Book excerpt: A wonderfully gruesome group of not-so-benign creatures from native North American folklore. In these tales, readers learn of a witch who steals buffalo and the coyote who steals them back, a giant fish that kills anyone who ventures on a lake, a greedy giant who drinks all the water on earth and another giant who drinks blood. More importantly, we meet the brave people and animals who subdue these creatures through a combination of luck, skill, and old-fashioned courage.