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

97

The Pawnee Woman and the Spirit

Ella P. Waters

tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI wetiráʾ nuuxunuuwaawikoóčI.
What I am going to tell it is the ones who used to live.

naapakúhtuʾ áxkUx sapaakIsčiíri tiiháʾI wituxtawéʾ.
Long ago one Pawnee woman here she stayed.
na noowitiwískaʾ wah toxkaaʾiíšAt.
And then she thought: "Now let me go home!"

atsú tuxtáʾ paatúh a noowitiwískaʾ wah híNAx koxteéʾAt
But there were enemy and then she thought: "Now at night I will go,
híNAx tákuʾ kananihkuuteéRIt.
at night so that no one will see me."

anuú wehnaátA wiináxtš wituxtaahpiiná číkuʿ
There when she went a boy she carried him on her back howeve
ahnooweniihuunáčI wiináxtš nuu wehnarátA
r tall he was the boy there when she took him,
wehnataahpiinátA wehnaWIskáʾA aatakaaʾiišátA sčiiríhkAt.
her carrying him on her back, her thinking: "Would that I go home to Pawnee country."

noowitikatiisiʾá na witikaniitawiíʾAt.
Then it became dark and there was a rock sticking out.

noowitiwískaʾ wah taatoxkaáʾAt anooškutkatiisiʾaáNA.
Then she thought: "Now let me go underneath it here if it should get dark on me!
šihneešá na neeteéʾAt.
When morning comes, and then I'll go on."

a noowitikaáʾAt.
And then she went under it.

wiináxtš tehnuuNUxé číkuʾ kanawitiičiiwaákAt tiwešohnakaáWI.
The boy he must have been good: he did not cry at all when they (du) were underneath.

wehnapaahUhčeeRIšaáNA nooWIšitUtkaxtawiítIt niiʾaNUt-
When the moon shone then legs (du) hung down where she
čiriNAhwiʾuúʾA sápat.
had her eyes directed the woman.
nooWIšitUtkaxtawiítIt wiítA wešohnuutAxUhuunukaaʾiwó tsu
Then his legs (du) hung down a man as he swung his feet, but
sápat tiiʾAhnáka.
woman when she was under.

wituuxískaʾ wiináxtš aatataruúpIs.
He wanted the boy 'that I move around.'
na noowi- tunaanipakUxítIt.
And so she began admonishing him
phiítuʾ.
"Be still!"
tehnuuxItčiíšIt.
He must have been obedient.
a číkuʾ kanawituunáwiʾIt wiináxtš tiwehnutčiriikawaáWI.
He did not make a sound the boy as she eyed things.

hUhtiísuʾ– AhnoowitiwaaWIhtikUxítIt tiʾaNUtkaxtaanukaa- ʾiwó
Finally– then he just began talking this one swinging his legs,
wehnawaákAhu tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
when he was saying "I am Awichiriikat.
tatíʾ awičiriikáwa.
I am Awichiriikawa.
tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
I am Awichiriikat."

tsu tiwehnaheešahIštáNI číkuʾ niinohnaáNAt tsu
But when it was about morning wherever it was he went, but
sápat nootikawátAt.
the woman then she got out.
Ahnootuutá noo- tuutá nuu wenakaaʾišwó niiʾAhnaanunuunítAt.
Then she just did it; then she did it there her going home where her village was.

nuu AhnawísAt na nikunoowitunaaʾít.
There she arrived and then that is what she told.
noo- witiwaákoʾ wah tikuuxunáx takohnáʾU.
Then she said: "Now he found me someone."
Ahnoowitunaaʾít niiʾAhnuutAxítIt AhnuxkaáWI
Then she just told what had happen- ed when she was underneath,
AhnakaniitawiiʾátA nuxkaáWI tiwehnaáʾa wiítA.
where the rock stuck out when she was underneath when he came there a man.
kaakuuteeríkuʾ tsu NIhúxuʾ WIšitUtkaaxeeríkuʾ.
She did not see him, but only she saw the legs (du).
taaNUhuunukaaʾiwóʾ wehnawaákA tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
He was swinging his legs, his saying: "I am Awichiriikat.
tatíʾ awičiriikáwa.
I am Awichiriikawa."

na nooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI aniiNAxtaráʾo pakúhtuʾ tikót.
And then they told her: "The one you talk of long ago he died.
atsú tíʾ sápat.
But she is a woman.
tsu tiwetuuteéRIt.
But she saw him here.
wah tehnataraakunuuwá tiwenuuteéRIt sápat
Now we must go about (after death), after she saw him the woman
na aáNU tshunúxuʾ niikóhnoʾ.
and perhaps a scalped man whoever he is."

nikunooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI.
Then that is what they told her.
noowitihwáčiʾ Axtóh pakUhnaawaawiriíkuʾ wetikót.
Then they said: "Surely a long, long time ago he died."