Blacktail Deer Plateau I've loved and I've lost

Sun Spark chuckled and returned the wink at her. He shuffled his feet a few times and took a few deep breaths and then he looked at her and he began.


Now Wishpoosh da monster beaver lived in the beautiful Lake Cle-el-lum w'ich was full of fish. E'ery day, the animal people would come ta the lake, wantin' to catch some fish, but Wishpoosh the giant beaver drove dem away wif many threats and great splashin'. He acted as if he was threatening others an splashing in the water. If dey refused to leave, Wishpoosh would kill the animal people by dragging dem deep into the lake so dat dey drowned. he gave a savage growl and acted like he was killing some poor beast.

Now Coyote was very upset at Wishpoosh for the way he treated the animal people. he made a sad face. Coyote decided dat he would kill the monster beaver an' so he went to Lake Cle-el-lum with his claws and his teeth and started to fish. As soon as Wishpoosh saw dis upstart wolf invading his territory, the giant beaver attacked. Coyote threw himself at the beaver and he got him good. Immediately, Wishpoosh dove to the bottom of the lake, dragging Coyote with him. Sun Spark acted like he was fighting with a giant creature in the bottom of the lake.

He continued ot pretend like he was wrestling moving and writing around on the ground to far into the star to realize he was old and tired and he would hurt in the end. Well, Coyote and Wishpoosh wrestled and tugged and fought each other at the bottom of the lake until the sides gave way and all the water rushed out, pouring out over the mountains and through the canyons until it collected in Kittitas Valley and formed another, larger lake. He made a whoosh sound with his maw and then drew pictures in the dirt to look like water splashing down and then a lake. Coyote and Wishpoosh burst forth into the new lake, shouting and wrestling and fighting each other with renewed vigor until the second lake gave way and the water rushed out, joining in with the waters of several rivers to form a massive lake at Toppenish.

He continued to wrestle and showed his teeth and claws and growled and moved around quickly striking at an imaginary foe. Wishpoosh the monster beaver would not give up the fight. He bit and clawed at Coyote and tried to drown him in the massive lake. Coyote fought back fiercely, and at last the massive lake gave way, the water roared down into the meeting place of the Columbia, the Yakima, and the Snake, where it dammed up into a lake so huge none has ever seen its like before or since. He made a large lake and then made a dam with his paws and held his paws up to show size difference.

Coyote and Wishpoosh dragged at each other, pulling and tugging and ripping and biting until the dam gave way and a huge wave of water swept down the Columbia River towards the sea. Coyote and Wishpoosh were tumbled over and over again as they were swept down river in the mighty wave of water. Coyote grabbed bushes and rocks and trees, trying to pull himself out of the massive wave. By these efforts was the Columbia Gorge was formed. But Coyote could not pull himself out of the great wave and so he tumbled after Wishpoosh, all the way to the bitter waters at the mouth of the river. He pretended to tumble and move and writhe in water, pretending that he had no air.

Wishpoosh was furious. He made an angry face. He was determined to beat this upstart Coyote who had driven him from his beautiful lake. The giant beaver swept all the salmon before him and ate them in one gulp to increase his strength. Then he swam out to sea with Coyote in pursuit. The monster beaver threw his great arms around a whale and swallowed it whole. Sun spark made his cheeks bulge and swept things into his maw and then patted his stomach like he had a full belly.

Sun spark made a whimpering noise and cowered down like he was afraid. Coyote was frightened by this demonstration of the monster beaver's strength. But he was the most cunning of all the animals, and he came up with a plan. Turning himself into a tree branch, Coyote drifted among the fish until Wishpoosh swallowed him. Returning to his natural form, Coyote took his teeth and claws and he wripped and chewed the sinews inside the giant beaver. Wishpoosh gave a great cry and then perished. Sun spark pretended to be a log then he pretended to rip something from the inside out and then he played dead with drool hanging out of his mouth.

He yawned, Coyote was tired after his long fight with the monster beaver. He called to his friend Muskrat, who helped drag the body of Wishpoosh to shore. Coyote and Muskrat cut up the giant beaver and threw the pieces up over the land, thus creating the tribes of men. The Nez Perce were created from the head of the giant beaver, to make them great in council. The Cayuses were created from the massive arms of Wishpoosh, in order that they might be strong and powerful with the war . From the beaver's ribs, Coyote made the Yakimas and from the belly the Chinooks. To make the Klickitats, Coyote used the beaver's legs, so that they would become famous for their skill in running. With the leftover skin and blood, he made the Snake River Indians who thrived on war and blood. He pretended to be ripping apart some animal and throwing it to the winds with a toss of his head.

Thus were the tribes created, and Coyote returned up the mighty Columbia River to rest from his efforts. But in his weariness, Coyote did not notice that the coastal tribes had been created without mouths. The god Ecahni happened along just then and fixed the problem by assembling all of the coastal tribes and cutting mouths for them. Some he made too large and some he made crooked, just as a joke. This is why the mouths of the coastal tribes are not quite perfect. Then Sun Spark bowed and his eyes twinkled at the girl and he chuckled

'ow was dat story m'girl?