Kaiutois Fools Wus by Jeremiah Curtin
"Kaiutois Fools Wus," collected by Jeremiah Curtin, is a brief Native American trickster tale featuring two animal characters, Kaiutois the Wolf and Wus the Fox, in which cunning and betrayal drive the entire action. The story opens with Kaiutois lying sick and alone in his house. He calls upon Wus to bring him food. Wus catches some mice and delivers them, but Kaiutois devours them in a single mouthful and declares himself still hungry. He instructs Wus to lure deer to the house by calling out that the fearsome Kaiutois, the great killer of animals, is dying and that a celebratory dance is being held. Wus does so, shouting to the mountains that Big-ribs is near death and inviting all to rejoice. The deer hear the call and eagerly come to dance. When the deer crowd into the house, Kaiutois lies hidden and wrapped up. Wus dances with a club, striking Kaiutois as part of the performance to make the deception convincing. The deer raise a great dust dancing, and when they finally leave, Wus is intimidated by the size of the large white-faced deer Kaiutois had specifically requested. He lets them pass and kills only a small fawn instead. Kaiutois is displeased, finding the fawn too lean and too small to satisfy him, and he scolds Wus for failing to bring the fat, white-faced deer he had wanted. The next morning Kaiutois directs Wus to try the same trick with mountain sheep, the wŭyĕs. Wus calls out to them, saying that Kaiutois, who has long hunted and killed them, is nearly dead, and invites them to come and dance in celebration. The mountain sheep arrive and dance in the house while Kaiutois lies hidden. Again when they depart, Wus is frightened by the larger animals and lets them go, killing only a small, young one at the back of the group. Kaiutois, still bedridden, is fed by Wus but complains again that the meat is too soft and too little, and that he cannot recover without richer, more substantial food. For a third attempt, Kaiutois gives Wus a heavier club and sends him to call the antelopes with the same pretense. This time Kaiutois is covered only lightly, allowing him to observe the animals clearly. Wus dances and leaps on Kaiutois while Kaiutois watches the gathered antelopes and selects the fattest among them. When the antelopes finish dancing and prepare to leave, Wus grabs the fat one Kaiutois has chosen. The animal nearly drags Wus away, but at that moment Kaiutois leaps up and kills it himself. He eats the meat and fat, giving Wus only the intestines, and begins to feel his strength returning. With some recovery achieved, Kaiutois devises a bolder scheme. He instructs Wus to summon every mountain creature for one final dance, announcing that Kaiutois is on his last day of life. When every animal gathers and dances, Wus is to cry out that Kaiutois is dead and that his body should be thrown outside. Kaiutois plans to spring up the moment he is cast out and run down as many animals as he can. The plan works perfectly. Every creature comes, overjoyed at the news of Kaiutois's death. When they throw him out the door, he rises and gives chase, killing a great many animals. Wus assists him as best he can in the slaughter. Afterward, with deer meat piled high in the house, Kaiutois reverts to his selfish nature. Despite having promised Wus a full share of the food in gratitude for all his help, he drives Wus away and tells him to go find his own mice to eat. Kaiutois remains alone in the house, eating through all the deer meat by himself. When it is gone, he transforms back into a wolf and departs into the mountains, never to have a home again. The tale functions as a moral fable about ingratitude, selfishness, and the ultimate cost of betraying loyalty, ending with Kaiutois stripped of companionship and domesticity as a consequence of his deceptive and treacherous character.
By Jeremiah Curtin · First published 1912 · Genre: Folklore, Fable, Trickster Tales · 1,248 words
First lines
CHARACTERS / Kaiutois Wolf / Wus Fox
Kaiutois was sick for a long time, and he was alone in his house. One day Wus went to see him and Kaiutois said: "I want you to find me something to eat; I am hungry."
What this Textopian page supports
Kaiutois Fools Wus is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jeremiah Curtin, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Jeremiah Curtin
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Folklore, Fable, Trickster Tales, Native American Literature, Myth
- Length: 1,248 words
- Structure: 1 section, 27 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Kaiutois Fools Wus by Jeremiah Curtin
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Folklore — The narrative follows the structure and conventions of traditional folklore, featuring animal characters with human characteristics engaging in trickster-like behavior and moral lessons about greed and betrayal.
- Fable — The story presents a clear moral lesson about the consequences of ingratitude and selfishness, with animal protagonists demonstrating character flaws and their repercussions, typical of fable conventions.
- Trickster Tales — Wus employs cunning and deception throughout the narrative to accomplish goals, using clever manipulation to deceive both Kaiutois and the animals, which is characteristic of trickster tale traditions.
- Native American Literature — The work is collected folklore from indigenous traditions, featuring animals as central characters with spiritual and mythological significance common to Native American storytelling conventions.
Tags
folklore · mythology · oral tradition · Native American culture · indigenous stories · traditional tales · legend · mythic narrative · cultural heritage · anthropology · ethnography · folk beliefs