English Translation
26. The Foolish People and the Horse
Sam Kenoi
There was a large encampment.
One of them had brought back a horse.
He had tied it up near his camp.
They had come to him in a body.
They didn't know what to do with him.
He had been tied up where there was no grass.
Then they spoke thus:
"What does he eat?"they said.
They had made gravy for him.
"Make gravy for him!"they said [and] put the gravy before him.
He did not look at it.
And he began to eat a bit of grass that stood up on the other side.
Then they spoke thus:
"He apparently eats that!"they said.
Then one of them untied him.
He put a rope around his nose.
He sat on him backward.
He fell off.
Several others also got on him.
They also fell off.
Many were thrown off.
Then a Mescalero who lived among them came there.
He jumped upon the horse.
He rode him down a hill whipping him alternately on both sides.
From a distance [he came] back again.
Then they spoke thus:
"Friends, apparently pitch has been rubbed on his anus!"they said.