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

100

The Young Woman Who

Turned into Stone

Ella P. Waters

wetatunaaʾiitíštA niiʾAhnuutAxítIt iinakanítWI suúnaaxuʾ
I am going to tell what happened where the rock is a young woman
AhnaʾaáNA kanítš.
her having become a stone.

wituxtawéʾ– suúnaaxuʾ – nakuhneéRA suúnaaxuʾ atsú –
There was– a young woman – her being pretty a young woman, but –
kanaahnuuxIskáʾ – šiʾaxkohtakúʾU.
she did not want – 'that you and I should marry.'
na inástiʾ noowitihwáčiʾ šinohtakuúxa.
And her brothers then they said: "You should get married!"

a noowitiwaákoʾ kaakíʾ.
And so she said: "No."
tiwešohnihwaakAxwó xaawaarúxtiʾ niiʾAhniisuusaahnuuxukú
When they went to ask for her, horses as they used to do
saNIšwakúhtuʾ wešineh- kuwaakAxátA suúnaaxuʾ --
the old people when they went to ask for her a young woman --
tikukooxuhnaánuʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ šitaraanú -- na
"It will be this many horses they will give you" -- and
wekuwituhnaáʾuʾ noowitiwaákoʾ kaakíʾ.
still it was thus: then she said: "No."

na inástiʾ wituxtaná inástiʾ nooWIšitihnehkU- xítIt
And brothers she had them her brothers then they began asking her:
tičé nuúʾUt tiikanaNAxiWIskáʾA šiʾaxkohtakúʾU.
"Why is it that you don't want 'that we marry?'"

tsu kanaahnunaaʾiitíhuʾ.
But she would not tell.
witiwaákoʾ tsu kaakátskaʾ šiʾaxkohtakúʾU.
She said: "But I do not want 'that we marry.'"

na hUhtiísuʾ noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh wešohnih- néhku
And finally then she said: "Alright," after they were asking her
inástiʾ šiʾaaxeeNAhtakúʾU.
her brothers 'that you (du) marry.'
wah nikukoo- xuúʾUt šikooxikohtakuúxa.
"Now it will be thus: I will get married."

tiwešohnihwaakAxWIswó suúnaaxuʾ na
When they arrived to ask for her the young woman, and
nuuwituhnaawiíʾAt šiʾaxkohtakúʾU.
then she consented to it 'that we marry.'

a čitsí tinaákUx – suúnaaxuʾ – kanwitsúx niinatuh- naákA
And here this – young woman – she was not the way we are
sápat a čiišaáʾA paakáhIš.
women and here it was a squash blossom.
niinatuhnaákA sápat čiišaáʾA paakáhIšuʾ šaáʾA na
As we are women here it was, a squash blossom it was, and
witikataWI- haákuʾ – xáNIt.
there was going around inside – a bee.
– a – či – nikiišeeNAhtakúʾU.
– And – here – that was her husband.
suúnaaxuʾ – xáNIt NAhkaaxíšuʾ – AhnakataWIháku
Young woman – the bee the flower – the one going around inside
xáNIt a či nikiišeeNAhtákuʾU.
the bee and here that one was her husband.

wah tiwešohneeNAhtakuuxaáNA – noowitikarúx – paakáhIš.
Now when she got married, – then it wilted – the blossom.
noowitikarúx.
Then it wilted.
noowithiikhúRIt suúnaaxuʾ na noowitikúxIt šiškAxiítš.
Then she felt ashamed the young woman and so she picked it up a sewing bag.
noowititáhpA šiškAxiítš na nuunoowitíʾAt.
Then she put it on her back the sewing bag and then she went off there.
niikohniíhiʾ noowitíʾAt.
Wherever it was, then she went.

saáts witustá.
A little puppy she had.
noowitihtatatákux xaátš wenatahpíhA šiškAxiítš
Then she put it by her the dog, after she packed it the sewing bag,
wenaasštaahuunaáNA weniiNAsštaʾaáNA.
after her feeling ashamed, after her feeling hurt.

noowiteeniteeháxaʾ – kanítš wehnaʾaanú – Axtaá- niniʾ.
Then it gradually occurred – a stone her becoming – at the feet.
na – tiwešohniituniwó a – noowitiwaákoʾ wetiraačitéʾ tiwenátkUx.
And – when they were going after her, and – then she said: "It is difficult how I am.
šiškuusuuxeéRIt Axtaániniʾ.
Look at me at the feet!"
kanítš inoowitíʾ.
Stone here she was.
kaakíʾ štoh NItkoótA niinataraakítAt.
"I cannot go back where our camp is."

nikuwituutAxítIt.
That is what happened.
nikuwitanuhčítA suúnaaxuʾ wenaasštaahuunaáNA
That was her reason young woman her feeling ashamed
wešineeNAhtakuuxaáNA wenaʾaáNA kanítš.
after she got married, when she became a rock.