Green Grass, Running Water

“Coyote was there, but Coyote was asleep. That Coyote was asleep and that Coyote was dreaming. When that Coyote dreams, anything can happen.”

One of King’s primary goals in Green Grass, Running Water is to explore the ways that the line between reality and fantasy is not as clear and defined as most people like to believe—and that the distinction itself is imaginary and constructed. King uses Coyote to multiple subversive ends throughout the text, as he can transgress boundaries and connect the realist plotlines with the more magical ones. The idea that “anything can happen” runs parallel to the open-ended storytelling and worldview King endorses throughout the text.

“‘In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep—’

‘Wait a minute,’ said Robinson Crusoe.

‘Yes?’

‘That’s the wrong story,’ said Ishmael. ‘That story comes later.’

‘But it’s my turn,’ said the Lone Ranger.

‘But you have to get it right,’ said Hawkeye.

‘And,’ said Robinson Crusoe, ‘you can’t tell it all by yourself.’”

In general, King is skeptical of monologues and anything that purports to be a singular authority. The implication that the Christian creation story “comes later” undermines its authority as the singular explanation for the existence of life on Earth and relegates it to being a subplot of other creation stories. The escaped elders understand this; they will not allow Lone Ranger to tell the story by himself because to do so would make the story a monologue.

“‘Gha!’ said the Lone Ranger. ‘Higayv:ligé:i.’

‘That’s better,’ said Hawkeye. ‘Tsane:hlanv:hi.’

‘Listen,’ said Robinson Crusoe. ‘Hade:lohó:sgi.’

‘It is beginning,’ said Ishmael. ‘Dagvyá:dhv:dv:hní.’

‘It is begun well,’ said the Lone Ranger. ‘Tsada:hnó:nedí: niga:v duyughodv: o:sdv.’”

After fooling around with different starts to the story, the Lone Ranger, and subsequently, the other escaped elders, get serious and speak in Cherokee. The first words by the Lone Ranger are the ceremonial opening of storytelling in a Cherokee divining ceremony, signaling the proper start to the story.