The Well-Baked Man

Pima Indian Folklore
- Salt River, near Tempe, Arizona

The Magician made the world but felt that something was missing and wondered what it could be. He decided to make beings like himself, not just the animals. He built an oven, took some clay and formed a shape just like himself. While the Magician-Man Maker was out gathering firewood for the oven, Coyote snuck in and changed the shape of the clay. When he got back, he built a fire and put the image in without looking at it closely. "He must be ready now." He removed the image, breathed upon it to make it come alive. The image just barked and wagged its tail. We owe it to Coyote for the dog!

So Man-Maker tried again. This time he shaped two figures out of clay. He put them into the oven to bake. "They are done now," Coyote told him. So Man-Maker took them out, breathed upon them to make them come alive. "Oh my, they are not done enough - they belong across the water someplace."

So Man-Maker tried yet again. Making a pair like the last one and placing them in the oven. After a while he said, "I think they are ready now." Coyote said back, "No, they aren't done yet. You don't want them to come out too light again; leave them in a a little longer." They waited, and then he took them out. "Oh my, they are overdone. They are burned too dark. I will put them in some other place across the water."

This time the Magician did not listen to Coyote but took them out when he thought they were done! He made them come to life and the two beings walked around, talked, laughed, and behaved in a seemly fashion. They were neither underdone or overdone. "These are exactly right," said Man-Maker. "These I will use. They are beautiful." So that's why we have the Pueblo Indians.

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