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

25

The Young Men and

the Snapping Turtle

Alfred Morsette

nuu naapakúhtuʾ – tiNAhnaataruuwaʾó tákuʾ – NItkuu-
Long , long ago – what I am telling about someone – what I
NUxItkáʾU niiNIštaaʾiiwaawaatIhú niiniinaaʾít áxkUx niwót.
heard from him what they used to tell then they told the story one snapping turtle.
witiRIhuúʾU naáNIt niikooNUstaa- huRUxúʾ.
It was big really however big around it was.

nuu AhnuuxunuuwaaWIhú naawiinakuúnuʾ niikohnuhnaánuʾ
Then as they were going around (on) the warpath however many there were
wenaraanátA číkuʾ Ahnoowekaakinaahunáx.
when they went they just did not find anything.
noowiteeRAh- kaaʾišwáʾ.
Then they came home.
toxtaakaaʾiišwóʾ.
"Let's go home!
číkuʾ wekaakateeraahnaahunáx.
We have not found anything."

tiwehnaaraána witaRAhkatáʾ.
As they came they came up (a rise).
wituhnunané.
It was nice land.
noowitiíkUx.
There it sat.
wituunáwiʾ kanítš.
It resembled it a rock.
witiRIhuúʾU.
It was big.
witi- taWAxtaakaáʾA.
It was grayish white.

noowitiraaNIhtatataʾiíšAt wešohnitčiríkUx tinawaaríčI na tákuʾ
Then they went up to it their looking at it these, and someone
wiiteešútš kananaateeraaNAsaweekoóčI
a young man there always being someone in a group
kananakuuraahuuniiweeNIšikú kananakuuraawiteeruuwanú.
who is a nonbeliever who does not believe in things.

tiʾAhnaákUx a ciišaáʾA niwotkúsuʾ.
This one and here it was a big snapping turtle!
noowititaruúpIs na noowitešwíʾaxIt wešohnawih- kawátAt.
Then it moved around, and then it started off after it spread its arms out.
čiišaahwihtawá a čiišaahkaxtawá.
Here it had arms and here it had legs!
noowitíʾAt.
Then it went.

nooWIšitistatatáʾAt wiiteešútš niikohnuhnaánuʾ.
Then they followed it young men however many there were.
áxkUx wiiteešútš noowitIhuučitaʾuuneéRIt.
One young man then he stood on top of it.

noowitiwaákoʾ Axtóh tunaahé.
Then he said: "Truly it's good.
šištaahnaanuučitaʾiíšaʾ.
Come up on top of it!"

noowitiraanuučitaʾiíšAt tsu áxkUx noowitunaaninuʾá.
Then they went up on top of it, but one then he became afraid of it.
Axtóh – tiwaaRUxtíʾ – tinaátA niwót.
"Certainly – it is holy – this turtle.
číkuʾ wewititAxuhnaah- naNAhuunúxtA.
You are going to do something to yourselves."

a číkuʾ nooNAhkuraaʾiitUxíčI.
"A nd what words of that one!
kooxIhuučitaʾuuneeríkuʾ.
You must be standing on top.
tsu wetunaahé.
But it is good.
wetatakuraahnáNAt.
It is carrying us."

weeNAhuučitawaaríčI atsú AhnáʾAt.
While they stood on top of it, but it went.
a či nikiišaáʾA niwót.
And here that one was a turtle!

atsú wiiteešútš witikatAxhíšAt wehnaátA.
But the young man he went alongside it as it went.

wewitIhuunawíčeeʾIs wehnačitoókUt.
Now it was quite a distance when he got on top of it.
nuunaahnunaanawaáhAt na inoowitaahčiWAhaáhkUx.
There where the land spread out and there there was a lake in the far distance.
witičiWAhaaNI- huúʾU.
It was a big lake.
nikuwewitUtwiʾúʾ.
That is where it was headed.

teškúNIt wewitiihiʾá niiʾAhnačiWAhaáhkUx.
Closer it got to be now where the lake was.

noowitiwaákoʾ– tinaaríčI– AhnuxtatataátA wah sí
Then he said– this one– the one going alongside it: "Now, see,
niiNAtkuxwaákAhu wetUtwiʾúʾ niinačískUx.
what I was saying, it is now headed where the water is."

áxkUx wiiteešútš noowititakaáhAt na noowituutAx- tsatáte.
One young man then he got down and then his feet got stuck.
číkuʾ niiNAhkuutaáNA niiNAhkooxwiítIt noowituutAxtatáte.
Wherever he did it wherever he put his foot down then his foot got stuck.
noowitiraačiteeʾá uunawaaríčI wehnihWIskáʾA aataraaNAsakaáhAt.
Then it became difficult the others when they wanted 'that we get down.'
noowitiiNAhnaači- teeʾá.
Then it became difficult for them.
witiitAhnaanuuníkUt.
It had a hold on them.

noowitIhuukaataʾiíšAt – niiʾAhnačísA na –
Then it went to the bank – where the water was and –
noowitIhaʾuúkUt tinaátA niwót uunawaaríčI weNAhkuWIskáʾA
then it went in the water this turtle those others as he wanted
aatakUxtakaá- hAt.
'that I jump off.'
noowitiiNAhnaačiteeʾá.
Then it was difficult for them.
nuu noowitiitAhnaNAhuuʾiítIt uunaaríčI – wiiteešútš –
There then it took them under- water, the other on – young man –
kanaahnuuxuučitoókUt wehnačíkAt weNAhuukaataʾaáhNA
the one who had not got on top of it as he cried as he went along the bank
nuu híNAx.
then at night.

wewitAheešAhíštA áxkUx noowiteehawaátaʾ.
Now it was going to be morning one then he surfaced.

noowitiwaákoʾ siináNI – wah – šuxkaaʾiíšAt.
Then he said: "Brother, – now – go home!
kaakíʾ či- kú niiNItkuhnaakaáNA NItkuraahnaanawaáta.
We cannot do anything for us to surface.
tsu wetikuhnaah- naanaáhUt na nakuraačiteéʾU niiweNAnaNAhnaanoótA.
But it is holding us now, and its being difficult where we are now.
ti- raačitéʾ wah štoh číkuʾ nakuutapítaahAt.
It's difficult now again to turn back.
wetikuhraahnáNAt.
It has taken us.
tsu – weneešiniinaahé.
But – it is good for you.
tsu weNAxkoótA – naawiinakuúnuʾ taanikutAxihwísaʾ
And when you go – (on) the warpath, come to this spot
niitiweNAhnaNAhnaanákUx na niiNAxkuWI- skáʾA na tAxuhnaahnaaʾiitáWI.
where we are in the water, and whatever you want, you tell us.
wah šikoxtootuuNAsštáwa tiweNAxwaawanú.
Now we'll watch over your ways as you travel around.
wah tsu nikiišsuúxa.
Now but do this!
šuxkaaʾiíšAt.
Go home!
kaakíʾ číkuʾ NItkuhnaahnaanapitaáhAt.
We cannot turn back.
na šanuutAhnaaʾiitáWI nateenaakítAt niiwenuutAxítIt áriišIt tatuhnaahnaáNIt.
And tell them our village what happened ourselves we are the cause.
tákuʾ kaakuhnáʾA.
No one (else) is the cause."

nawáh – uunaaríčI – wiiteešútš nootutuuʾiítIt
Now – the other one – young man then he went underwater
AhniisuxwaaWIhtikú nehčítA AhneenunuunuúxA.
the one who was talking leader the one that they had as.

tinaaríčI wiiteešútš nooteekaaʾiíšaʾ.
This young man then he came home.
nootawísaʾ niikohnuuxitUhwaáhAt nataraakíčI.
Then he returned wherever the villages were ourselves.
noowitunaaʾít taanikuwetuutAxítIt.
Then he told it: "This is what happened.
wetiitaakAxtsatáte nuunakuu- huučitawaʾuuneéRIt NIstaakíniʾ.
Their feet got stuck to it when they stood on top of it there on its back.
na tiwenihWIskáʾA aataraaNAsakaáhAt niniitaakAxtsatatAhuutawé.
And when they wanted 'that we might get down' then their feet were stuck to it.
wah wetiraanákUx.
Now they live in water.
iiháʾ tiičiWAhaáhkUx.
There there is a lake.
tičiWAhaaNIhuúʾU naatuxtaakáNI niinatuxtawé natuxtaahtíRA.
It is a big lake my brothers where I was among them our being together.

wah taanikuneewáčiʾ číkuʾ niiNItkuWIskáʾA na taaniku- tAxinaanaahwísaʾ.
"Now they said this: 'Whatever I want, this is where you must come.
– na tAxtapáčiʾ.
– You (pl) must say it
– wah tiraačitéʾ.
– Now it is difficult.
kaakíʾ štoh NItkuhnaahnaanapítaahAt.
We cannot turn back.'
wah taanikutiwáčiʾ.
Now they said this.
wah tiweneetihwísaʾ skána.
Now I have come back here alone."

wah– wituxčiWAhaahwaaRUxtíʾ– natuxWIswaawanú.
Now– the lake was holy– where I used to go.
a číkuʾ  NAhkuraawihUxtaáhNA na witikúx
And if one had an offering, and he set it down
NIhkuwakaraanawaawanú niiwehnaraanákUx.
as he prayed to them where they were in the water.
wituuNUxtaahé na nikuwituú- ʾUt.
It was good and that is what happened.
na witiinapakunaasíhtš číkuʾ niinehkuWIskáʾA.
And they were answered whatever they wanted.

xuúhuniʾ nootaahtakuwaʾaáhuʾ niitiNAhunaanúʾa.
Closer then they were coming as a group here where this land is.
nookaakiRAhWIswaawanuuxítIt.
Then they began not to go there.
niiháʾ noowitiraa- hunáhAs niikohnuhnaánuʾ wiiteešútš
There then the tradition disappeared however many there were young men
Ahnuuxuuči- tawaaríčI.
the ones who had stood on top.