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Sunday, April 7, 2013

T is for TRICKSTER as in CALL ME KAI-YOTE

Coyote here.

You say that in two sounds
not three, two-leggeds. 

Surprised to see me here? 

Why? 

It is amusing me to see Roland doing this A-Z GAUNTLET backwards.  It appeals to my contrary nature.

You say you don't believe in me?  Wonderful! 

When that good-looking hombre saddles up beside you tomorrow tonight in your favorite bar, you may sing a different tune in the morning.

But you'll be smiling. 

Don't go glaring at me like that, Alice.  I am always true to my nature ...

except when I'm not.

You wonder how I know Victor's ghoul friend? 

Well, now, there are a pack of tales how that came about.  You can find one in THREE SPIRIT KNIGHT:

http://www.amazon.com/THE-THREE-SPIRIT-KNIGHT-ebook/dp/B00AD94EQE/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3

{Cover courtesy Leonora Roy}


Let me tell you another one.  I'll even call it "ANOTHER ONE":

One morning in a Time that could have been but wasn't, yet might still be, Coyote paddled his canoe furiously down the River Lethe.

He glanced cautiously over his shoulder many times. At the shore a blonde ghoul, yes, children, ghoul, called out, "Oh, sir! We are being chased!"

Coyote snorted, "Me, too, ghoul. Every legend for himself I say."

The young gypsy beside the ghoul laughed, tossing a ball bearing up in the air. "I say that you would hate a hole in your canoe."

Coyote smiled wide with all his sharp teeth, "I like you."

Coyote looked at the ghoul skeptically. "Will you make a meal of me if I let you in?"

The gypsy laughed, "She already had her fill of finger sandwiches ... Trojan fingers."

Coyote winked at her. "I begin to like you, too, The Wentworth."

The ghoul gasped, "You know me?"

Coyote laughed as he pulled up to the shore, "I always know what I need to ... unless I don't."

A splash of water, a swirl of skirt, and a leap of legs later, and the gypsy and the ghoul sat behind Coyote.

"Oh, you are naked!" squealed the ghoul.

Coyote nodded happily, "Under my fur I surely am."

The gypsy grunted, "You've lost one of your tails, too."

The ghoul frowned, "What do you mean 'one,' Victor?"

The gypsy laughed, "Well, Alice, he is sitting on one tail but the bushy one seems to have slipped its moorings."

Coyote sighed, "Don't remind me."

The ghoul named Alice grew sad. "How did that happen?"

Coyote laughed bitterly. "There I was fighting a river monster when the most beautiful fox woman strolled on the shore with her canoe to stare at my wonderfulness."

The gypsy named Victor arched an eyebrow. "That's what you call it, huh?"

Alice slapped his arm and said, "Do go on, sir."

"Well," said Coyote, "the monster must have never seen a naked fox woman before and bellowed, 'Another one!'"

Coyote smiled at the memory. "I took the opportunity to drive my spear into his heart."

He shook his furry head. "I turned to the fox woman and said, 'Thank you for the distraction, Another One.'"

Coyote snorted, "She told me her name was not 'Another One' but Inari and took my lovely tail."

Coyote chuckled, "So I took her canoe and came away with wisdom as well."

"What wisdom, sir?" asked the ghoul named Alice.

Coyote turned and winked at her. "The problem for us two-leggeds is that too often we let monsters tell us who we are."




16 comments:

  1. Trickster would make me nervous. Double talk confuses.

    Besides, would a fox woman stop to gawk at a coyote man? There must be culture differences.

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  2. D.G.:
    Coyote loves to confuse and stir up chaos -- which is why he loves Victor who inadvertantly does the same thing!

    Inari, the fox woman, is the Trickster goddess of Japan and was probably deciding whether to help Coyote or the River Monster. :-)

    Lady Inari appears in both RITES OF PASSAGE and ADRIFT IN THE TIME STREAM as the love interest of Elu, Samuel's blood brother (Talk about cultural difference there!)

    Thanks for visiting and commenting. :-) Roland

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  3. Everyone:
    You really should watch WHEN RAVEN STOLE THE MOON. It was the doctoral "thesis" for a woman graduating animation school. She out-did herself!

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  4. I was confused until you expplained it was backwards.

    Dropping in from A to Z Challenge. It's my first year participating.

    Brett Minor
    Transformed Nonconformist

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  5. I love trickster tales! Coyote sounds like a great one.

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  6. Hi Roland! I love this tale and have seen that video before :)There is a part of me that always falls for the trickster. Loki is a good example. You crack me up by doing this challenge backwards, how fun and clever! BTW, you and I are going to be published together again in the next Wayman anthology!!! My story ended up about Freya although Loki does show up in it with a few tricks as well. Hope you are well!

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  7. I LOVED THIS! The fox's voice and the dialogue are PRICELESS! Well done! Well done!

    Thanks for a very memorable excerpt!

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  8. "Every legend for himself" -- great stuff! Thanks for sharing this piece, Roland.

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  9. Brett:
    Yes, the ghost of Mark Twain got me to do this Challenge backwards. Why not, right? Have fun with life ... Coyote just laughed beside me, nodding in agreement!

    Kathy:
    And Coyote loves you back. He and your Grandfather were pals back in the day. Coyote restrained himself around him! :-)

    Siv:
    Yes, isn't it wonderful that we are together again in another anthology -- and they are making an audio book of it, so folks will actually hear Sam McCord for the first time!

    Freya is a major character in the last half of THREE SPIRIT KNIGHT along with Coyote -- in fact the two of them trade barbs off and on throughout the book! :-) She has a love/hate relationship with Victor: she loves to hate him!

    The ghost of Mark Twain got me to do this Challenge backwards! It's fun -- which is why Coyote showed up.

    I look forward to reading your selection in the anthology!

    Michael:
    Coyote smiles at your approval. Don't let those sharp fangs fool you ... ah, but be cautious!

    Milo:
    Coyote approves of your approval of his wit. :-) You're the legend, Milo, getting accepted in all those e-zines!

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  10. A really good message today, Roland!

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  11. Hello, Roland! Awesome you're doing the Challenge backwards.

    Happy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

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  12. Alex:
    Sometimes Coyote actually surprises himself by saying something truly wise. Ouch! He just bopped my head ... but he was smiling ... I think. :-)

    Laura:
    Blame the ghost of Mark Twain for tricking me into doing this Challenge backwards! I'm happy you like this twist. The ghost of Mark Twain tips his white hat to you for your good taste!

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  13. Great excerpt, Roland. The trickster is one of my favorite archetypes. Also the one I have the most trouble writing. Well done. Superb dialog!

    ~VR Barkowski

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  14. VR:
    I had fun including him in the last half of THE THREE SPIRIT KNIGHT! He added his brand of fun and humor ... and otherworldly wisdom, too.

    I work hard at my dialog so your kind words about it made my evening! :-)

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  15. He is one of my favorite characters! Great excerpt.

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  16. Heather:
    Isn't Coyote fun? I loved writing him. He's going to return to add laughter and danger to Victor's life in SLAYBELLES IN THE NIGHT, too.

    Have you read Patricia Brigg's RIVER MARKED where she discovers she is the quasi-daughter of Coyote ... just in time to throw her in the river to face her own River Monster!

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