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

57

The Dancing Ghost

Alfred Morsette

tinaraaʾiitúxkUx tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI nookanatuh- neesiíšuʾ
This story the one I am going to tell I just do not know
NAtkunaakItkoóku NIhkunaaʾiiwaátI niiNIštaa- ʾiiwaatihUxukú.
from whom I heard it when they told it the one they used to tell.
tuxtaaNIhuúʾU kuNAhúx.
There were many old men.
Axtóh kanuúxIt kuNAhúx.
Truly they were not old men.
wiítA siinó tuxčipiriíNIt natsuuxapeewaáRIt NIhkunaaʾiiwaawaátI.
Men yet they were young the ones I used to see when they told stories.

wah wečikú NAhkuraanátA nehkutakaraáhNA nehkuraaNAxwee-
Now when they went somewhere when they went hunting when they looked
koóčI nehkuraawiinátA – wah – niikohnuhnaánuʾ
for things when they went hunting, – now – however many there where
wehnaraanátA noowitiraanuukaaʾuúkUt tiNAhuukaahaanoótA niikohniíhiʾ.
when they went then they went to the river bottomland this river valley wherever it was.
nooWIšitinóʾ nakuuhUhtaahurúxU.
Then they made it a bull boat.
nooteeraanuúʾaʾ.
Then they came floating.
noowenaraanúʾaʾ.
Then they came floating.
– witiraanookaataʾiíšAt.
– They came to the bank.
– hiíš wewitiihíʾ.
– Evening it was now.

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx hee Axtóh tunaahé
Then he said one: "Hey, surely it would be good
číkuʾ aatakuhnaakeéNA aataraahnaanuukataátA na hináxtIt
if we should stay overnight after we have crossed the river, and in the morning
– neeteeraapóʾ – niinataraakítAt.
– we can be going – where our village is."

nawáh Axtóh tunaahé.
"Now surely it is (a) good (idea).
nikukoxtohnaáka wehnaaraanuuʾá.
We will do that," as they were floating.

noowitiraanookaataʾiíšAt.
Then they went close to the bank.
áxkUx nuuNAhiráxkUx nootee- huunukaáʾ niiʾAhnáʾU čiwíhtuʾ.
One that one in the front then he jumped where it was sand.
wehnaaxtaanúkUt noowitiičiWIhtárut.
When his feet went down there it was soft sand.
noowituutAxtatateenihUxítIt na noowitiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI hó hea,
Then his feet began to get stuck and then he said this one: "Ho, heya;
hó hea.
ho, heya.
xikuhooRUt- káwi.
I might get stuck in the mud."
noowitiihuunuukatáʾAt.
Then he quickly crossed it.

hawá uunaaríčI nikuwewitiitaNAhuunuúkuʾ.
Also another that is what happened to them now.
witaraanuukatáʾ čituúʾuʾ.– nooWIšitiínus nakuuhuúnuʾ.–
They came across all.– Then they set it down the boat.–
nootiRAhkatáʾAt niiʾAhnaʾaahkáWI.
Then they went up where the bank was.
noowituhnunané.
There it was nice ground.

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx– koxtakuhnaaké.
Then he said one:– "We will stay overnight."
– noowiti- naanuuwísAt.
– Then they readied things.
nooWIšitiinakAhweerakúx akanaanuútuʾ nišwačeehUxukú
Then they put the lodge up the hunting lodge what they used to call
akanaanuútuʾ niikohnuutakaánuʾ.
a hunting lodge whatever kind of lodge it was.
wewitiRAhká wehnihnaaʾiiwaawaátI.
Now they were inside when they told stories.
wewitinaakaanunoókuʾ tsástš wehnihwaaruusAtkú.
Now they were cooking a meal meat as it was cooking over the coals.

wah wewitiraačeéʾA Ahnoowiteehuúkaʾ wiítA.
Now it was a while then he just came inside a man.
uu číkuʾ wetehnaraačeéʾA AhnuutakoóčI.
Oh, it must have been a long time his wearing them.
číkuʾ wekuteh- naranuhkáʾIt wešohniitapeéRIt AhnuutakoóčI.
He must have had them a long time when they saw him how he was dressed.

noowitiwaákoʾ aa číkuʾ koxtoonaáka aniweši- naáxA a neetiišUhuhkaáʾ.
Then he said: "Ah, I will eat some of yours what you are eating and then I will dance awhile
– aa – tatinihnaaʾiitUxtéʾ NAxuxtaahnaanoóku.
– Ah – I like the song the one you (pl) were singing."

nooWIšitiinaNAxú wehnapaahuNAh- wíkUx.
Then they gave him a piece of meat while he had one knee on the ground.
uu šikanawitiitIsiíšuʾ.
Oh, they did not know him.

noowitiwaákoʾ – wah šuxtaahnaánoʾ.
Then he said: – "Now sing it!
– tatskáʾ aatooxUhuh- kaáhu na neetíʾAt.
– I want that I dance awhile and then I will go."

noowitinaakawaakaroókuʾ tinaraaʾiitUxtoósI.
Then they were singing different songs these songs.

noowitiwaákoʾ – kaakíʾ.
Then he said: – "No.
– tiraaʾiitUxičíWI.
– It is a different song.
kaaki- raaʾiítUx tinatinihnaaʾiitUxteéʾU.
It is not the song this song I like."

wah áxkUx iikuwitiíkUx wiiteešútš AhnoonipIhiitúku.
Now one there was there a young man just a quiet one.
noowitiwaákoʾ aráh tinaraaʾiitúxkUx nikunaahkuhnaana- ʾíhkuʾ
Then he said: "Say, this song maybe it is the one he means
natooxtaaNAhkataáhu na neeteeraapáčiʾ hó hea hó hea.
when we climbed up the bank, and we will sing it: 'Ho heya, ho heya.'"

noowitiwaákoʾ AhnuuxItkataaríčI neeksaánuʾ niku- tiraaʾiítUx
Then he said as he stood by the fire the ghost: "That is the song
natskáʾA aatakaáhu.
my wanting that I dance (to).
wah šuxtaahnaánoʾ.
Now sing!"

tinaraanoótA – witohniiNIškatAhunaaNIšú – wehni-
These – while they were clapping their hands – while
naanoóku – hó – hea – hó – hea hó – hea –
they were singing, – "ho – heya – ho – heya, ho – heya," –
čiríkU tinaaríčI neksaánuʾ wehneehAxwánu wehnaakaáhu
oh my, this ghost while he was dancing while he was dancing
witikIskAxaáhuʾ hó hea hó hea hó hea.
he was whooping, "Ho heya, ho heya, ho heya."

aa čee wetAxkoosšteéRAt.
"Ah, say, I am thankful to you now.
aa Ahnootatinih- naaʾiitUxtéʾ.
Ah, I just like the song.
wah wetaátAt.
Now I will go."
teeWIsítIt.
He went out.

tákuʾ niinooNAxkuúʾU NAxkuwaawanú haáwaʾ.
"Whoever are you, you going all around also?"
niku- wewitihwačiʾaáhuʾ.
That is what they were now saying.

noowitohniiwawáʾas.
Then they went to bed.

noowitAheéšaʾ.
Then morning came.
wah toxtaapóʾ niinataraakítAt.
"Now let's go where our village is!"
noowitiRAsawiraáʾAt – niiʾAhnaákUx – nakuuhuúnuʾ nakuuhUhtaahurúxU.
Then they went down the bank – where it was sitting – the boat, the bull boat.

niiʾAhnoxtaána inoowitiičištós.
Where they came there there was a pile of bones.
noowi- tipAxčíškUx.
The skull was there.
kuwitaahnooRUtkáwi niikoh- nuútA wiiteešútš niiwehnuxtaanooRUtkawiiNIhú.
He was stuck in the mud over there whoever he was the young man where they were getting stuck in the mud.

aa wačéh teeNAhunáhAs.
"Ah, poor thing, he must have died.
tehnariWAh- teekót.
He must have starved to death.
teeNAhooRUtkáwi nii waáwi natakuh- naaNAhuunuúʾA.
He must have got stuck in the mud just like what might have happened to us."

nooWIšitihpAxkúxIt.
Then they picked his skull up.
atíštIt nooWIšitihkúx.
Well then they set it.
WIšitihnaaWIšUhaaruúsAt.
They offered him smoke.
weWIšitihkUxeeríkuʾ wešohninii- naaheeríkA.
Now they seated him well after they fixed up a place for him.

noowiteeraánaʾ.
Then they came.
číkuʾ kanawitiraačitéʾ wešohninaapaa- wanikú NAhnunáhtš
Nothing was difficult while they were shooting them deer,
AxkaáʾA wehnaaraána.
antelopes when they came.
witih- kaaníšta.
They had plenty (of meat).
aa noowitaRAhwísaʾ tiihéʾ niikohnuu- xítAt wiitatshaánuʾ.
Ah, then they arrived here wherever the camp was Hidatsa.

tiraaʾiítUx – naaʾiitUxwiitatshaánuʾ – tiwenatunaaʾiítI.
It is a story – a Hidatsa story – this I have told.
wah nikuwituutAxítIt wiitatshaánuʾ nawačeéhu hó heya.
Now that is what happened the Hidatsas their saying it: "Ho heya."
tiráʾ narootšinaawaníkU witiNIhkoowireéhAs NAhkoowaníkA
It is the way to hurry up when they ready themselves to throw it away
witiNAhkoosšxeeroóku nakuútA.
to prepare oneself to be.
číkuʾ nikuteh- nihnaanaʾíhkuʾ.
That is what they must mean.

nawáh wetatunaaʾít naaʾiitúxuʾ tiwenatuxtaanoóku hó heya.
Now, I have told of it the song this one I have sung "Ho heya."
wah taanikutuutAxítIt.
Now this is what happened.