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

115

When Coyote Helped Steal

Horses from the Sioux

Dan Howling Wolf

noowitiitúhkUx hawá štoh noowitiraáNAt naa- wiinakuúnuʾ.
There was a village, also again then they went off (on) the warpath.
nuu wehnaraanátA číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ noowiti- raaníNAt hiíš.
Then as they went wherever it was then they stopped in the evening.

nuu wehnihkahIhníkA wehnaraaNItkatawiítIt nuu
Then after they made a fire, as they sat around the fire, there
Ahnoowiteéʾaʾ wiítA.
then he just came a man.
noowiteéʾaʾ.
Then he came.
noowitíʾ sčiríhtš.
It was Coyote.
noowititkatáwiitIt niiʾAhnaraanoótA.
Then he sat down by the fire where they were sitting.
witiwiítIt.
He sat down.

noowitiwaaWIhtít nawáh wetatiínaʾ.
Then he spoke: "Now I have come.
tatohnaakeeRIšáʾ.
I came to see you.
tičé weNAxtakuúʾU tiweNAxinaahnaána.
Why are you (pl) (ie why is it) your coming here?"

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx wah wetatinaahnaanáʾ číkuʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Then he said one: "No we have now come for them some horses.
nikunootatinaakAsštíhIt číkuʾ šiNAtkuuNAhta- ʾuútI sanánat.
We are of a single mind our stealing some from them the Sioux."

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš nawáh tiiháʾ tiitúhkUx.
Then he said Coyote: "Now, here there's a village.
uu kaakunaaneešawíhAx xaawaarúxtíʾ haáwaʾ.
Oh, there are indeed many of them– horses also.
kaakunaaneešawíhAx xaawaarúxtiʾ.
There are indeed many of them horses.
niiháʾ tiitúh- kUx.
There there is a village.
kaakeeninuuneešawíhAx.
They have many of them.
wah koxtíʾAt.
Now I will go.
koxtoh- naakUhnáʾ.
I'll bring them to you.
koxtohnaahtaʾút xaawaarúxtiʾ.
I'll steal them for you the horses."

noowitiwáčiʾ nawáh.
Then they said: "Fine."

na noowitíʾ sčiríhtš.
And there it was Coyote.
nawáh tiiháʾ tiweNAxtAh- naanátA nuukukooxanaahnaáNAt.
"Now here as you (pl) go you can go over there."
noowitihUsAhaaniítaWI.
Then he told of the creek.
niiháʾ nikUšikoxkuhnuníkUx.
"There that is where you will await me.
NAstaʾuútI na niiháʾ nikuneetehnaáhNAt.
When I steal (them) and there that is where I'll take them."

nikunoowituúta sčiríhtš.
Then he did that Coyote.
noowitiihuununáhAs.
Then he vanished.
nuu wehnaátA noowitičitáʾAt tsu tinawanú
There when he went he went on (a hill), but this one (going about)
niineetúhkUx nuu wehnawanú sčiríhtš
where the village was there when he was going about Coyote
tuutiikaʾá xaawaarúxtiʾ.
he went in the middle the horses.
kanawituuneešawíhAx niiʾAhnawaaríčI.
There were many indeed where they were standing.
uukaríkAt niiʾAhneetúhkUx nikuwitiwaáRIt.
In the center where the village was that is where they stood.

nootuúta phiináNIt nootehniwooxítIt.
Then he did it: slowly then he started taking them.
noowitikUxunáRIt niiʾAhnuúta niiʾAhnaaRAh-
Then he separated them where he did it where they were coming
nuúkAhu na witehnaaWIsítIt.
in (the entrance), and he took them out.
nuu wehnaátA číkuʾ niikohnaraateéhAt.
There when he went it is not known when it was.
čituúʾuʾ wehnaahnaaWIsítIt nootehniNUhát.
All after he drove them out then he frightened them.
nootuuNAhnáʾAx.
Then he chased them.

nuu áWAx noowewiteeraawakaahtawáʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ wetiraanaWIsítIt.
Then the left behinds then they (the enemy) raise a cry: the horses they had gone out.
tikUxuuniriWAtwaáhAt tsu nootuuNAhnáʾAx.
They all jumped up and then they ran after them.

nuu wehnaahnátA nuu wehnaahnoohuuwiraátA sčiríhtš
There when he drove them, there when he herded them, Coyote
noowitíʾAt niiʾAhnahUsAhaanoótA niiʾAhnux- waákA nuu šikoxkuhnuníkUx.
then he went there where the creek was where he had said: "There you will wait for me."

noowiteewakAhuutáʾ.
Then he yelled.
wah wetáʾ.
"Now he comes!
wetaahnáʾ híNAx xaawaarúxtiʾ.
He is bringing them tonight horses."

wewitikatistátAt.
Now it was dark.
anuú wetaahnáʾ.
And there now he brought them
noowi- tehnoohuuNIswaátAt inawaaríčI.
Then he drove them into sight those.
čeésuʾ nootikUxuu- NIswaátAt.
Himself then he drove them into sight.

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš wah tiweneešiniinaapaáRIt.
Then he said Coyote: "Now here they stand for you.
niišiišuuxAhnikaaʾiíšAt.
Drive them home!
aniišiišuuxáNAt čeésuʾ.
You take those, too!"

na nooWIšitiiNAhnáʾAx.
And then they ran them off.
nuu wešohniiNAhnátA noowitohnaánaʾ.
There when they herded them then they came to fight.
parúNIt šuxtaapóʾ.
"Quickly, you (pl) go!"

nuu wešohniNAhnátA nooWIšitiNAhniwísAt niiháʾ.
Then as they herded them, then they took them to a point there.
nikunoowitIsá witiNAhkakaáxIt.
Then they did that: they divided them.
niiNAhkoos- šó niinehkunusteéʾU noowititaáWAt xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Whichever one he wanted the one he liked then he chose it the horse.
noowituhniwá xaatíštIt.
They were nice looking, fine horses.
noowitíʾIt xaawáčiʾ na xaaNAhkatá.
They were pintos and palominos.
noowituhnanuuwíš.
They were mixed colors.

wah taanikuwituúta sčiríhtš.
Now this is what he did Coyote.