A ray of golden light shot out and hit him right in the eyes! Coyote yelped—and let the lid fly open. In a blaze of gold, the sun flashed up into the heavens.

A contemporary ceramic piece by Rosemary "Apple Blossom" Lonewolf, illustrating the leg-end of Coyote placing the stars in the sky.

The first day had begun.

“Well now,” Coyote said, admiring his gray coat in the sunlight. “That’s not bad, not bad at all.”

He watched the sun move across the sky till it was out of sight and darkness came again.

Eagle came flapping hurriedly back. “What have you done? You’ve let the sun escape!”

“It will return,” Coyote said placidly. “No, no, you’ve spoiled everything!”

Angry Eagle lunged at Coyote. Coyote dodged—but as he did, he knocked over the box. The moon came shooting out and flashed up into the heavens. High rose the moon, higher yet, and the world grew chill. Leaves dropped from the trees, and an icy wind blew.

The first season had begun, and it was winter.
“What have you done?” Eagle shrieked.
“You’ve brought cold into the world!”

True enough. But Coyote, ruffling his fur, only grinned. Why, things had worked out better than ever he’d planned! For he had also brought day into the world, and night. He had brought winter, spring, summer, fall. He had given the world variety, never-ending changes enough to pleasure even the wily gray trickster himself.