One day Coyote was going out hunting, so he picked up his bow and quiver. In his quiver he put five arrows; then he started out. The day was hot, and, because Coyote was always lazy, when he came to a nice, large shade tree, he thought he would lie down awhile. He threw down his bow and quiver and stretched out under the tree. Coyote was lying there looking up through the branches, and what do you think he saw? A great big fox!
"Oh!" said Coyote, "but I am lucky I did not have to go hunting. I just came out here and lay under a tree, and there is my supper right over my head. Indeed I am lucky. Besides a good supper there is a fine fox skin up there for me."
"Oh, well, I guess I am just about the luckiest one in our tribe besides being the best marksman, too. When I aim my arrows, I never miss. Just to prove it, I am going to take my five arrows and I will put the best arrow right here in the ground beside me, then I'll shoot one to the north, one to the south, one to the east, and one to the west"
So he did. He shot all his arrows away but one. He picked up the arrow he had put in the ground and said, "Now this is the arrow I am going to kill the fox with. But really, I am so good at shooting I don't even have to shoot with my hands. I am going to shoot this arrow with my toes."
All this time the poor fox was sitting up in the tree listening to Coyote tell how good he was at shooting, and he was nearly frightened to death. In fact, he was trembling so much he nearly fell out of the tree.
Coyote picked up his arrow, placed it between his toes, aimed it very carefully through the branches, and let it fly. But something happened and the arrow did not hit the fox. So, when the fox discovered he had not been shot, he jumped out of the tree and gleefully ran away. When he had reached a safe distance he called back, "Next time, Coyote, don't be so sure of yourself and don't be so boastful!"