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

96

The Young Man Who

Turned into a Snake

Ella P. Waters

pakúhtuʾ AhnuuxunuuwaawikoóčI iiháʾI wituuxitúhkUx na
Long ago the ones who used to be living there there was a village, and
Ahnuxtawé wiináxtš kananakuhnaanaawiʾuúʾA.
there being among them a boy one who was not right (ie was simple-minded).
na wiináxtš nooWIšitinaWAxkUxítIt.
And the boys then they began laughing at him.

atsú neešáanuʾ iiʾAhneetúhkUx AhnuxteešaáNU
But the chief where the village was the one who was chief
wituxtá wiináxtš.
he had him a boy.
nikuWIšituxtiraáhuʾ.
These (du) were always together.
atsú uunawaawaaríčI wiináxtš nooWIšitihtAharaáhnuʾ šinehkutAharaáhNA.
But the other ones boys then they were ridiculing him, their making fun of him.
atsú piiraneešaánuʾ noowitUsiráxAt iiʾAhnanuunakaáWI weNAh-
But the chief's son then he took him where his lodge was to feed
kukaanunoóku weNAhkuraakaanuunúhA AhnuxkaapaačíšU.
him, to give him food the one who was pitiful.
kutiraačítA nooWIšituutAsšteéʾa.
It was the reason then they (du) got used to each other.

nohniwaákoʾ wiináxtš kananuhnaanaawiʾuúʾA -- noowi- tiwaákoʾ
Then he said the boy the one who was not right -- then he said:
aasihwáNA naawiinakuúnuʾ.
"Let's go (on) the warpath.
skaná aasihwáNA.
Alone let's go.
nikuuneesiítuʾ naRAhwó naawiinakuúnuʾ.
We are thus (ie as good as the ones going (on) the warpath."

nootuhnaawiíʾAt neešaánuʾ NAhaáʾU.
Then he was willing the chief the one who was his child.
wiináxtš nootuhnaawiíʾAt.
The boy then he was willing.

nooWIšitíWA.
Then they (du) went.
nooWIšitIhuukatáWA aninačii- súhAt tswaarúxtiʾ.
Then they (du) crossed it that river Missouri.
nooWIšitIhuukatáWA.
Then they (du) crossed it.
naakaanuúnuʾ šikaneetehniraaNIhúnoʾ.
Food they (du) must not have made much.
nooWIšituNAsox- tšítIt wešinaaʾíwo a nooWIšituurapitaawaáhAt.
Then they (du) began to get hungry as they (du) tired, and then they (du) turned back.

siškaaʾíšWA.
"Let's go home!
wetsakuNAsáʾUx.
We are hungry."

na nooWIšiteewáʾ na tinakoohaanoótA nooWIšituuteéRIt.
And then they (du) came on, and (on) this flat prairie then they (du) saw it.
noowitiišá WAxakúsuʾ.
There it lay a cottonwood (log).

wešiNUtčiríkUx nuu wešinawáNA teškúNIt
When they (du) saw it there as they (du) went, close by
wehniihiʾaáNA na inoowitiíʾ nút.
when it got to be, and there it was a snake.
noowitiišá.
There it lay.

nooWIšitiraaNAxweesítIt niiʾAhneskaátA šinakutarii-
Then they (du) began to look for it where the end was for them (du)
waatátA šikanaʾaatootAxoótA.
to bypass it, their (du) not wanting'that we step over it.'
noo číkuʾ kanawitiíhiʾ.
Then there was none.

na štoh nikunooWIšitíWA na číkuʾ 
And again then that is where they (du) went and they
šikanawitiiraahunaáxuʾ niišiNAhkuwáNA.
did not find any way where they (du) might go.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiináxtš kanaʾAhnuhnaanaawiʾuúʾA wah
Then he said boy the one who was not right: "Now
tuxkAhíNIt na neesihnuuníNIt na nátkAt
"Let me make a fire and we'll burn it and afterwards
neesiitAxúʾAt na neesíhWA.
we'll step over it and we'll go on."

nikunooWIšituúta nooWIšitipinuhkoot- šítIt
Then they (du) did that: then they (du) began to pick them up
naNAsapáhtuʾ nátš.
chips wood.
nooWIšitikAhíNIt nuu weNAhuniikú.
Then they (du) made a fire there its burning.
noowitIhuúNIt.
Then it burned.
noowitiʾuúkAs.
Then it was cut.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiináxtš tsu wekananuNAsáʾUx -- ápAs
Then he said the boy yet his being hungry -- both
weWIšituNAsáʾUx -- atsú witiwaákoʾ nootohkAhaanawiré
they (du) were hungry -- but he said: "It smells good,
nakAhaanáWI tsástš.
its being the smell meat."

wešooNAhuuNIhníkA nút nikunoowituúta
After they (du) burned it snake then that is what he did:
noowiteeNIšítIt na noowitiihUxítIt uunaaríčI wiináxtš.
then he began to eat it, and then he began to give it to him the other boy.
na noowitiwaákoʾ piiraneešaánuʾ kaakátIskaʾ aatáʾA skaná iwehnuhnaanaríčI.
And then he said the chief's son: "I don't want that I eat it," alone as he stood there eating.
kohnakaawačiíta.
He must have got full.

noošohnuutAxúʾAt.
Then they (du) stepped over it.
nooWIšititariiwaátAt.
Then they (du) went through it.
nooWIšitíWA.
Then they (du) went.

WIšitUtkatiisiʾá.
It got dark on them (du).
nooWIšituté.
Then they (du) spent the night.

tiwenačirikaʾaáNA wiináxtš kanaʾAhnuhnaanaawiʾuúʾA noo-
When he awoke the boy who was not right then
witiwaákoʾ hásI.
he said: "Look!
škuusuuxAxweéRIt.
See my feet!
noowetatikaxčiRAhpAhaáIt na tareeʾuúxuʾ noowetíʾIt Axtaaníniʾ.
My legs are just red and blue they are on the feet.
kooxunaahé itaraNAhkaahUxítIt.
It will be good when we begin to dance.
witikanaxtiRAhpAhaahnoókuʾ.
I won't have to paint myself."

a štoh nuu nooWIšitíWA.
And again there then they (du) went.
wetanuhnaatéʾ wehnatareeʾuxwaawaahnú wehnačiRAhpAhatwaahnú.
Now he liked it when he was becoming blue all over, when he was becoming red.

štoh nuu nooWIšiteewáʾ.
Again there then they (du) came.
anuú WIšitUtkatiisi- ʾá štoh.
Then it got dark on them again.

nikunoowituhneesíš.
Then that one knew it.

tiwehnačirikaʾaáNA noowitiwaákoʾ hásI.
When he awoke then he said: "Look!
škuusuxkax- weéRIt.
Look at my legs!
noowetatitareeʾUxtaáRIt na pAhaátuʾ.
I am just blue on them and red.
nuuwetuúʾUt.
It's that way.
wekaakíʾ witiNAtkuRAhpAhaahnoóku itihkaahUxítIt sihkaa- ʾišwáNA.
Now I nee d not paint myself when we begin dancing when we go home."

atsú uunaaríčI wiináxtš piiraneešaánuʾ noowituh- neesiíšuʾ.
But the other one boy the chief's son then he knew.
AhwituhneesšUxaánuʾ.
He rather suspected it.

štoh nuu nooWIšiteewáʾ.
Again there then they (du) came on.
nooWIšitUtkatiisi- ʾá.
Then it got dark on them (du).
wah štoh nooWIšituté.
Now again then they (du) spent the night.

tiwešinačirikaʾaáNA hináxtIt noowitiwaákoʾ škuusuuxeéRIt.
When they (du) woke up in the morning then he said: "Look at me!
šitikukaxčituuʾá.
My legs have be- come joined.
NAtwiiraásuʾ wetiʾaanúʾ.
A snake's tail it is now becoming."

wiináxtš piiraneešaánuʾ wituhneesiíšuʾ atsú kana- WIskáʾ číkuʾ aatawaákA.
The boy the chief's son he knew, but he did not want 'that I say anything.'

na noowitiwaákoʾ koxteeruuwanúʾ.
And then he said: "I will care for you."

noowititáhpA tiwešinakaxčituuʾaáNA wehnaʾaanú nút.
Then he put him on his back after his legs became joined when he was becoming a snake.
wekaakíʾ nakuúwo.
He could not go (ie walk).
a nikunoowituúta wiináxtš noowititáhpA.
And so that is what he did: the boy then he put him on his back.
noowititáhpA.
Then he put him on his back.

wetihnaʾíhkuʾ inaániʾ noowitiwaákoʾ škúxtAt iinakučísA.
He was meaning him his brother then he said: "Take me where water is!
neškuúkux.
Put me there."

iiháʾI wituxčískUx na nikunoowitihkúx.
There there was a body of water, and then that is where he put him.

noowitiwaákoʾ wiináxtš nút wenaʾaáNA a
Then he said the boy a snake who had become: "And
nookananeenunuhnaateéʾU čiwáhtš tiiháʾI koxtohnaaʾiitáWI na
if they don't like it the fish here, I will tell you and
oopiínuʾ neškuúRAt.
another (place) you can take me."

piiraneešaánuʾ náʾU nootiRAhuukaataʾiíšAt.
The chief's son the one so he took him to the river bank.
nootiiʾít nút wekananiiʾaanú.
Then he let him go a snake his having become.

tiweNAhoókUt anoowitičiisUxaahUxítIt.
When he got into the water then the water started roaring.
čiwáhtš nookanawiteenunoohnaatéʾ.
The fish then they did not like it.
noowiteehawaátaʾ štoh.
Then he surfaced again.

na noowitihkúxIt na noowitiwaákoʾ piiranee- šaánuʾ
And then he picked him up and then he said the chief's son
náʾU koxteeruuwanúʾ.
the one: "I will take care of you.
koxteeruuwanúʾ.
I will take care of you."

a štoh noowiteenáʾ.
And again then he brought him.
nooteetahpiináʾ wenatahpiinaáhNA– nuu wenaraʾá.
Then he came packing him on his back as he packed him– there as he brought him.
a štoh noo- WIšituté iiʾAhnačísA.
And again then they (du) spent the night where the water was.

štoh nootiiʾít nooweNAhoókUt weh- naʾaáNA
Again then he released him his going into the water the one who became
wiináxtš nút.
the boy a snake.
noowitIhaʾuúkUt.
Then he got in the water.
weeNAhaʾaáhNA na štoh nikunoowituutAxítIt
After he was in the water and again then that is what happened:
weeNAhaʾaáhNA wehnačiisUxaáhu nii-
when he went into the water when the water was roaring those
ʾAhnaraanaátUx nookaakeenunuhnaatéʾ.
living in the water then they did not like it.

noowiteehuukatáʾ.
Then he came to the bank.
noowitiwaákoʾ kaakeenunuhnaa- téʾ.
Then he said: "They do not like it.
a škúxtAt anuú iinačiisúhAt tswaarúxtiʾ.
And take me there where the river is Missouri!
nikuwitAtwanúxtA iinačísA tswaarúxtiʾ.
That is where I am going to go where the water is Missouri."

a štoh noowitihtáhpA.
And again then he carried him.
noowiteenáʾ nuu iiʾAhnačísA tswaarúxtiʾ.
Then he brought him there where the water was Missouri.
noowitiiniʾít.
Then he was put down.

na noowitiwaákoʾ wah kooxanuutAhnaaʾiitáWI iinata-
And then he said: "Now you will tell them where
nuunaakítAt nakuWIskáʾA tooxuukatáʾAt a nootiwaákoʾ wah áNA wešitatootAxáwoʾ.
our village is, if one wants 'that I cross it,' he must say: 'Now, brother, I'm stepping over you.
tAhnaNAhnaanuukátawoʾ.
We are crossing.'"

na nikunoowituutAxítIt.
And then that is what happened.

naawiinakuúnuʾ štaNAhwooxítIt na nikutih- wačiʾaáhuʾ
"(On) the warpath whenever you begin to go, they must say this:
áNA atíštIt tuxtaahnaanuukatáʾAt.
'Brother, well let us cross!
tákuʾ ka- nanuuxuučíNIt.
Let no one drown!'
koxteerapakUhtaraʾóʾ.
I will heed your words."

nikunoowituúʾUt.
Then that is how it was.

noowitikaaʾiíšAt piiraneešaánuʾ natsú noowitIhaʾiíšAt.
Then he went home the chief's son, but then he went in- to the water.

wehnakaaʾiišátA noowituutAhnaaʾiitáWI niiwehnuutAxítIt
After he went home then he told them what had happened
wiináxtš wehnaʾaáNA nút.
the boy when he became a snake.
nootiwaákoʾ ničiíšuʾ na taakáxtš na šitikuhnanuuwaawáʾ.
"Then he said: 'Corn and dried meat bring them for me!'
koxtuhneesiíšuʾ.
I will know it.
na niku- nootihwáčiʾ wah áNA tíštIt tuxtaahnaanuukatáʾAt.
And this is what they'll say: "Now, brother, well let us cross!
tákuʾ kananikuxtaakuučíNIt
Let no one drown!"'"

na weNAhkuRAhwó naawiinakuúnuʾ na nooWIši-
And when they were going (on) the warpath and then they
teenuhnanuuwaawáʾ na noowiteehawaátaʾ weNAhawaáta šiʾaxkuuteéRIt.
brought things for him, and then he surfaced, his surfacing 'that you (pl) might see me.'
WIšitinaawaawaʾú.
They gave him things.

nikuwitsuuxitikUxuúkuʾ na atíštIt noowitiraanuu-
That is what used to happen, and well then they
katáʾAt nanuhčitáWI wiináxtš wehnaʾaáNA nút.
crossed the water his being the cause the boy who had become a snake.