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

86

The Girl Who Became a Bear

Ella P. Waters

wetatunaaʾiitíštA suúnatš AhnaʾaáNA kuúNUx.
Now I'm going to tell of it a girl her becoming a bear.

iiháʾI – wituuxitúhkUx ačitaánuʾ – sáhniš.
There – there was a village tribe – Arikara.
wah wenehkohtakoówa – piirátš – witinehkuhna-
Now while they were playing – children – while they were playing with
NAhuúNU – na – nooWIšitihnunáx – kuúNUx – skarútš.
one another – and – then they found it – bear – a hide.
noo- wiwitihkawanikUxítIt wewitinehkuhniRAhnunuuwaáWI
Then they began to put it on each other as they chased each other,
wenehkohtakoówa kuúNUx wenehkoonaáxI.
as they pretended a bear that they were chased by it.
nikuwituutAxitiíkuʾ šakuNAhčituúʾuʾ.
That is what was happening every day.
na – witAheéšaʾ wenehkohtakoówa – na nikuWIšiteenuhnáʾA
And – it was morning when they played, – and that is what they used
anináʾU skarútš kuúNUx witineh- kukawaníkA –
that one hide bear what they put on themselves –
witinehkuhnaNAhuúNU – wenehkuraawiroóku kuúNUx nehkuuNAhnaáxI.
when they played – as they were pretending a bear that it chased them.

natsú – áxkUx – suúnatš – noowitiwaákoʾ wah – čeésiʾ kooxikuutiiwísAt.
And – one – girl – then she said: "Now – too it will be my turn.
witikoxtikawáNIt kuúNUx.
I will wear it the bear."

na nikunoowitiisá nooWIšitiínu kuúNUx.
And then that is what they did: then they gave it to her the bear.

wewitohnakawaníkA tiwehnuutAhniRAhwánu piirátš či
After she had put it on herself as she was chasing them children, here
weešaána naáNIt – kuúNUx – wehnaʾaáNA.
now she was really – a bear – after she had become.
kuúNUx nootiʾá.
A bear then she became.

nuu – witeekawooruútikuʾ – piirátš.
There – she was killing them one after another – children.
čituúʾuʾ – witeekAhiítus – iiʾAhnuuxunuuwaáWI.
Everyone – she slaughtered them – the ones who went around.
na noowituuniíwit inaániʾ kaawitáhtš inaániʾ.
And then she spared her her sister, the youngest her sister.
noowituuniíwit.
Then she spared her.

tiweniihiʾaáNA hiíš a noowitiwaákoʾ kuúNUx suúnaaxuʾ
After it had become evening, and then she said the bear young woman:
wah tuusiškaaʾíšWA.
"Now let's go home!"
inaániʾ wituhnaʾíhkuʾ.
Her sister she meant her.

noowitUsiráxAt inoowitAhunaahnátA.
Then she took her: there was a hole there.
noowitiwaákoʾ tiiháʾI nikuwetseenunuunáka.
Then she said: "Here this will be our dwelling."

nooWIšitikaáWA iiʾAhnaahunaahnatáWI.
Then they (du) went inside where the hole was.
weNAhkukaáWI weNAhkištaaNIhítkUx inaániʾ
When she was inside when she sat with her forepaws extended her sister
kuúNUx na noowitiwaákoʾ aniišuuxaWIsítIt.
bear, and then she said: "Go outside there!
aniškuusuxkAskaruuwaawatúʾ kAsukaawíʾuʾ.
Dig roots for me roots!
čikiituxkAswaawaʾá.
Let me eat some roots!"

na inaániʾ noowitiiriwátAt.
And her sister then she got up.
noowitiwaraakaʾií- šAt – weNAhkukaruuwaawatú –
Then she went into the woods – where she would be digging the –
niikohnáʾIt AhnuxwaaNUxukú inaániʾ kuúNUx.
whatever kind they were what she used to eat her sister the bear.
noowitiraaNIhúnoʾ.
Then she dug many.
noowitiranikaaʾiíšAt.
Then she took them home.

noowititkáxkUx inaániʾ.
Then she sat sleeping her sister.
noowitičirikaʾaanít.
Then she woke her up.
noowitiwaákoʾ tineéros.
Then she said: "Here they are.
– toxkaaNAsšóʾ.
– You wanted them.
– tiweneé- ros kásuʾ.
– Here they now are roots."
noowitičirikaʾá weNAhkuwáʾA.
Then she awoke to eat them.

šakuuNAhčituúʾuʾ nikuwituutaánuʾ.
Every day that is what she was doing.

atsú inástiʾ witsuxtaánuʾ tšaápis.
But her brothers there were six.
pakúhtuʾ sinoó kanawitUsuuxítIt kuúNUx weNAhkuʾaáNA suúnatš
Long ago yet it had not happened a bear her becoming girl
inástiʾ wituxtaáNAt naawiinakuúnuʾ.
her brothers they had gone (on) the warpath.
kanawituuxunuuwá.
They were not around.
kana- wituxtsawéʾ niiwehnuutAxítIt weniinakawootíkA.
They were not among them when that happened when she killed them.

nuu wehnaaRAhWIsá inoó tákuʾ kanawitiíʾa wehnii- naaciriikawaáWI.
There when they returned there was not one there as they were surveying things.
atsú inaániʾ kaawitáhtš či šanuusuxkAskaruuwaawatúʾ –
But their sister the youngest one here she was digging roots for her –
inaániʾ – wehninaáhNA wakáʾuʾ.
her sister – who had her (as) a slave.
nooWIšitihnunáx.
Then they found her.

na nikunoowitunaaʾít suúnatš.
And then that is what she told the girl.
noowitiwaákoʾ áNA wetiʾá kuúNUx na čituúʾuʾ weneekuraakAhiítus.
Then she said: "My sister she has become a bear, and all she has killed all of us.
wetAxuhnaahnaaʾeéRIt.
You have seen them.
weneekurá wakáʾuʾ šakuuNAh- čituúʾuʾ tinatUtkAskaruuwaawatú axkAswaawáʾA.
Now she keeps me (as) a slave every- day that I may dig roots 'that you eat roots.'"

noowitihwáčiʾ wiiteešútš wah koxtiraakUxpaána.
Then they said the young men: "Now we will hide.
kanaxtiraakunuuwá šeéNIt.
We will not go around plainly.
atsú šiniisuxtoohuniRAhwaáhAt áNA číkuʾ niikóhnoʾ niinakukoótI niinakUhunáhAs.
But you inquire of her your sister however it is that she may die, that she may die."

wah suúnatš noowitiroosít wehnuxkAskaruuwaawátI.
Now the girl then she picked them up the roots that she had dug.
noowitiráNAt iiʾAhnakaáWI.
Then she took them where she was inside.
witiranikaáʾAt iiʾAhnakaáWI inaániʾ.
She took them in where she was inside her sister.
wituhnoósI na noowitinihnaaʾiiWIswanuuxítIt áNA
She put them down for her and then she began to question her: "Sister,
čukú kananaaxitaRAhčíš naakukoótI.
where are you weak for you to die?"

na noowitiwaákoʾ kuúNUx inaániʾ ščiskaa- wítA šinikuuwaníkA
And then she said the bear her sister: "The little toe if they shoot me,
na nikukaakatinihnuNAhteéhAt atsú – číkuʾ uuxaWIststakaáhAt –
and that is where I'll have my demise, but – even if it drops –
áxkUk paátuʾ štoh koxtiiriwátAt.
one (drop) of blood, again I will get up."

wah – a – štoh – weNAheešá – nooteekaáʾ
Now – and – again – when morning came – then she came outside
suúnatš weNUtkAskaruuwaawatú inaániʾ.
the girl when she was digging roots for her her sister.

nooWIšitihnunáx inástiʾ.
Then they found her her brothers.
na nikunoowitinii- NAhnaaʾít tiwaakaáhuʾ áNA
And then that is what she told them of her: "She says my sister:
šinikiščis- waníkA – ščiskaawítA – wah kaakatinihnuNAhteéhAt.
'If they shoot my toe – little toe – now I will have my demise.
atsú číkuʾ nikutstakaáhAt paátuʾ štoh neetiríwatAt.
However if mine drops out blood again then I'll get up.'"

a noowitihwáčiʾ witikoxtiraakawireéhAs.
And then they said: "We will ready ourselves.
wešitAt- kootíštA.
We are going to kill her.
kaakunaáhe Ahnoowenaaroóku wakáʾuʾ.
It is not good her just having made you a slave."

weWIšitiitIštAhčiríkUx itáhniʾ.
Now they looked at her hands their sister.
AhnoowewitiškakaáʾAs wehniiNIštuuwaawaʾaanú – atsú –
The hands were just cut up the hands being sore, – but –
noowitaahwaákoʾ aniišuxkAs- karuuwaawatúʾ.
then she would say: 'Be digging roots!'
wah nikunoowituúta wehninaáhNA wakáʾuʾ inaániʾ.
Now then she did that after she kept her (as) a slave her sister.

wah wewitehniinawireéhAs noowitihwáčiʾ wah
Now after they had got themselves ready then they said: "Now
škuhnaahnaaʾiitáWI niinakUsakuúNU.
you tell us what day it is!
wah wešitAtkootíš- tA.
Now we are going to kill her."

tiwehnuútA nuuwehnuútA noowitiwaákoʾ suúnatš tiraanaáNIš
After a while, after a while, then she said the girl: "It is truly the way
títka áNA.
she sleeps my sister.
kaakičirikaʾaa- nuuxuúkuʾ
She never wakes up."

noowewitohniinawireéhAs inástiʾ.
Then they now got ready her brothers.
noowiteeraánaʾ.
Then they came.
nooWIšitiisakUhteewáNIt.
Then they set a day.
wah taanikukooxIsakuúʾU.
"Now this will be the day.
taani- kukooxutunaánuʾ.
This will be the place.
taanikukoxtiraaNAhwísAt niišiNAx- kaáWI.
This is where we will arrive where you (du) are inside.
wah wešitAtkootíštA áNA.
Now we are going to kill her your sister."

tsu suúnatš wetirinóʾ.
But the girl she was afraid.
wetunínoʾ inaániʾ.
She feared her her sister.
atsú – nikunootiʾá naaʾištiráxuʾ – wenuutaakeé-
But – then she became that way confident – when she was
riku inástiʾ.
seeing them her brothers.

nikunoowitiisá noowiteeraánaʾ iiʾAhnétkA.
So that is what they did: then they came where she slept.
witištaaNIhítkUx.
She sat with her forepaws extended.
nooWIšitiiNIšwáNIt ščiskaawítA.
Then they shot her paw the little toe.

atsú uunawaaríčI – inástiʾ či – weešeenanáʾ nátš.
But the others – her brothers here – they had brought it wood.
noowitiiriwiíkUx nátš wehniiNAhwaakúxkA wehnihkuNIstoohaásAt.
There was a big pile of it wood after they piled it up when they set it afire.
saxtš šiisihkootíkA – na – neešii- seénaʾ na neešiisiNIskukáʾus.
"As so on as we kill her – and – we'll bring her and we'll lay her on the fire."

na nikunoowitsá tiwešohniiNIšwaníkA ščiskaawítA.
And then that is what they did when they shot the paw the little toe.
nooWIšitiinírut tsu – oowátkAt – wehnakáʾIt.
Then they picked her up, but – outside – when there was a fire.
nooWIšitihtaarúxtAt – iiʾAhnakáʾIt – AhnakunítkUx.
Then they dragged her – where the fire was – where the blaze was.
nooWIšitiiNIskukáʾus.
Then they laid her on the fire.

noowitihwáčiʾ wah tiiʾAhnaahtehkuxtaapaáRIt.
Then they said: "Now we had better be fleeing."
na nootiinuuwáʾAx – wenaRAhwó – niinawaakatiitúhAt.
And then they ran away – as they went – where the Black Hills were.

nuu wenaraanátA – áxkUx witikaskáWI na – noowiti- waákoʾ
There as they went, – one he looked back and – then he said:
anuú wetaáʾ.
"There she now comes.
wetehneeríwatAt.
She must have got up.
anuú wenaáʾ.
There she now comes."

wah noowitirinuʾá suúnatš.
Now then she became frightened the girl.
wewitičíkAt.
Now she cried.

noowitihwáčiʾ inástiʾ tičé nuúʾUt NAxkučíkAt.
Then they said her brothers: "Why is it your crying?
Axtóh wešitatoosiRAxá.
Certainly we are taking you.
kaakíʾ číkuʾ nakuutaáNA aniwenaaʾá.
She is not able to do anything the one coming."

na áxkUx inástiʾ wituxtá napiísus na noowiteewáNIt
And one her brother he had it a needle comb and then he threw it
napiísus wehneenuutakunaa- WIsá.
the needle comb as she was catching up with them.
noowitiihaahtétkUx.
Then there was a thicket.
AhnoowitiskáʾIt weh- načitawaáWI.
They were just sharp where the branches were.

nuu wenaWIsá itáhniʾ – kuúNUx – náʾU
There when she arrived their sister – bear – the one
tehnuxtaačeéʾA Ahnuxkatataswánu aatatariiwaatátA niiweNAhaahtétkUx.
it must have been a while her struggling 'that I go through' where the thicket was.
atsú noowitiíNAx anuú wenaraanátA.
But then they ran there as they went.
a či witehtariiwaátaʾ.
And here she came through (the thicket).

noowitikaskáWI áxkUx na noowitiwaákoʾ weteh- naatariiwaátaʾ.
Then he looked back one and then he said: "She must have come through.
wetaáʾ.
Now she comes."

wah štoh nuu – noowitiíNAx – weniiNAhnaáxI
Now again there – then they ran, – as she ran after them
wešinihkUxwanú inaániʾ kuúNUx.
as they were running her sister the bear.

wah na – áxkUx – wiiteešútš – inástiʾ – čiišaná neesítš.
Now and – one – young man – her brother – here he had it a knife.
a noowiteewáNIt neesítš anuú iiʾAhnaáʾa.
And then he threw the knife there where she came.
a noowitiikaNIhaáʾA naʾaátuʾ.
And there there was a big patch cactus.
uu kanawitUsux- taaninoosičiraʾá.
Oh, there was a multitude of them.

wah – wehnaaWIsá – kuúNUx wehniiNAxkawaaruúsAt noowitiitawiínit.
Now – when she arrived – the bear when they pricked her then it stopped her.
atsú tuunawaaríčI anuú noowitiraáNAt wehnaRAsaRAhtšwaáhNA wehniinuuwaaxIhú.
But those there then they went as they did it harder as they ran away.

wah witatariiwaátaʾ na noowitiwiítIt kuúNUx suúnaaxuʾ
Now she came through and then she sat down the bear the young woman
– wewitohnuutAxtsaroóku – wehniiNAx- kawaaruúsAt naʾaátuʾ.
– as she pulled them from her feet – as they pricked her feet the cactus.

anuú štoh wenaraanátA wewiteenuutakunaaWIsaáhuʾ.
There again as they went now she was overtaking them.

na áxkUx wiiteešútš noowitirá kanítš.
And one young man then he had it a stone.
noo- wititskatóx na witikaNIstaahurúx.
Then it was flat and it was a circular stone.
noowitikúx.
Then he set it down.

nowitiwaákoʾ – wah atípaʾ šuuNUxkaniítAx.
The he said: – "Now, grandfather, you, stone, run!
– wah šuxtaakuučitawaʾuuneéRIt.
– Now you (pl) stand on top of it!"

na noowitIhuučitawaʾuuneéRIt inástiʾ na suúnatš.
And then they all stood up on top of it her brothers and the girl.
tsu wewitičíkAt suúnatš wehnuninó inaániʾ teškúNIt wehnaáʾa.
But she was crying the girl since she feared her her sister closer as she came.

noowitiihaakariwahUxtaakáNIt AhnuuNAxIhú.
Then the foam ran down from her mouth (from) her running.

na nooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI kanítš wah šuúnuxAx.
And then they told it the stone: "Now run!
šuúnuxAx.
Run (ie get higher)!"

noowiteekaniitawihUxaahUxítIt.
Then the stone began to rise up.
noowiteekaNItwaátaʾ.
Then the stone expanded.
wewitIhuučitawaáRIt.
Now they stood on it.

wewitawísaʾ kuúNUx wehnakaNItwičeesaánu.
Now she arrived the bear as the stone was getting higher.
noowitištsaaweerawaawanúʾ kuúNUx.
Then she clawed and clawed on it the bear.

na áxkUx wiiteešútš čiišaná nanookaʾaateérikUx.
And one young man here he had it a looking glass.
noowitikúx – iiʾAhnakanítkUx – niiʾaNAhuučitawaaríčI wehnaakaniitawihUxAhú.
Then he placed it – where the stone was – where they stood on top as the stone was rising up.
noowitiičískUx tstoóxuʾ wenihčiikAhú tstoóxuʾ.
There there was a pool (of) water as they were drinking water.
na Ahnatstawiraawanú tstoóxuʾ itáhniʾ kuúNUx
And where the water ran down water their sister the bear
aNAhuukakaaríčI kuúNUx noowiteehAstaʾiwaawanúʾ
her standing at the base of it the bear then she was licking it
wehnahAstaáhIš wehnuNAh- naaniwó axtsakaáhAt.
her being thirsty as she was begging them 'that you get down.'

tsu – áxkUx – niiʾAhnaraaNIhtíšU – wiiteešútš – noowitiwaákoʾ
But – one – the eldest one – young man – then he said:
kaakíʾ tsu wetataraakuučitawaáRIt tiiháʾI.
"No, but we are standing up on top here."

atsú wehnateeRAhpiraʾaáhNA tsu kanítš noowituh- kaniítAx.
But as she lingered around it, but the stone then the stone ran.
noowitiwičeesaanuuxítIt.
So it began to get higher.
anuuneskaRAhkatAhaanúʾAt witikataʾuúkUt.
The sky extending there it reached against it.

nooWIšitiiteérikuʾ kuúNUx.
Then they were looking at her the bear.
noowititaawátAt hUhtiísuʾ.
Then she left finally.
awít AhnoowituxteeRAhpiraʾá niiʾAhnawaaríčI inástiʾ na inaániʾ.
First she just lingered around it where they were her brothers and her sister.
hUhtiísuʾ noowitiwaakatit- kaʾiíšAt.
Finally then she went to the Black Hills.
a – nooWIšitiiteérikuʾ anuú – wehnaátA.
And – then they saw her there – as she went.

atsú – tinawaaríčI kanítš – wetIhuučitawaáRIt.
But – these the stone – now they stood on top of it.
anuú nootiwísAt iineskaRAhkatAhaanúhAt.
There then they reached it where the sky extends.

nootihwáčiʾ nikutíʾIt sákaaʾA naRAsačiruúxU.
They say: "They are the ones stars the bunched ones.
nooteekUxUhuuwaátaʾ.
Then they flew up.
sákaaʾA nootiwá.
Stars they then became."
nootihwáčiʾ nikutíʾIt AhnuuxuučitawaaríčI kanítš.
They say: "They are the ones the ones who stood on top the stone."

tsu taanikutatuuxAtkoókuʾ.
And this is what I heard.
niikohniíhiʾ niikoh- neetúhkUx tihwačiʾaáhuʾ ačitaánuʾ
Wherever it was wherever the village was they always say tribe
sáhniš tíʾIt.
Arikara they were.