The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

ONCE THERE WERE TWO COYOTES. ONE WAS FROM MONTANA
AND THE OTHER WAS FROM NORTH DAKOTA. ONE DAY THE
NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE GOT HIS PAW CAUGHT IN A
TRAP. THE MONTANA COYOTE HAPPENED TO BE WANDERING
BY, SO THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE ASKED THE
MONTANA COYOTE HOW TO GET OUT OF THE TRAP.
THE MONTANA COYOTE REPLIED, "YOU WILL HAVE TO
CHEW OFF YOUR PAW," AND THEN WENT ABOUT HIS
BUSINESS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE MONTANA COYOTE
HAPPENED TO BE PASSING BY THE SAME SPOT AND
SAW THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE STILL CAUGHT IN THE
TRAP. HE ASKED THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE WHY HE
HAD NOT ESCAPED. THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE
REPLIED, "I HAVE CHEWED OFF THREE OF MY PAWS
AND I STILL CANNOT GET OUT OF THIS TRAP!"

Submitter comment: IN MONTANA THE BRUNT OF MOST JOKES ARE PEOPLE
FROM NORTH DAKOTA. NORTH DAKOTANS ARE THE
"POLLACKS" OF THE NORTHWEST.

Where learned: MONTANA ; FROMBERG

James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMALS

Date learned: 01-00-1980

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