The Yei’ Bi Cheii Who Loved Pizza

By Cheryl Todicheeney

Editor’s note: Cheryl Todicheeney is a grandmother and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Teesto, Arizona. An avid reader and aspiring writer, she submitted this children’s story to encourage conversation about addiction and its many forms. Todicheeney is seeking an illustrator to develop the story into a book.

There once was a Yei’ Bi Cheii that lived on the reservation. He loved trying out new things unfamiliar to him. He was always curious and out exploring when he was not dancing at ceremonies.

He knew he was different from all the other Yei’ Bi Cheiis and for that he always got a good lecturing. He was always in a happy-go-lucky mood and always willing to help others. But the other Yei’ Bi Cheiis left him alone because he acted differently. He didn’t mind at all. He just wanted to explore on his own.

Every morning, he would get up bright and early and off he would go spreading his good cheer to all his relatives and neighbors. One day, at one of the Winter Ceremonies that he was participating in, he and the other Yei’ Bi Cheiis went out with their sacks to gather food from the surrounding community as part of their ceremonial ritual.

He stopped at a house and knocked on the door, and a little boy answered the door. Yei’ Bi Cheii opened up his sack to ask for an offering and the little boy said, “Mr. Yei’ Bi Cheii, I have nothing to offer you, but I can share my last slice of pizza with you!” Yei’ Bi Cheii did not know what a pizza was but took a slice of warm pizza that the little boy offered.

To read the full article, please see the Feb. 12, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.

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