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

104

Yellow Bear's Good Fortune

Ella P. Waters

hawá tineeraaʾiitúxkUx.
Also here is a story.
wetatunaaʾiitíštA niiNIš- taaʾiitawaaWIhú kuNAhúx
I am going to relate it what they used to tell the old men
nuxtaanawáNA siíno.
when they were living yet.

nuuneesawatuúNU – hawá – tuutiíhiʾ.
There over the hill – also – it was there.
– wiítA – wehnakootI- hú kuNAhúx na noowitiwaákoʾ
– A man – when he was dying an old man and then he said:
šiškukúxkA niiNAxkuraapó koxkAhaánuʾ –
"After you put (bury) me whenever you (pl) go (in) peace –
šuhnaahnaanawiíNA – na číkuʿ niinooʾuuxawásU nátš kanítš
when you stop, – and whatev er it is, a stick, a stone,
axkuriwíhA niiwenatuuraraáWI na nootiwaákoʾ niinakoosšó.
if you were to hit me where my grave is, then say it what you want."

nikunoowituúta atíʾAx tinatiniiníškUx
Then that is what he did my father when mine was living
nuxčootšwaawanuuxukú sananaapíkAt.
when he used to go to church (gatherings) in Sioux country.

nuu – wehnaRAhwaawanú noowitiiNAhkaruuwaáWAt –
There – when they were traveling then they unhitched them –
xaawaarúxtiʾ aaxihnuhwaawáʾA wehnuhnaanawiíNA.
the horses for them to eat grass when they stopped.
noowituNAsaakákUx wiítA wehninaaWIšUhaaruusakú
Then they sat a- round (the grave) men their offering smoke to him
kuNAhúx niiʾAhnakaáWI.
the old man where he was buried.

atsú atináʾ – na atíʾAx – WIšituuxatúhkA.
But my mother – and my father – they (du) were in the rear.
noowitikaNIhnoosít táWIt.
Then he picked up rocks three.
noowitIhuukaroósI.
Then he put them in the wagon.
neewaákoʾ atiná nuúxU haáʾAx neenii-
She said my mother the one who was: "Your father he put
kanituukaroósI táWIt.
stones in it three."

wah – tsu – tiwehnatakaáhAt – nuu – noowitíʾAt wiítA niiʾAhnuxtaanoótA.
Now – but – after he got down – there – then he went the men where they sat.
noowiteewáNIt kanítš.
Then he threw it a stone.
noowitiwaákoʾ tiwenaatátA sananaapíkAt tatskáʾ šiʾaaxkiíhA
Then he said: "When I go to Sioux country, I want that you give me
áxkUx xaawaarúxtiʾ
one horse."

hawá štoh noowitiríWI.
Also again then he threw it.
noowitiwaákoʾ hawá štoh neetskáʾ hawá štoh xaawaarúxtiʾ šiʾaaxkiíhA.
Then he said: "Also again I want also again a horse that you give me."

a noowitiraaNIsUxtAhWAhnaáwaʾ uunaraanoótA kuNAhúx AhništaaWIšUhaaruusakú.
And then they each grunted those other ones old men ones who were offering smoke to him.

a noowitiwaákoʾ atíʾAx wah tsu tatanuunaahnaa- teehuúʾU.
And then he said my father: "Now but we have the right (to throw stones).
tatakuhnaahnaaʾiitáWI škuriwíhA niiwenatuutataáWI na
He told us: 'If you hit me where my grave is, and
niinakoosšó na nootiwaákoʾ.
whatever you want then say it!
koxteeraaʾú.
I will give you luck.
koxteéʾu.
I will give it to you.'"

na noowitiraáNAt niiʾAhnuuxitúhkUx.
And then they went where the village was.
WIšitiisuuxi- ráxAt atíʾAx nikuʾaáxU hiʾéskA.
They took him my father for him to be the one interpreter.

a noowenakatawiihakú wiítA wituuxičítA
And as he went around there the man he rode on horseback
niiʾAhnuuxitúhkUx – a – noowitiwaákoʾ– wituxwaakaáhuʾ–
where the camp was – and – then he said;– he was saying–
sanánat tiwenaRAhkaahUxtáNIt neešaánuʾ wetiraateewáNIt
the Sioux: "When we are going to be dancing, the agent he has ordered
tákuʾ číkuʾ šikanaNIhkiíhA uuxawásU naawiínuʾ šikanaNIhkiíhA.
that no one give anything away, its even being a piece of goods that it not be given away.

noowituutAhnaaʾiitáWI – nataraakíčI – wešohnihnaʾít tičé nawaakaáhuʾ.
Then he told them – our people – when they asked him: "What is he saying?"
atíʾAx noowituutAhnaaʾiitáWI tiwaa- kaáhuʾ neešaánuʾ wetiraawiínit
My father then he told them: "He is saying: 'The agent he stopped it
číkuʾ kanaNIhkuureešwaah- nú naawiínuʾ uuxawásU
that they must not be giving anything away, a piece of goods its even being,
tákuʾ číkuʾ ši- kanaNIhkiíhA.
that no one give anything away.'"

wah tiwehnaraaweétA AhnoxtAhkaawaáhu neewaákoʾ atíʾAx
Now after it ended their dancing, he said father:
tiwešinaatakAhčiwátu xáx niišinatinii- NIšakaáWI
"When she and I were breaking camp your mother where we (du) had our lodge
– akAhpaátu nuu – áxkUx noowiteečitaWIhuuwi- raáʾ niišohnuuxakAhčiwatú.
– the tipi," there – one then he came riding across on horseback where they (du) were breaking camp.

noowitiwaákoʾ kuuNUxtAhkáta ka NAxuuteérikuʾ anuú
Then he said: "Yellow Bear, do you see it over there
naahnaaxtawíkUx xaawaarúxtiʾ.
the one tied up yonder the horse?"

witiwaákoʾ atíʾAx nuúxU heeʾ.
He said my father who was: "Yes."

wah nuukooxUsaxtawitakúx.
"Now you must tie it there to it.
kooxUsiRAxkaaʾiíšAt.
You must take it home."
tiwehnaraanátA – wehnaraaNAxwiʾáxIt wehnaraanátA – na štoh
When they went – as they started out when they went – and again
noowiteéʾaʾ wiítA weNAhuuNIskawiíʾA.
then he came a man his facing (them).

noowitiwaákoʾ kuuNUxtAhkáta anuú naanaríčI xaawaarúxtiʾ –
Then he said: "Yellow Bear, over there the one standing horse –
anuú – naahnaaxtawikataʾús.
over there – one that is tied to it over yonder,
šuuxaaxtawikataʾús.
tie it beside (your team)!
kooxUsiRAxkaaʾiíšAt.
You must take it home."

atsú wituhnaánaʾ.
And it was the reason.
– atíʾAx neeniiwaákoʾ – tuhnaa- náʾ anuú
– My father he said: – "It is the reason there
iiwenatuxtaapIswó kuNAhúx niinaákUx kaawiruuWIhúxkUx
where we stopped the old man where he sits Striking The Grave
natuxtuuwíhA pítkUx kanítš natuxwaákA xaawaarúxtiʾ tátskaʾ šiʾaaxkiíhA.
when I hit him two stones when I said: 'A horse I want that you give it to me.
hawá štoh šiiʾaaxkiíhA hawá štoh xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Also again that you give it to me also again a horse.'"

wah – taanikuwituutAxítIt – kuNAhúx niinakaawiruuWI-
Now – this is what happened – the old man Where One Strikes
húx niiʾaNUsuxtaanawiíNA.
The Grave where they stopped.

wah noowitiiraaʾiitúxAt.
Now this is the end of the story.