How the Rattlesnake Learned.....

How the Rattlesnake Learned to Bite Pima (Arizona) After people and
the animals were created, they all lived together. Rattlesnake was
there, and was called Soft Child because he was so soft in his
motions. The people liked to hear him rattle and little rest did he
get because they continually poked and scratched him so that he
would shake the rattles in his tail. At last Rattlesnake went to
Elder Brother to ask help. Elder Brother pulled a hair from his own
lip, cut it in short pieces, and made it into teeth for Soft
Child. "If any one bothers you," he said, "bite him." That very
evening Ta-api, Rabbit, came to Soft Child as he had done before and
scratched him. Soft Child raised his head and bit Rabbit. Rabbit was
angry and scratched again. Soft Child bit him again. Then Rabbit ran
about saying that Soft Child was angry and had bitten him. Then he
went to Rattlesnake again, and twice more he was bitten. The bites
made Rabbit very sick. He asked for a bed of cool sea sand. Coyote
was sent to the sea for the cool, damp sand. Then Rabbit asked for
the shade of bushes that he might feel the cool breeze. But at last
Rabbit died. He was the first creature which had died in this new
world. Then the people were troubled because they did not know what
to do with the body of Rabbit. One said, "If we bury him, Coyote
will surely dig him up." Another said, "If we hide him, Coyote will
surely find him." And another said, "If we put him in a tree, Coyote
will surely climb up." So they decided to burn the body of Rabbit,
and yet there was no fire on earth. Blue Fly said, "Go to Sun and
get some of the fire which he keeps in his house," So Coyote
scampered away, but he was sure the people were trying to get rid of
him so he kept looking back. Then Blue Fly made the first fire
drill. Taking a stick like an arrow he twirled it in his hands,
letting the lower end rest on a flat stick that lay on the ground.
Soon smoke began to arise, and then fire came. The people gathered
fuel and began their duty. But Coyote, looking back, saw fire
ascending. He turned and ran back as fast as he could go. When the
people saw him coming, they formed a ring, but he raced around the
circle until he saw two short men standing together. He jumped over
them, and seized the heart of Rabbit. But he burned his mouth doing
it, and it is black to this day.