XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
58
The Mysterious Snake
Seen by Short Bear
Alfred Morsette
wah | koxtunaaʾít | atípaʾ | nuuNUxtaaʾiiwaawaatihUxukú |
Now | I will tell it | my grand- father | (one of) the things he used to tell |
wiiteešútš | AhništaaWIhkAhunuuwaaWIhú. |
young men | when they were going around hunting. |
WIšituxtiraáhuʾ | wiiteešútš. |
They (du) were always together | a young man. |
kutuuxAxaáʾA | kuuNUxíšuʾ. |
He was named | Bear Paw. |
nooWIšitiraaʾíhWA | nuunatskatAhkáʾU |
Then they (du) went hunting | the other side of the river |
niiʾAhnuuxitUhnoowiisákUx | – | ačitaánuʾ– | táWIt | niinaataraʾoohú. |
where the village was on the edge of the bank | – | tribes– | three | the ones they talk about. |
nooWIšitIhuukatáWA | ani- | náʾU | šohnaraaWIhkaʾaáhNA. |
So they (du) crossed the river | that | one | as they went hunting. |
tehnuxtaaNIhuúʾU | AxkaáʾA | aniNAhunaanoótA | haáwaʾ | čítUx sAhaánuʾ. |
There must have been many | antelope | that land | also | Beaver Creek. |
nuu | wešohnakoohaahkawaawanú | niiwešoh- | naawaʾá | witIsakUhteerípiRIt. |
There | as they (du) went about on the prairie | where they | (du) were coming | it was afternoon. |
noowitiwaákoʾ | tinaákUx | aráh | – | taasišwiiruútIt. |
Then he said | this one: | "Say, | – | let's stay here! |
anuunahUshaanoótA | – | NAhnunáhtš | taRAhčesWAtwaahUxuúkuʾ | hiíš. |
That coulee over there | – | deer | they usually come out of the woods | in the evening. |
číkuʾ naahtsehkukoótIt. |
Perhaps we might kill one." |
nooWIšitičitawiiruútIt. |
Then they (du) sat down on top. |
noowitatsUhiínaʾ. |
Then a rain came. |
uu | wititsUhiiNIhuúʾU | wehnaatsUhiína. |
Oh, | it was a big rain | when it rained! |
na | noowitiwaákoʾ | wešiNItčitákUx | niišinatUtčiriNAh- | wiʾuúʾA |
And | then he said: | "As we sat on top | where our eyes were | pointed |
čikohnáʾU | tikoohaahkákUx. |
something | it sat on the prairie. |
nootuhkoohaáne. |
It was a nice (ie flat) prairie. |
nootitsapísuʾ | tuukuNIsaakaríčI | na | wenatsUhiihtoókUt | neešiineetikUxtawiraáWA. |
It was shining | (with) the sun facing the other way | and | as the rain came down | we ran down (the hill). |
WAxtaaká | tihUshaanúʾAt. |
Birch | there was a coulee. |
weši- | tItkawaáRIt. |
We were | standing in the trees. |
uu | titsUhiiNIhuúʾU | nawaawaapIsú | hawá | waaRUxtí | naWAhnaahú. |
Oh, | it was a heavy rain, | its lighting, | also | its thund | ering. |
naáNIt | Ahnootihnunaanaʾiwaníkuʾ. |
Really | the ground was just shaking. |
číkuʾ | teškúNIt | tehnoóxaʾ. |
Something | close by | it must have come. |
wah | tiweneehaanaáNA | wenatsUhiiNUhuuNUhtaátA | číkuʾ teeNAhneewaáta. |
"Now | after it cleared up | after the rain had passed over | I must have looked off. |
anuú | neskoóhAt | niinatsUhiihteéhAt | nakatistatátA |
There | (in) the sky | where the border of the storm was | its being dark |
niiwenatsUhiinátA | čikohnáʾU | nootuu- | tUhuunaawaanúʾ. |
where the rain was going, | something | then it | was swinging around. |
thaáwiʾ | haáxtš. |
It looked like | a string. |
haáxtš | tuutUhuunukaáʾiwoʾ. |
The string | it was swinging. |
neeniihuununáhAs. |
It quickly disappeared. |
wešitatuutAxwaáRIt. |
"Now we stood there. |
nookaneeniíkUx | iiháʾ | čikohnáʾU | nuxkoohaahkákUx. |
Then it was not | there | anything | its having been on the prairie. |
neešiineetiihuuwiraáWA | na | inootIhunaahnátA. |
We ran over | and | there there was a hole. |
číkuʾ šikaakAhnaawičirikaáʾAt | číkuʾ nii- | nakuútA. |
We did not notice anything | whatever | it was. |
tsu | neešiineetIhuukatáWA | niinuuxitúhkUx. |
But | we crossed the water | where the village was. |
nikuneeniiwaawáciʾ | aráh | taatsuuxeéRIt | nút. |
"They were saying that: | 'Say, | I saw it | a snake. |
tehnuxkawataakUxuúkuʾ | na | nootaahwiítIt. |
It used to come out | and | it sat down over there. |
níkUs | nakUxunuuwaáWI | kásuʾ | číkuʾ nakiihuuNIhtatataweétA | nookanawiteewiʾooxítIt. |
Birds | as they flew around, | a meadowlark | when it flew by | then it had not started to tire. |
noowitunaačiteeʾá | naakiihuuwaáta | na | noowitihkanéʾIs. |
Then it was difficult for it | for it to fly up | and | then it ate it up. |
wah | nikutehnóʾ. |
Now | it must have been that one. |
tehniinawikúxIt | waarúxtiʾ. |
It must have snatched it up | Thunder.'" |
nikutištaataraʾoóhuʾ. |
That is what they used to talk of. |
tehnuxtaawaaRUxtíʾ | aniNAhunaanoótA.– | atsú | wetiraahunuuwaáhAs. |
It must have been holy | that ground.– | But | the ways have disappeared. |
– | aniiháʾ | nikunuuxunuuwaawíhuʾ | naáNIt | čitUx sAhaánuʾ | wenux- | taanawaawáNA. |
– | here | that is where they used to be | really | Beaver Creek | where | they (the people) used to live scattered around. |
wah | taanikutikunuuNUxtaaʾít | atípaʾ. |
Now | this is what he told me | my grandfather. |