Many Trails

A Boy Heard the Voice of the Whippoorwill One Night

And Went Out to Find Where He Was Singing. He Had To

Walk Quite a Ways Through a Big Field, Because The

Song of the Whippoorwill Carried So Well in the Wind He

Sound Much Closer Then He Really Was. and On the Way

The Boy Found a Well Worn Trail, So He Stayed On It For A

While. and Sitting in the Middle of the Trail Was Coyote,

And Coyote Was Singing Too. He Turned and Saw The

Boy and He Said "Why Are You Follow Me?" the Boy

Was Frightened and Said "Well the Trail You Made

Happened to Be a Short and Easy Way Through This

Field. Then Coyote Asked "Well If Your Not Following

Me Then Why Are You Here?" "Well I Heard the Beautiful

Song of the Whippoorwill and Wanted to Watch Him

Sing." "Well Do You Not Think My Songs Are Beautiful?",

Said Coyote. "Oh", Said the Boy, "There Good But I Hear

You All the Time. I Much Prefer the Songs of The

Whippoorwill" This Made Coyote Furious and He Was

Jealous of the Whippoorwill's Song. He Said "Listen To

My Night Song You Might Like This One" and He Pulled

Back His Head and Yodeled Out a Tune. the Boy

Covered His Ears and Politely Said, "Thank You For The

Song, But I Must Be Going Now." "Well", Coyote Said, "I

Can Show You a Short Cut to the Whippoorwill Boy, And

Where He Sings Is Just Over There." Pointing His Claw,

Smiling Out of the Side of His Mouth. the Boy Paused,

Looked Around, He Knew the Night Was Passing Fast So

He Agreed to Follow Coyote. But Coyote's Trail Was

Rough and Rocky. and the Boy Fell in Quite a Few

Gopher Holes Along the Way. Coyote Turned Around

And Laughed and He Yelled to the Boy. "Were Almost

There, Hurry Up." Coyote Was At a Full Trot But the Boy

Had Just Fallen Again and Hurt His Knee. and By the Time

He Got to the Place Where the Whippoorwill Had Been

Singing All Night, It Was Morning. Whippoorwill Was

Gone. and So Was Coyote, in Fact He Could Hear

Coyote's Songs in Another Field. So the Boy Turned And

Headed For Home, Covered With Burrs, Misq Bites and A

Skinned Up Knee. and It Was Many Summers Later

When the Boy Became a Wiser Man. and He Realized,

There Are no Shortcuts to Find Something You Really

Love. But There Are Many Trails in This Life. So You Must

Stay True to Your Path, and Always Keep and Eye Out

For Coyote.