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

61

Coyote and Beaver

Alfred Morsette

sčiríhtš weNAhkuwaawanú noowitIhuukaatawiíʾAt
Coyote when he was wandering around then he went along the river bank
číkuʾ naahtehkUhunáx číkuʾ NAhnunáhtš.
'that I might find one' perhaps a deer.
wehneehuuwiraátA sčiríhtš na noowiteéka.
As he ran along Coyote, and there was a dwelling.
noowiteekAhnuukaátA.
The lodge was on the bank.

wewituutakAhčiríkUx.
Now he was looking at the lodge.
anuuháʾ kaahaaníniʾ noowitiwaákoʾ kooxeehuukaáhuʾ.
There inside then he said: "You must come in.
tičé nuúʾUt Ahnooʾaatiʾoo- kaaʾuunaweerikú.
Why is it that you are just standing around outside?"

noowitiwaákoʾ uunaaríčI sčiríhtš hee tákuʾ nii- nooweNAxkuúʾU weNAxkukutkAxahú.
Then he said that other one Coyote: "Hey, I wonder who you are, you who are calling me?
aa číkuʾ NAhuwaáʾAt.
Ah, where is the door?"

anuuháʾ kaahaahníniʾ noowitiwaákoʾ Axtóh tuunaahu- waáʾAt niiʾaninaaxaríčI.
There inside then he said: "Surely the door is there there where you are standing."

na noowititawiraáʾAt sčiríhtš.
And then he went down Coyote.
a noowiteehunaah- nátA.
And there there was a hole.
noowitIhuúkAt.
Then he went inside.

noowitiíkUx wiítA.
There he sat a man.
witiriškaroókuʾ AhnuuNAsaka- ráʾU.
He was making arrows his scraping them.
čitapátš witikakátkuʾ Ahnuhniwaarikú.
Willows he was cutting them as he was fixing them.
wewitUtčiríkUx sčiríhtš iiʾAhnaákUx wiítA.
He looked at him Coyote where he sat the man.

aa či taanikunáxkUx.
"Ah, here this is where you live!"

heeʾ.
"Yes."

noowewituhnaaweerikú sčiríhtš.
Now he was looking at everything Coyote.
uu číkuʾ  kanawitiíkUx číkuʾ niiNAhkúʾA.
Oh, there was not a thing for him to eat anything.
uu kuwitaanoo- katarós haakIskuúxuʾ.
Oh, there was a pile along the wall over yonder bark.

noowitiwaákoʾ tuhnaákUx heeʾ tatuhneesiíšuʾ niiNAxuu- tAsšuúčI.
Then he said that one: "Yes, I know what you are thinking.
číkuʾ kaakiíkUx niiNAsIhkúʾA.
There is nothing for us to eat.
tsu neešaníštA.
But you are going to eat!"

noowitiwískaʾ sčiríhtš tičé tAxuúʾUt weNAxkuh- wakunaasíhtš.
Then he thought Coyote: "I wonder why it is that you answered me?
či NAxuhneesiíšuʾ niinatootAsšuúʾA.
Here you know what I am thinking!"

na noowitiwaákoʾ anuuʾAhnaákUx wiítA heeʾ Axtóh tatuhneesiíšuʾ niiNAxuutAsšuúʾA.
And then he said that one man: "Yes, certainly I know what you are thinking.
tsu kooxIhaakawáʾAs.
But you will eat.
šuuxUhuhwiítIt.
Sit down awhile!
šuuNUxtaahuníkUx.
Wait!"

noowitiiríwatAt tinaákUx wiítA.
Then he arose this man.
– noowitíʾAt.
– Then he went
– noowiti- kAhíNIt.
– Then he made a fire.
noowitiirút áxkUx haakIskuúxuʾ.
Then he picked it up one bark.
noo- witiraawiítIt iiʾAhnakáʾIt.
Then he held it out where the fire was.
taakáxtš noowitiʾá.
Dried meat then it became.

sčiríhtš weNUtčiríkUx noowitiʾá taakáxtš wehneešátkA.
Coyote while he watched it then it became dried meat when he roasted it.
noowitíʾAt noowiteereswaátaʾ kanítš.
Then he went, then he lifted it a stone.
noowitiišUxítIt.
Then he began hitting it.
noowitikároʾ tapáhtuʾ.
Then he made it pemmican.

noowitíʾAt.
So he went.
nowitikúxIt číkuʾ niikóhnoʾ čiisAhítš.
Then he picked up whatever it was grease.
noowitiraawiítIt iiʾAhnakáʾIt.
Then he held it out where the fire was
– noowitičísAt.
– Then it melted
– noo- wituhnanéš tapáhtuʾ.
– Then he mixed it up pemmican.

noowitiwaákó wah šuxaakawáʾAs.
Then he said: "Now eat!"

tinaákUx sčiríhtš – noowitiwaawaaNIšítIt – wehnaákUx.
This Coyote – then he began to eat – while he sat.
uu kuwitaraanuutaʾaáhuʾ AhnawáʾA.
Uh, then it was increasing as he ate it.

áwit Ahnoowitiwískaʾ sčiríhtš číkuʾ pítkUx koxtoóta na itaawikanéʾIs.
First then he just thought Coyote: "Perhaps two I will eat it and then I'll gobble up everything."

kunoowitaraanuutaʾaáhuʾ tapáhtuʾ.
Then it was increasing (in quantity) the dried meat.
witikaawačiíta.
He became full.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah wenunaaniíWIs na tiráNAt.
Then he said: "Now whatever is left over take it.
niikooNAxiniináka na šaahnaakawáʾAs.
Wherever your home is you can eat!"
nikuwitiwaakaáhuʾ wiítA.
That is what he was saying the man.

witiwaákoʾ tinaákUx sčiríhtš heeʾ.
He said this Coyote: "Yes.
čeésuʾ na taáʾ niinátkUx.
Yourself you must come where I live
– koosiinaaʾiíwat.
– We will tell stories.
– wah tuúxAt parúNIt.
– Now let me go quickly!"

noowitiroosít tapáhtuʾ.
Then he picked it up the dried meat.
witeeranikaáʾ.
He took it outside.
nuu noowitíʾAt nuu AhnaátA AhnawáʾA.
There then he went there as he went as he ate.

číkuʾ kanawituxwísAt niiʾAhnaanunuunakaáWI sčiríhtš witi- kanéʾIs.
He had not arrived where his home was Coyote he consumed it.
witIhuúkAt.
He went inside.

noowituhnaʾít AhnaahtakúʾU sčiríhtš wah šuuNUxčee- haaneéRIt.
Then he told her his wife Coyote: "Now fix up the room!
– číkuʾ AhnookananakaákUx tiihéʾ.– kooxiraahnaa- núʾAt.
– Let there be nothing inside here.– You will sit there.
piirátš nuuxUhuunaáNAt.
Children let them go awhile!
wiítA wetaahíštA.
A man he shall come.
wiítA tuhné.
The man he is nice.
wešitatunaaʾiiwaatíštA.
He and I are going to tell stories."

witiʾookatarós haakIskuúxuʾ niiʾaNUsuxtaa- weéRIt
It was lying against the wall bark as he had seen there
iiʾAhnaákUx wiítA.
where he lived the man.
– wewituutaánuʾ – nikuwe- wituhnaasštaʾuúkUt.
– Now he was doing it – he was imitating that one.

na Ahnoowiteewísaʾ anináʾU wiítA.
And then he just came that man.
wah šiišuúkaʾ.
"Now come in!"

witiwiítIt.
He sat down.

witiwaákoʾ číkuʾ aaxuutAsšúʾ tsu neeša- níštA niinaaxaNIštáNIt.
He said: "Do not think anything of it, but you are going to eat what you are going to eat."

wewituutáxkUx – wiítA – číkuʾ niikananaataakuuWIskáʾA.
He just sat there – the man – 'my not thinking of anything.'

noowitiwaákoʾ Axtóh tatuhneesiíšuʾ niiNAxWIskáʾA.
Then he said: "Surely I know what you are thinking."

noowitiwískaʾ nooNAxkuwaawaákAhu číkuʾ witikaakataásšta.
Then he thought: "Whatever you are saying I have nothing on my mind."

wah kooxIhaakawáʾAs.
"Now you will eat."

noowitikAhíNIt sčiríhtš.
Then he made a fire Coyote.
noowitiisAtkUxítIt haakIskuúxuʾ.
Then he began to broil it bark.
noowituhtaraniitaanuuxítIt.
Then it began to burn on him.
nookanawitii- ʾaanúʾ taakáxtš.
There it was not becoming dried meat.

noowitiwaákoʾ tinaákUx šíštaʾ.
Then he said this one: "Bring it!"

noowitiwaawaanú.
Then he was blowing on it.
noowitiisAtkUxítIt.
Then he began to broil it.
noowitiʾá taakáxtš.
Then it became dried meat.
niiʾaNUsuuxaawaáNA anináʾU wiítA nikuwituutaánuʾ sčiríhtš.
What he had done that man that is what he did Coyote.
noowitunaačiteeʾá číkuʾ nakUstAharaawiʾuúʾA čiisAhítš hItkaataátš.
Then it was difficult for him to have the taste of it grease tallow.
noowiti- taraniíta hItkaataátš číkuʾ niikohnuúta AhnaráʾU hItkaataátš.
Then it became charred the tallow whatever he had done as he made it the tallow.
noowituhnanuuwéš tapáhtuʾ.
Then he mixed it with it pemmican.

noowitiwaaNIšítIt tinaákUx čítUx wiítA.
Then he began to eat it this beaver man.

noowitiwaákoʾ wah šuxtáNAt aninaroósI.
Then he said: "Now take them those!
šaahwaʾá šaahWIsátA.
Eat them when you arrive."

tinaákUx wiítA noowiteeWIsítIt.
This man then he went out.

noowitiwaákoʾ sápat tačé noʾ tinaátA wiítA.
Then she said the woman: "Who is he this man?"

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš kutatiíʾI tiWIsíRIš.
Then he said Coyote: "He is mine uncle.
číkuʾ  NItkuraawiinátA nikunootatíʾAt niinanuunakaáWI.
When- ever I go hunting then that is where I go where his lodge is."

nooWIšitistatatáʾAt piirátš sčiríhtš.
Then they followed him the children Coyote.
číkuʾ naa- wóʾ.
"Where is he going?
tičé nuutáxtA.
What he is going to do?"

číkuʾ kanawiteéka niiʾAhnuxwaákA taanikutuúʾUt.
There was no lodge as he had said: "This is how it is."

noowitIhuukaataáRIt.
Then he stood on the bank.
noowiteehuunukaáʾ čítUx wehnuutsteépI nikAxíniʾ neesUxtáWI.
Then he jumped up Beaver when he slapped the water with his tail with his mouth.

noowitiriNUhát sčiríhtš.
Then he scared him Coyote.
nuukuwitaahkUxkaʾuúkUt.
He jumped into the woods over yonder.

nikuwitiraačítA – sčiríhtš narinúʾU – tákuʾ nakuuteéRIt nootuhkúxAx.
This is the reason – a coyote his being afraid – anyone when he sees him then he runs off.