Coyote Spills the Stars A Native American Folktale
In the beginning days when all came up from the underworld a huge gathering was planned, uniting all the four-leggeds and flyers. At this meeting Our Mother selected a human being to take a jar of stars, hang them in the sky and name them for all to enjoy.
Coyote was very interested in what was going on, but since he was such a wiggler and trickster Our Mother turned to him and said "Do not make mischief here!"
The human being was busy, placing the stars in ordered patterns upon the sky- seven stars here and the three stars there. When he had placed the beautiful Morning Star he stood back and admired his work, as did all the rest.
While everyone including Our Mother was gathered to gaze at the luminous Morning Star, Coyote tiptoed over to the jar of stars to see for himself what the man was doing. As he lifted the jar's lid just a little, the stars pushed the lid away and raced for the sky. This is the reason so many twinkle without order or pattern, and why so many are not named.
Our Mother was angry with Coyote, and said that because of his mischief with the stars Coyote would forever be a wanderer and bring trouble with him wherever he may go, that some days he could be happy and abundant, but other days he would see unhappiness and hunger.
The Star Maiden
A Native American Legend
One night, a young boy was sleeping under the stars. In a deep sleep, the boy dreamed about the silver stars in the night sky. There was one star in his dream that was brighter than all the others. Suddenly, this star began to move across the sky, floating closer and closer to Earth. It landed on a tree just above the boy’s head.
In his dream, the star was transformed into a beautiful young woman with long hair and glowing eyes. She was still shining like a star. The star maiden reached out to the boy and said, “I have seen your world. It has called out to me. Everything is so beautiful: the clear blue water, the pretty flowers and your people. I want to live in this world. If you speak to your wisest chiefs, perhaps I can change my form and live among your people. Ask them what form I should take.”
When the boy woke up, he ran to his village and found his chief. A meeting was called and all the wisest chiefs listened carefully to the boy’s story. One chief stood up and said, “Of course we will welcome this beautiful star into our village. Tell her that she may take on any form she wants. She can be anything that makes her happy. Go now and tell her this.”
That very night, the boy went back to the tree where he slept the night before, and waited. As he looked up, the bright star descended from the heavens. The star maiden appeared. Startled and excited, the boy told the woman what the chiefs had said. He led the star maiden back to the village.
The next day, the star maiden turned herself into a gorgeous wild flower. This didn’t make her happy though. Animals came close to crushing her in their path. The ground shook all around her and she was sad.
The next day, the star maiden turned into a lovely red rose. But the garden she lived in was far away from the village. She missed the people who she wanted to be around the most.
That night it seemed she gave up. She rose back up into the sky and the people in the village were afraid she was leaving for good because she couldn’t be happy among them.
They watched as the star maiden floated over their lake. She looked down into the water and saw her reflection and the reflection of her sister stars. “Come my sisters!” the star maiden called out. “Come with me and make these beautiful waters our home.”
The people smiled, and satisfied, they went to sleep. The next morning they went back to the lake and saw something magical. The lake was covered with hundreds of floating flower stars like the villagers had never seen. The star maiden and her sisters became water lilies.
So, every time you see a water lily, remember the star maiden and how she came down from heaven to live among us.