XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

14

The Foolish Ones Who Killed

the Beloved Snake Child

Alfred Morsette

wah wetatunaaʾiitíštA anuú naapakúhtuʾ niiʾaNU- suuxiruutikú.
Now I am going to tell a story long, long ago things that used to happen.
Axtóh kanatuhneesiíšuʾ niiNAtkuutAtkoo- kUxuúʾA tákuʾ wenakunaaʾiitIhú.
Truly I don't know what I used to hear when someone was telling it.
wah atípaʾ nikuxtAxAhátkA nikutatuuxátkoʾ
Now my grandfather the one who raised me that is what I heard
wenunaaʾiítI tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI.
when he told it this that I am going to tell.

anuú naapakúhtuʾ – anuú – wehnaahtakuwaʾá
Long, long ago – there – when they were migrating this way
niikohniíhiʾ kaakatutunaaNIsiíšuʾ tsu wetatunaaʾiitíhuʾ.
wherever it was I do not know the land but I am telling it.

wah weNAhkuRAhpaanišwaawáNA nuu
Now when they traveled all around on a tribal hunt there
niikohnuuxunuuwaawíhuʾ tanáhaʾ weNAhkuRAhkatoorúhkUt
wherever it was that they were traveling buffalo after they had retreated
siíno witsuusaahnuuxuúkuʾ anuú naapakúhtuʾ NAhkuRAhpaaniišátA.
yet they used to do it long, long ago when they went on a communal hunt.
wah nikuwituúʾUt.
Now that is how it was:
weNAhkoohtakUhunuuwaáWI witiinaakIsšawísAt.
after they had gone around camping it satisfied them.
wah toxtaNAhkaaʾiíšAt iinataraakítAt.
"Now let's go home where our village is!"
tsu witiraaNIsAh- káwa weNAhkunaaniiwaáWIs NAhkuraanawáNA skána.
But they were in the village their being left behind ones who remained alone.

noowiteeraánaʾ.
Then they came (back).
nootaahtakuwaʾaáhuʾ.
Then they were coming as group.
wewitiraaNIsihtookúxtA niihneétAt na
Now they were going to reach the outskirts where the village was and
noowitiihatUhkákUx nút AhnuhnatuníkUx.
there it sat in the middle of the trail a snake its guarding the trail.
nikutatuuxAtkookUxuúkuʾ.
That is what I used to hear.

wah WIšititsiininóʾ nút.
Now we are afraid of them snakes.
noowitiRAsaaWAtwaahaá- kuʾ wešohnistaakaRAháku
Then they were bypass- ing it as they were going around it
šikanaasihkUxtawiíšA niiʾAhnaákUx wehnaahtakuwó.
'that we not disturb it' where it sat (coiled) when they were going as a group.
nuu witehtakuʾisAhkaʾíšwoʾ.
There they were going into the village as a group.

wah – niišohniisuxtehkUxúku – sakhuúnuʾ wiiteešútš pítkUx
Now – the ones they used to cal – foolish ones young men two
šitanuunoočiiwaáWI niišiNAhkuutaawaanú.
they (du) did things differently what they (du) did.
weNAhkuwačíʾA šuxwaraahaána na nookanawitiiwaraahaána.
When they said: "Get angry!" and there he did not get angry.
atsú – weNAhkuwačíʾA kaneešuxwaraahaána – anikunoowitiwaraa- haána.
But – when they said: "Don't get angry!" – then he would get angry.
nikunoowitiraaʾIhwanuuxítIt weNAhkuhnaawiinapitaáhAt
Then he would start to go around aggressively when he would turn around angrily
paatúh – Ahnatakuxtaačeewaahú – anuú naapakúhtuʾ AhnuxtAxUhuhwaawaahnú.
the enemy – when he used to count coups on us long, long ago when there were battles all over.
nooWIšituhwirinoósiʾ ápIs.
They (du) were fierce both.

noowešinawaʾá – a – noowitiihatUhkákUx anináʾU nút.
When they (du came there, – and – there there was on the trail that snake.
číkuʾ niinoošinehkuuninó.
"I don't see why they fear it.
číkuʾ niikananakoowásU.
There's nothing to it (ie to fear)."
nooWIšiti- koótIt nút.
Then they (du) killed it the snake.
a čiišaáʾA piiraasštawíʾuʾ nút tiwešohnakootíkA.
And here it was the favored child snake the one they (du) killed.

nooWIšitiisAhkaʾíšWA.
Then they (du) went into the village.

wah NAhkUhunuuwaáWI aNAhunuuwaáWI wiiteešútš –
Now when they were going around as they went around the young men –
xaawaarúxtiʾ – NIhkuhnaasštawaáWI anuú nawaanaanawaáhAt noowitiraatsawaapísuʾ.
the horses – their watching them, there on the hills all around everything was shining.
wenehkuusaah- taʾá noowitiwaatsapísuʾ anuú nawaanaanawaáhAt.
When the sun rose the hill shone there the surrounding hills.

wah číkuʾ niinooNAhkuútA.
"Now whatever might it be?"

na nooWIšitiwaákoʾ aNIšináʾU wah niiNAxuh- naahnaanuúʾA –
And then they (du) said the ones (du): "Now, all of you (pl) –
tiNAxtaakitúhkUx – wah šuxtaakičinaanuúna.
you in this village – now hurry!
šuxtaahnaáhWI čiitíʾIš nakuNAhwiraanuúʾA.
Make a palisade four to be in sequence!
naáNIt šux- taahnaaNAhuuwísAt.
Really get things prepared!
tiiháʾ šiNAxuutaakeériku tiNAhunaaNAsa- waapIsú tíʾIt nút.
Here what you see these shining on the ground they are snakes.
taatAsíš číkuʾ tehnaraákUx.
I think something must be happening."
tsu nikuWIšituhnáʾA atsú šikaakiraaʾiitawíhuʾ.
But they (du) were the ones who were the cause, but they (du) were not telling.
wah tíʾIt nút aniNAhunaaNAsawaapIsú.
"Now they are snakes the ones shining on the ground.
wetohnaánaʾ.
They are coming to attack."

aa noowitiroosaNAxá tiiʾAhneetúhkUx wehniiNAh-
Ah, then they became frenzied this village when they
WIhú wehninaakAxškaráʾU číkuʾ naakukatee-
put up the palisade when they tightened them so that nothing
rítša nút.
might crawl through snake.
aa witinaaNAhuuwísAt.
Ah, they prepared things.

wah witiišuxtaakawireéhAs.
"Now ready yourselves!
číkuʾ nátš nakoowireéhAs nakupAxteépI aniwenaRAhnuukahIštáNI.
Some sticks get ready to hit it on the head the ones that are going to come through.
kaakinaawiʾiiraahníštA.
They are not going to be careful."

atsú – tišinaákUx – weWIšituhwirinoosiʾá čeésuʾ weši-
But – these (du) – now they (du) were fierce too when
naahnahUhtawátAt ookaahaáhniniʾ wešinaa-
they were killing them outside (the palisade), while they (du)
paníku tinaátš niišíniʾ.
were shooting them bows, with arrows.

wah tuuhéʾ nikuwewituhnaaʾúʾ.
Now over there it was the same.
wah wewitiraaNIhuúʾU nút naaninoosíʾuʾ.
Now there were many snakes a multitude.
noowiteeraaNIsaWAtwaʾaáhuʾ niiʾAh- naraanukaruúWIš.
Then they were coming over it where the poles were crossed.
tákuʾ nehkukoósA noowitih- koótIt nút.
When someone was bitten then he was killed by it a snake.

na AhnuuxakaawaáWI akanaanataáʾuʾ AhnuxtAhkaáWI
And the lodges that were there earth lodges where they were inside
noowiteeRAhnuupaahUxítIt nehkiisawaáta suuxaakarataWIhíniʾ
then they began to come inside when they came over through the smoke hole
na nehkuukateerítša niinehkUhuuwaátU.
and when they came crawling through wherever an opening was.
wekanawitiinaNAhuuNIšáwihAt.
Now many were killed.

atsú – tišinaákUx – šinakataʾiiwaahakú
But – these (du) – while they were going back and forth
wešikaakinaNAhuuNIšawíhAt – šinakawootikú – ši-
they (du) did it to many of them – their (du) killing them – when
nihkakoósu nút wešiNIhkukaxkakoósU.
they were biting them snakes when they were biting their legs.

tsu WIšitíWA.
But they (du) went.
nooWIšitIhuúpAt niinaakaáWI NAhkaWIhíniʾ niiʾAhnawaaRUxtIhkaaroswaáWI.
Then they (du) went inside where the lodge was the Medicine Lodge where the sacred things were inside.
nooWIšitiikaxtawá niišinuútA na
There their (du) legs were as they (du) were and
nooWIšituunaNAhuuninoosiwá Ištóh.
then they killed a huge number of them again.

noowitiraahunáhAs wačéh čituúʾuʾ wačéh wehnaRAhčiiwaákAt.
Then they were dead, poor things, everyone, poor things, as they each cried.
witiwakuunoóxIt weNAhkukoótI nút wenatakuraakuNAhátkA.
The sound ceased after one died snakes when they did away with us.

wah tišinaákUx nooWIšititáWA.
Now these (du) so they (du) went up.
witIhaakaraahná.
It was a scaffold.
nooWIšituNIstaakIstAhaaniwiítIt.
Then they (du) sat down back to back.
áxkUx uukuwitUt- wiʾúʾ na uunaákUx wenehkupAxuučitaʾá na witipAxtáʾIt.
One he faced the other way and the other when a head rose and he hit its head.
witiroohUhtakaáhAt.
It fell down.
– hawá uunaákUx.
– Also another.
– noowešikaakunaNAhuuNI- šáwihAt wešinakawootíkA.
– Then they killed a multitude of them their killing them.
noowewitiʾiiní- wiikUx nút.
Then the dead bodies were piled up snakes.

wah– witiraaninuʾá – nút.
Now– they became frightened – the snakes.
wah číkuʾ kaakíʾ  siNIskutAhuNAhuunuúʾA niišinawaaríčI wiináxtš.
"Now we cannot do anything with them (du) where they (du) stand boys.
šitiwaaRUxtiiNIhuúʾU.
They (du) are greatly holy.
– číkuʾ wešikaaksinaʾá.
– We have not hurt them at all
– wah naahuunéʾ to xtaaNAhkatáhAt.
– Now far off surely let's withdraw!"

wah niikohnuuNUxtaaʾiíWIs noowitiRAhkatáhAt.
Now whatever of them were remaining then they withdrew.
tiraanirítšwoʾ štoh.
They were crawling again (ie away).

wah tišinaákUx – wešiNAhkuraanáʾU – šinanuunaaʾiitUxwaaRUx- tiíʾU
Now these (du) – when they sang – their (du) holy song
weNAhkuRAhnuukátA NAhkaWIhíniʾ tsástš weNAhkuRA-
when they went in the Medicine Lodge flesh when it
sakaawaáhAt– na – inooWIšitiikaxtawá Ištóh niišinuútAhu.
came off,– and – there the legs were again as they (du) were.

nawáh wačéh – tiweNAhkuʾiinoswaáWI – niiweh-
Now, the poor things – where the dead bodies la – the ones
niiNAhnuuwaʾaáNA nehkukoósA nút nooWIšiteéʾaʾ.
who had been hurt when they had been bitten by them the snakes then they (du) came.
wah šuuxiriwátAt.
"Now get up!
wetiraáNAt.
They have gone now.
wetiRAhkatáhAt nút.
They have withdrawn the snakes."

witiraaniruuWAtwaáhAt.
They all got up.
tsu WIšitiwaaRUxtíʾ tišina- waaríčI wiináxtš.
For they (du) were holy these (du) boys.
štoh WIšitiitUhtšičiínoʾ.
Again they (du) made the village alive.
hawá noowitihnunaahnatawaáWI wehniRAhkaawaawíhA nút.
Also then they dug holes as they buried them snakes.

wah witiišuxtaakawiireéhAs.
"Now ready yourselves!
čikiitoxtaapóʾ hunaanoo- piínuʾ.
Let's go a different location!"

na nikunoowitsá.
And then that is what they did:
wewiwitiniinawireewaáhAs.
they readied themselves.
noowitehtakukáwatAt.
Then they left as a group.
wah xuúhuniʾ nikutehnuNAhwiʾuuxítIt skaweéraaʾuʾ
Now this way they started to turn in this direction west
niitinataraakunuuwaáWI tiihéʾ.
here where we live here.

wah – taanikutatuuxAtkookUxuúkuʾ – natuuxAtkáʾU niiNIštaaʾiítI.
Now – this is what I used to hear – when I would hear it what they told.
wah taanikuwituutAxítIt.
Now this is what happened.