Old Woman: Hello there Trickster! Where are you going today?

Trickster: Here, there, and everywhere!

Old Woman: Well, here and everywhere are ok, but if you keep going there, (points in the direction Trickster is heading) you will meet a bad end."

Trickster: Why Old Woman?

Old Woman: There is a giant down that way . A very hungry one who's not picky about who he eats!

Trickster: Giants don't scare me! I'll fight him and we'll see who eats who!

Old Woman: Don't be too sure of that Trickster. He's bigger than you might think.

Trickster: I'll make short work of that giant. I will not change my ways for him. Good day to you Old Woman !

(Trickster runs on ahead, whistling as he goes. He stops when he sees a large branch in the road, and picks it up).

Trickster: Let's see how a giant stands up to this big stick! (He takes a few practice swings with the stick).

(Trickster walks along whistling, and comes upon a cave. He enters the cave. Along comes a Woman crawling slowly along the ground).

Trickster: You don't look so good. What's wrong?

Woman: I haven't eaten in days and I'm starving! Why do you have that stupid stick?"

Trickster: I'm looking for a Giant that is supposed to be around here somewhere. I'm going to use this stick to kill that Giant when I find him.

Woman: (laughs weakly) You won't have far to search Trickster. You're in the Giant's belly right now.

Trickster: You're hunger has gotten the better of you Woman! I am only in a cave!

Woman: That cave entrance is the Giants mouth Trickster! This Giant is so big that you probably walked across him for a day without realizing it. This giant is too big to even see with our eyes. I tell you Trickster you are doomed now too, just as I am!

(Trickster throws his stick away and walks past the woman. He comes across some animals crawling along in agony).

Trickster: And what is wrong with all of you?

Group of animals: (in unison). We're starving because we are stuck inside the giant."

Trickster.(appearing mildly amused) Look you guys. If this is really a Giant we are inside of, then why don't we just cut off some pieces from him and then we will have some meat for ourselves to eat?

Group of animals: (in unison). Good idea! Why didn't we think of that?

Trickster: It's not your fault. Most animals aren't as smart as me.

(Trickster proceeds to carve out chunks of the cave walls with his hunting knife, and feeds them to the starving group of animals).

Group of animals: (in unison) Thank You!

(Trickster goes back to the woman he met in the cave and gives her some chunks of the meat from the cave wall too).

Woman: Thank You!

(All of the animals in the cave gnaw on the meat, and as they get stronger they begin to arise to their feet, walking around now and in a cheerful mood).

Woman: Wait a minute! (the group of animals grows silent). Thank you for feeding us Trickster, we really do appreciate your cunning kindness, but we are still stuck in this Giant's stomach! What are we to do?

Trickster: Well, if I can find the Giant's stomach, I can surely find his heart.

(Everyone starts milling around looking for the Giant's heart)

Woman: What's that? (points to a volcano deep inside the cave).

Group of animals: (in unison) The giants heart!

Trickster: So it is! (Walks over to the volcano and begins stabbing away at it).

Giant: (unseen, off stage). Trickster, is that you? I'll let you go if you will stop stabbing at my heart. Let me just open my mouth and you can leave the same way that you came in.

Trickster: But I'm not ready to leave yet. (Trickster resumes stabbing at the volcanoe at a faster and more frenzied pace. Lava starts to flow from the holes made by his hunting knife.)

Giant: Groans loudly. (The whole cave begins to shake violently).

Trickster: O.K.! Now ! When he takes his last breath, everyone run out of his mouth!

Giant: Groan!! (Ground shudders and quakes).

Trickster: Hurry! Now! (The giant's mouth opens and everyone runs out. The tick. gets stuck in the giant's teeth as the mouth starts closing , but Trickster manages to pull him through too.

Tick: I'm all flat now!

Trickster: That's what happens to the ones who move too slowly. I can't help you with that, but at least you're alive.

Tick: I guess I can live with that, I think! Thank you Trickster for saving me.

Group of Animals and Woman (in unison) THANK YOU TRICKSTER!

Stage Play by JM, adapted from "Coyote Kills a Giant -a Dine/Navajo story". Here are some more stories and poems about coyote.