliation by:

1. Contrasting motion and stillness: Iktomi’s dynamic movement vs. the coyote’s forced passivity.
2. Mocking the coyote’s earlier pride: The "warrior" simile is undercut by Iktomi’s performative indifference (e.g., an "imaginary dance and feast").
3. Reinforcing power dynamics: Iktomi’s control over the situation (even building a fire) highlights the coyote’s powerlessness. The passage emphasizes humiliation as a tool of the trickster, not just physical harm.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: There is no evidence of a communal feast or ritual; Iktomi’s actions are solitary and mocking. The "feast" is "imaginary," undermining a literal reading.
• B: Iktomi shows no remorse. His humming and dancing are triumphant, not conflicted. Tricksters in Indigenous lore rarely feel guilt.
• C: Iktomi does not fear retaliation; his actions are bold and unhurried (e.g., building a fire). The coyote’s passivity ("lay still") suggests no perceived threat.
• E: While Iktomi’s "mystery songs" hint at supernatural power, his actions are performative, not incantatory. The coyote’s stillness stems from shock, not magical paralysis.

3) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The tone is wryly observational because:

1. Folkloric warmth: The passage uses conversational asides ("Did you never see a birdie blink a blue wink?") and vivid, sensory details (the fire’s "red and yellow streaks"), creating an oral storytelling feel.
2. Subtle irony: The narrator does not overtly judge the coyote’s folly but lets the irony unfold (e.g., the coyote’s "warrior" delusion vs. his ignominious fall). The detachment is playful, not cold.
3. Balance of humor and lesson: The coyote’s fall is slapstick ("he did not wish to breathe"), but the underlying moral (pride’s dangers) is serious. This duality is classic trickster-tale tone.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The tone is not didactic (preachy); the moral is implied, not stated. The focus on the coyote’s internal experience ("said the coyote in his heart") prioritizes character over instruction.
• B: While colonial themes exist in Zitkala-Sa’s broader work, this passage is not melancholic. The humor and vivid imagery undercut a sorrowful reading.
• D: "Suspenseful" misreads the pacing. The danger is sudden and resolved quickly (the fall happens in one sentence). The tone is reflective, not tense.
• E: There is no nostalgia for a "lost" trickster tradition. The passage enacts the tradition through its storytelling style, not laments its absence.

4) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The "warrior" simile exposes a cultural disconnect between:

1. The coyote’s perception of honor: He associates being carried with martial glory ("like a warrior from a brave fight").
2. Iktomi’s exploitation of that perception: The ride is not honorable—it’s a setup for humiliation. Iktomi weapons the coyote’s cultural values (pride in warriorhood) against him. This aligns with trickster tales where deception preys on the victim’s assumptions. The simile is doubly ironic: the coyote misapplies human honor codes to his own laziness, and Iktomi subverts those codes entirely.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While the coyote is delusional, the simile’s primary function is not to underscore his self-aggrandizement but to highlight the mismatch between his expectations and reality.
• C: The passage does not comment on role inversion (coyote as trickster/victim). The focus is on the coyote’s static gullibility, not fluidity.
• D: The simile does not bridge animal/human values—it exposes their incompatibility. The coyote’s error is applying human concepts poorly, not aligning with them.
• E: The simile does not foreshadow violence. The "post-battle transport" is ironic, not literal; the coyote’s injury comes from deception, not combat.

5) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The coyote’s observation "through his eyelashes" reinforces the paradox of agency within deception:

1. Passive resistance: He is not fully passive (he watches) but cannot act. His limited perspective ("through his eyelashes") mirrors his limited control.
2. Illusion of choice: His stillness is both a reaction to pain and a tactical hesitation ("he wondered what Iktomi would do"). This ambiguity—is he choosing silence or forced into it?—captures the trickster’s victim’s dilemma.
3. Thematic link to power: The coyote’s reduced agency (physical and perceptual) contrasts with Iktomi’s unrestrained movement, emphasizing how deception constricts the deceived.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: Trickster tales rarely involve cyclic revenge. The coyote’s gaze is resigned, not plotting. Iktomi’s power is absolute in this moment.
• C: While the coyote’s pride is humbled, the "eyelashes" detail focuses on agency, not fragility. The theme is control, not just arrogance’s consequences.
• D: The passage does not emphasize communal storytelling. The coyote is a lone witness, not part of a collective narrative experience.
• E: The coyote’s suffering does not evoke sympathy; the tone remains ironic. The focus is on the mechanics of deception, not moral ambiguity.