Coyote Becomes A Buffalo - Caddo

While Coyote was out hunting something to eat he met Buffalo, who
was very
powerful among his tribe. He was eating grass and looked fat and
well fed.
Coyote asked him if he would give him power to turn into a Buffalo
and eat
grass as he did. Buffalo said: "Yes, I will give you the power which
was
given to me by the Great-Father-Above, but when I give you the power
you
must not use it every chance you get, but only when very necessary."
He told
Coyote to stand facing the other way and not to move, but to be
brave as he
was. Coyote stood still, wondering what was going to happen to him.

Buffalo began to throw up dirt with his hoofs and to act very
angrily. He
told Coyote to keep his eyes closed. Then he made a plunge toward
him, and
when he was about to strike him with his horns, Coyote jumped out of
the
way, and Buffalo passed him without touching him. He did this the
second,
third, fourth, fifth, and sixth times, but the seventh time he stood
there
without moving. He could hear Buffalo coming at him, but he stood
there
awaiting what would happen to him.

Buffalo struck him and rolled him under his stomach with his horns
and threw
him up into the air. When he came down on his feet he was turned
into a very
young Buffalo. He began to eat green grass at once. Then the old
Buffalo
told him that if he wanted to turn into a Coyote again, he must find
a
Buffalo wallow, roll himself over two or three times, and then he
would
arise a Coyote. Again Buffalo cautioned him not to use his power too
often,
telling him that the power was good for only seven times, and he
also told
him that he must not give the power to any one else, especially to
any of
his own race.

Before they parted the real Buffalo told Coyote to change back into a
Coyote, and he did so, and then they both went on their way. Before
Coyote
had gone far from Buffalo, he wanted to try his power to see if he
could use
it alone. He did, and became a Buffalo. During that same day he
tried his
power three or four times, and before he had met any one he had
tried it six
times, and had turned himself into a Buffalo for the seventh time.
While he
was a Buffalo he met one of his own people, a famous Coyote, and so
he went
up to him and said: "Do not you want me to give you some of my
power, so
that you can eat grass as I do? You look as though you were very
hungry."
"Yes," said Coyote. "Well, all right," said Coyote-Buffalo. "Go off
a short
distance from me and stand there and face the other way.

Do not run, but be brave as I am. Close your eyes. Now, I am ready,"
and so
he started at him, but the other Coyote jumped out of the way every
time
until the last time came. Then Coyote stood his ground, and Coyote-
Buffalo
rolled him under his stomach, and they both went up in the air and
came down
on their feet. They were both Coyotes, and they stood looking at
each other
for a time; then they separated and went off.

Traditions of the Caddo, By George A. Dorsey, collected 1903-1905,
under the
auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington

From Blue Panther Keeper of Stories.