Rabbit was hopping around in the newly fallen snow. Life was good; life was perfect. As he hopped around the trunk of a big tree, he came nose to nose with a coyote. They were both so surprised neither of them moved.
Rabbit knew that coyote could eat him in two or three bites. He knew he couldn't outrun the coyote. He was doomed.
Coyote had been out hunting for food in the deep snow but hadn't expected to come nose to nose with a rabbit.
"Hello Friend," the rabbit said, feeling the coyote's warm breath in his face.
"I'm not your friend; you are my dinner," the coyote said.
"I'm a scrawny rabbit. If you eat me, you'll be hungry again in a few hours and you'll have to spend your day hunting for more rabbits. You should hunt for bigger game, something you could feed on for several days or a couple of weeks," Rabbit said. "Maybe you have a family to feed. I'm too small to feed your family."
The coyote had to admit the rabbit was right. One rabbit would only satisfy the coyote for a few hours. The rabbit was white, the snow was white; it would be easy for the rabbit to disappear and escape.
"The snow is just beginning. It could get very deep' you need more food than I can provide," Rabbit said. "I know you can eat me in two bites, but if you spare my life, I can feed you for weeks or more."
Coyote knew rabbits were clever, the rabbit might be able to outsmart him or outrun him, and he'd end up with an empty belly.
"You are trying to trick me; you are wasting my time," Coyote said.
"We can be friends and both of us will live to see tomorrow. If you eat me now, you will have to hunt for another rabbit tomorrow, but if the snow gets deeper, you might not find a rabbit and tomorrow you will die," Rabbit said.
"You are trying to trick me," the coyote said.
"You should trust me," Rabbit said. "Trust me to show you were food is, and I'll trust you not to eat me. If you eat me now, we will both lose. I'll lose now, and if the snow continues, you'll die in a few days."
It was a hard decision for Coyote. He could have food right now, or he could trust the rabbit, hoping for more food later.
They laid in the snow, nose to nose.
"I'll trust you . . . " the Coyote said. "But if you try to trick me, or you try to run away, I'll eat you in two bites."
"You are being very wise. Follow me," the rabbit said and hopped down the hill.
They traveled almost a mile, the Coyote feeling like he was being tricked or fooled by the rabbit.
Finally, the rabbit stopped.
"Look over there. This morning, a deer fell off the rocky cliff and died," the rabbit said. "Unlucky for the deer but lucky for you and for me. If you had not trusted me, I would have been your next meal, but because you trusted me, you will have food for a couple of weeks or more. The snow will keep the meat fresh."
The coyote was thrilled. He had a full-grown deer to eat. Rabbit had kept his word, and now Coyote would have food for two weeks or more.
"You have saved my life," Coyote said, "I will have food for weeks. How can I thank you?"
"You were wise to trust me," Rabbit answered. "And now you will be fed, and I can go home."
"After the meat from the deer is gone, I will not hunt in this valley again. You will be safe," Coyote said.
If the coyote had not trusted the rabbit, he would likely have starved to death, if the rabbit had not trusted the coyote, and had not shown him where the deer was, the coyote would have eaten him. For one minute in time, two creatures trusted each other, and because of that, they both lived long lives.
Rabbit hopped back to his home. Coyote kept his word and never hunted in that valley again. Rabbit lived a long life and had many, many children.
Crying Wind is the author of Crying Wind, My Searching
Heart, When the Stars Danced, Thunder in Our Hearts, Lightning in Our Veins, and Stars in the Desert. You can order your copy by going to https://intertriballife.org/store/.
