He challenges each new action, each new mode of behavior. He makes the people test everything repeatedly to see whether it is workable in all situations.

The Navajo considers Coyote a loner, using clever, shrewd, and often comical means to gain his highly personal ends. We have many stories about Coyote. These are told as children's stories to teach the moral values of our people. The stories tell of Coyote's adventures that illustrate his antisocial and comical solutions to problems. He always has to pay when his tricky, selfish ways, his envy, greed, and lust do not bring him the good that he desires.

There is a cartoon series called "The Roadrunner and the Coyote." In this series elaborate schemes by the coyote to catch the roadrunner always result in bodily harm to the coyote. These cartoons parallel his position as clown in Navajo literature. His individual antisocial brilliance is his downfall.

One of the earliest mentions of Coyote in Navajo oral history (as apart from folk tales) is in the role he takes in the Second World when, curious and alone, he explores and finds suffering everywhere. In the Third World, it is his interference with the water monster's baby that causes the flood that forced the people to flee through the reed into the Fourth World, or the present world as we know it.

Coyote's position in the assembly of the gods matches his role elsewhere. Theoretically, there are only two choices, the good represented by the south side of the assembly, and the evil represented by the north side.

Coyote takes his place near the door so that he may ally himself with either side according to his whim (in gambling)…Coyote usually loses, for his judgement leads him to the flashy side, and in Navajo lore it is the modest side that wins.

By allowing Coyote to impulsively solve some problems, or by letting him have his own way, certain difficulties can be resolved without discussion. But the responsibility for that solution remains with Coyote, and is not the responsibility of the people.

Coyote is also useful for doing things and going places which all other reasonable human beings fear. When some people died while others were discussing how to build a hogan …