XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
81
The Stuwis Fill the
Creeks with Water
Lillian Brave
| tshunúxuʾ | NAhkUhuusawaawanú | – |
| Scalped Man | when he was going around the coulee | – |
| NAhkukUxpaahwaahnú | – | uu | witiihuusawaawanúʾ. |
| when he was going all around furtively, | – | oh, | there he was going around in the coulees. |
| noowiteečeswaátaʾ. |
| Then he came out of the woods. |
| noowituhnaaʾeéRIt | niiʾAhnuxtswooxukú |
| Then he saw them | where the water had always flowed, |
| niiʾAhnuxtswooxukú | tiiháʾA. |
| where the water had always flowed | here. |
| wah | štoh | wehnareewaataáNA | kanawitiitsá. |
| Now | again | when he looked, | there there was no water. |
| čuwekuNAxtaaNAhnaáNAt | stuúWI. |
| "Where did you all go, | Stuwis?" |
| wewiteekiwaaxáxkuʾ | sáhniš. |
| He was calling them names | Arikara. |
| čuwekuNAxtaaNAhnaáNAt | stuúWI. |
| "Where are all of you, | Stuwis? |
| stuúWI. |
| Stuwis!" |
| či | weešeeNIhčesWAtwáʾ. |
| Here | they all came out of the woods. |
| tiwešeeNIhčesWAtwáʾ | stuúWI | tsu | wewitihAstaahIškootíhuʾ. |
| When they all came out of the woods | Stuwis, | but | he was dying of thirst. |
| naáNIt | wewitihAstaahIškootíhuʾ. |
| Really | he was dying of thirst. |
| noowitetsčeswaátaʾ. |
| Then the water came out of the woods. |
| noowiteečiisUhuuNIswaátaʾ. |
| Then the water came out flowing. |
| wehna- | raaNAxwé | witeečiinaNIsWAtwaʾaáhuʾ. |
| As he | wondered | the water was coming from different directions. |
| či | – | weešehkaasawá | stuúWI. |
| Here | – | they had urinated | Stuwis. |
| noowewitiihíʾ– | wehna- | psiʾaanuuxukú. |
| Now it was– | when it | usually gets cold. |
| – | tIheenikututunaanuúkuʾ | – | nooteečii- | naaNIsWAtwáʾ. |
| – | This was the time of the year | – | then the | water comes out all over. |
| a | noowitiwáčiʾ | hąąʾ | nikututunaanuúkuʾ | wenakukuraakaasuuhIštáNI. |
| And | then they said: | "Yes, | that is the time of year | when we feel like urinating." |
| noowitihkaásuʾ. |
| Then they urinated. |
| noowiteečiinaaNIsWAt- | wáʾ. |
| Then the water came seeping out from | different directions. |
| noowititstaraawíš. |
| Then the water was gray. |
| kaakuhtsé. |
| "The water is not good (yet)." |
| na | štoh | noowitiišuhkaásuʾ. |
| And | again | then they were urinating. |
| ahwititsčiraanawá- | taaʾA | tiíNI. |
| The water was a | little clearer | now. |
| ahwititsčiraanawátaaʾA. |
| The water was a little clearer. |
| nawáh | wetuhtsé. |
| "Now | the water is good." |
| noowitinaawiíkAt | stuúWI. |
| Then they stopped | Stuwis. |
| noowitihpastsačipiítIt. |
| Then they closed their vulvas. |
| noowitiraawiʾuúkAs. |
| Then it (the water) stopped (running). |
| wah | – | šitAxkukoosšteéRAt. |
| "Now | – | you (pl) have pleased me. |
| naáNIt | – | šitAxkukoosšteéRAt. |
| Really | – | you (pl) have pleased me. |
| noowititskatariína | wehnaačiinaaNIswaáta. |
| Then the water became swift | as the water seeped out. |
| a | či | – | niikohnuhnaánuʾ | stuúWI | – | AhniinuuxI- |
| And | here | – | however many there were | Stuwis | – | the ones who |
| sAhkAhunuuwaáWI | či | weešeenaánaʾ. |
| lived in the village | here | they came. |
| wehnihkaasú | nuukuwititskateewaáhAt. |
| When they urinated | the streams were wide. |
| hUhtiísuʾ | noowitičiisá | čipít. |
| Finally | so the water became | creek. |
| naaNIt | čipít | noowitičiisá. |
| Really | creek | then the water became. |
| tsu | wetičiíʾIs | xáNIš. |
| But | it was | urine. |
| xáNIš | – | wetičiíʾIs. |
| Urine | – | it was. |
| tsu– | naáNIt | – | weneečiisá | – | čipít. |
| But– | really | – | now the water became | – | creek. |
| tsu | nikuwetuhnaáNIt | stuúWI. |
| But | they were the ones who were the cause | Stuwis. |
| tsu | čeésiʾ | tshunúxuʾ | noowitičiikaahUxítIt. |
| But | himself | Scalped Man | then he began to drink. |
| nooti- | tititskaawačiínoʾ. |
| Then | he drank himself full. |
| nawáh | noowituutakáxaʾ | wah | šištaahnaánaʾ | sčiríhtš | na | – |
| Now | then he called them: | "Now | you (pl) come | coyotes | and | – |
| niinooNAxkuuraakíčI | wehnuutakAxaawaahú | – | sčiríhtš | axiNAhwaawaáhu. |
| you different ones!" | as he was calling them | – | coyotes | 'for you (pl) to come.' |
| šištaaNAhwáʾ. |
| "Come here! |
| šuxtahAtsaʾiiranít. |
| Taste the water!" |
| noowiteeRAhčesWAtwáʾ | sčiríhtš | na | sčiRIhkaapinát |
| Then they came out of the woods | coyotes | and | wolves |
| niinoonuhpiiraninoosíčI | wehnihčiíkAhu. |
| the different ugly ones | as they drank. |
| noowitotsháne. |
| The water tasted good. |
| noowititsčiraanawátaaʾA | wehnačiisaáNA | čipít. |
| Then the water was clear | after it had become | creek water. |
| na | – | nikuwitiisá | stuúWI | – | wehnutunaanuúku |
| And | – | that is what they did | Stuwis | – | when it was the season |
| wehnapsiʾaanú | wehnaakučiinaaNIsWAtwáʾa. |
| when it becomes cold, | when the water comes seeping out. |
| nawáh | tihwáčiʾ | – | wetehnihkaasáwaʾ | stuúWI. |
| Now | They say: | – | "They must have urinated | Stuwis. |
| – | stuúWI | wetehnih- | kaasáwaʾ. |
| – | Stuwis | they must | have urinated." |
| či | čituúʾuʾ | weešehkaásuʾ | niikoh- | nuhnaánuʾ |
| Here | all | they had now urinated | however | many there were |
| IsAhkAhaahčituúʾuʾ | stuúWI. |
| the entire world | Stuwis. |
| na | neenikutuutAxítIt. |
| And | this is what happened. |