How the Roadrunner Got His Eye Spots

The Yokut tribes of central California tell the tale of the roadrunner and how he came to have red spots beside his eyes. It was winter, and most of the animals were cold. A few kept warm though. Wi-ness the first man could build a fire to warm himself. Oi-Oi the roadrunner stayed warm by chasing lizards. But Likim the prairie falcon was freezing, and Ki-yu the coyote was too cold to even eat. In frustration he threw his dinner in a river, and declared to the other animals that he was going to steal fire from Wi-ness, one way or another.

Ki-yu laid down to think of a plan, and his bird friends curled up next to him to keep warm. But it was too cold for Limik, who began to devise a plan of his own. The prairie falcon excitedly prodded his sleeping friend, Oi-Oi the roadrunner, to explain his scheme. "Wake up, wake up! I've thought of a plan...' but at that very moment, up jumped Ki-yu who was only pretending to be asleep. The wiley coyote quickly exclaimed "I've just thought of a plan, myself!" Ki-yu really had no plan at all, but didn't want to be outdone by a bird, of course.

Oi-Oi and Limik begged their friend to tell them his idea, but the coyote stalled, telling them that he was still trying to work out all the details. "Why don't you tell us your plan, Limik, while I think some more." And so the prairie falcon started to explain his thoughts to the companions. "First, Ki-yu must go upstream and find a stick.." but before he could finish, the coyote sprung away, returning after a few minutes with a black walnut branch in his mouth. "Here is your branch Limik" said Ki-yu, but Limik scolded him saying "No, no...the branch must be from a willow tree, you didn't let me finish!" As Ki-yu sprung away again, the falcon called after him "be sure to find a long one!" At last the coyote returned with a long willow branch, and Limik explained what Oi-Oi and Ki-yu were to do next.

"It just so happens," Ki-yu exclaimed, "that was precisely my plan the whole time." The roadrunner and the coyote set off with their branch to find Wi-ness the first man, and his coveted fire. When they found him, he was warm and content, cooking his food over the fire the animals desperately craved. Shivering, Oi-Oi watched as Ki-yu ran toward the fire and dropped the end of the branch in it. He saw the coyote leap away just in time to avoid the spear of Wi-ness, who suspected the tricky canine of mischief. As Wi-ness left his fire to give chase to Ki-yu, Oi-Oi saw his chance.

Springing into action, the roadrunner raced to the fire and recovered the now-burning branch, the cold end of which he could just fit in his frozen beak. Realizing his mistake, Wi-ness turned back, but he was too late. He knew it was futile to chase the roadrunner, who was renowned for his great speed. Instead, he called to the rain, "Oh Rains, pour down from the sky and put out my stolen fire!" The rains loved the man, and were happy to obey. The sky opened up and rain began to pour on the path of the roadrunner, who could not outrun them.

Oi-Oi knew he had a long way to go and he would never be able to keep it dry holding it out in the rain. So he tucked bits of flame behind the feathers around his eyes where they would be protected from the weather, and ran all the way back to Limik and the other animals., who were overjoyed! In this way, the animals were able to survive the brutal winter, and Ki-yu was able to savor his dinner. Of course, Ki-yu tried to take most of the credit, but the others knew better. And that is how Oi-Oi, the quick and brave roadrunner, got the red spots behind his eyes.