The Ice Barrier (Winnemucca, Nevada. Northern Paiute)

THE ICE BARRIER

(Winnemucca, Nevada. Northern Paiute)

Coyote and Wolf went to the north to fight. Many people went with them. Coyote had been to the Snake River alone [before this]. He gathered the people and went back there. Ice had formed ahead of them, and it reached all the way to the sky. The people could, not cross it. It was too thick to break. A Raven flew up and struck the ice and cracked it [when he came down]. Coyote said, "These small people can't get across the ice." Another Raven flew up and cracked the ice again. Coyote said, "Try again, try again." Raven flew up again and broke the ice. The people ran across [or through?]. They ran across. Coyote was the last person over.