In the highlands of Guatemala, where mist rolls across the mountains and the sound of birdsong fills the morning air, there lived two clever creatures, the coyote and the fox. For many seasons, they were the best of friends. Together, they hunted, shared stories under the moonlight, and laughed at their own cleverness.
One day, as they wandered the countryside searching for food, the coyote caught the scent of something delicious on the wind. “Do you smell that, brother?” he asked eagerly. The fox sniffed the air, warm and sweet, with the promise of roasted corn. Following the trail, they soon came upon a large field of golden maize belonging to a farmer who guarded it carefully.
The coyote’s eyes gleamed. “Let’s eat!” he whispered. The fox hesitated, glancing at the tall fences surrounding the field. But the coyote had already found a small hole beneath the wooden posts, just wide enough for them to squeeze through.
Inside the cornfield, the two friends feasted like kings. They gorged themselves on plump, juicy corn until their bellies swelled. The fox, smaller and wiser, ate just enough to satisfy his hunger. The coyote, however, could not stop. “This is too good to leave behind,” he said, still chewing greedily.
When the moon rose high and their meal was done, they decided to leave before dawn betrayed them. The fox darted toward the hole in the fence and slipped through easily. But when the coyote tried to follow, he found that his round belly had grown far too large. No matter how hard he pushed, the fence would not let him through.
“Help me, my friend!” cried the coyote, his paws digging at the earth. “I am stuck!”
The fox turned, eyes twinkling mischievously. “I warned you, greedy one. You ate too much. Wait until you are thin again!” And with a sly grin, the fox trotted away, his tail swishing behind him.
The coyote struggled all night, whining and groaning as his full belly pressed against the sharp wood. When dawn broke, the farmer came to inspect his field. His eyes widened in anger when he saw the intruder caught in his fence. “So, it’s you who’s been stealing my corn!” he shouted. He grabbed a stick and beat the poor coyote soundly before letting him crawl away, bruised and limping.
Days later, after his wounds had begun to heal, the coyote came across the fox lying under a shady tree, fast asleep. The afternoon sun warmed his fur, and his belly rose and fell gently with each breath. The coyote’s heart burned with anger and humiliation.
“Friend,” he said softly when the fox awoke, “shall we eat again? I have found another field, even richer than the last.”
The fox, forgetting his past cruelty and blinded by hunger, wagged his tail. “Lead the way, brother,” he said cheerfully.
The coyote led him down a narrow path that wound through the forest and ended at the farmer’s house. Pointing to the window, he called out loudly, “Here’s the thief! This is the one who stole your corn!”
The farmer came rushing out with his stick once more, and before the fox could flee, he received the beating the coyote had once endured. As he ran off into the forest, bruised and panting, he looked back and saw the coyote laughing from the safety of the trees.
From that day on, the fox and the coyote were no longer friends. The hills of Guatemala still echo with their quarrels, and though they sometimes cross paths beneath the stars, they never again share a meal.
Moral Lesson
Greed and betrayal destroy even the closest friendships. The tale reminds us that selfishness invites misfortune, and deceit brings its own punishment.
Knowledge Check
1. Who were the main characters in the folktale?
The story features a clever fox and a greedy coyote who begin as friends but end as enemies.
2. What caused the coyote to get stuck in the fence?
His greed led him to eat too much corn, making him too fat to escape through the hole.
3. How did the fox respond when the coyote asked for help?
The fox mocked him and refused to help, leaving him trapped.
4. What did the coyote do to take revenge?
He tricked the fox into visiting the farmer’s house and revealed him as the thief.
5. What is the main moral of the story?
The folktale teaches that greed and betrayal can destroy friendship and trust.
6. Where does the story originate?
It originates from the K’iche’ and Kaqchikel-Maya traditions of the Guatemalan Highlands.
Source: Adapted from the K’iche’ and Kaqchikel-Maya folktale “The Fox and the Coyote” in Mayan Folktales: Folklore from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, ed. James D. Sexton.
Cultural Origin: Guatemala (K’iche’ and Kaqchikel-Maya folklore)
