Coyote started singing The Big Lie very loud and strong, after he lost the big Choosing. He told all his followers to come to him, on the same day the Choosing was going to become official. And his most devoted followers came from far and wide.
Now before they came, his followers announced their plans to be violent, attack the Power Dome, the place of the decision makers, and maybe even take some as prisoners. But Coyote loved this kind of mischief. He even told his soldiers not to do anything to stop it, no matter what happened.
On the big day, he his followers assembled. Even though the plague was everywhere they didn’t wear face protection talismans, and Coyote didn’t say anything about it. Instead, like always, he rambled on and on, lying and lying more. He claimed that he had won by a landslide, that they had been robbed, and that they should not take it anymore! Even though many rodents had been involved in counting, and he knew it was honest, the truth didn’t stop Coyote from his spreading his crazy lies. In fact, it made him sing the song louder.
He kept urging them to fight and show strength. He got them all whipped up and excited. They roared in their rodent voices, which were pretty quiet individually, but there were a lot of them together. He chose his words very carefully, so he could deny any blame later on. Then he said “we” will all go to the Power Dome.
So off the followers went, angry, excited, their little chests puffed up, with Coyote proudly at the lead. But Coyote was clever, and little by little he fell back and crawled away. While his followers marched to the Power Dome, he slipped back to his White Den to watch the chaos he had set in motion from a safe distance. His followers were so used to his lying, they didn’t even notice he was gone, or care.
When Coyote’s followers got to the Power Dome they started smashing up everything. They had sharpened their claws and teeth. Some of the larger creatures were swinging porcupines by the tail. They were hunting for the decision makers, with the intent of imprisoning, harming or even killing some. Luckily the decision makers got out of there fast and hid. Even the rodent decision makers ran for their lives, with their little tails between their legs. Run, run, run. Pant, pant, pant!
What fun the followers had! The Big Dome is a sacred place, but they could run freely, smashing and terrorizing. How powerful they felt, especially knowing they were following Coyote’s wishes.
The Power Dome soldiers tried to stop it, but they were overrun quickly, and many were hurt. One even died, along with some Coyote followers. The Power Dome soldiers called on Coyote’s soldiers to help, but they of course didn’t, because he had told them not to.
Everyone expected Coyote to do something to stop it, but he didn’t. He picked his teeth, looked in the mirror, and roared with laughter as he watched the mayhem. This was his best prank ever. It was pure chaos. It was pure … Coyote.
He did nothing to stop it for two hours. And then he sent a bird message song that made things even worse, telling his followers to attack his assistant Badger Mike (but that prank is a whole story by itself!)
Finally, after three hours he sent another bird message song that said:
Time to go home.
We love you.
You’re very special.
So his followers left, reveling in the damage they had wrought, and Coyote’s praise as his most dedicated followers.
But here’s where Coyote played a really mean, mean trick on his closest followers. For months and even years before, Coyote had used his position as Leader to pardon lots of his criminal friends. So the followers naturally assumed they were safe and Coyote would pardon them too. But he’s Coyote, the trickster, and guess what? He didn’t pardon them! And now they are being happily hunted down and imprisoned. I guess the joke was really on them, wasn’t it? That crazy Coyote!