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

127

Coyote and Beaver

Dan Howling Wolf

sčiríhtš noowitIhuukaatawiíʾAt.
Coyote then he went along the creek bank.
noowiteetkAh- warúskUx iiháʾ.
Then there was a mound of dirt there.
noowitIhuučitawiítIt.
Then he sat down on top of it.

AhnareewaatíRA takohnáʾU noowiteewakaraanúʾaʾ tuuháʾ hee tAxkuuNItkaNAsakaaruuwaahaákuʾ.
As he looked, someone then he called out over there: "Hey, you're dropping dirt from mine!
kooxeehuukaáhuʾ.
You must come inside."

čukú nareékA.
"Where is the door?"

tuukiišuúhAt.
"Go around this other way!"

sčiríhtš tukunoowitíʾAt.
Coyote then he went the other way.
inoowitiireékA.
There was a door.
noowitIhuúkAt.
Then he entered.
inoowitíʾ čítUx.
There he was Beaver.

hą́ą́ šuxwiítIt.
"Hey, sit down!"

ha wačéh tikuNAsáʾUx.
"Ha, poor thing, I am hungry."

nawáh kooxIhaakawáʾAs.
"Yes, you will eat."
noowitanuunookatarós nakatakáxtš.
There he had a pile in the corner kindling.
noowitiRAhweešUxítIt.
Then he began to pound it.
uu wewitiraasá.
Oh, they lay in it.

nawáh kooxIhaakawáʾAs čiríkU sčiríhtš.
"Now you will eat, poor thing, Coyote."

noowitohneekaaxtiwaátaʾ.
Then he (Beaver) lifted his leg up.
noowitohNItpiikuuníkUt čítUx.
Then he grabbed his own testicles Beaver.
tiírut šíštš.
He picked it up an awl.
číkuʾ noowitohnipiikásAt.
Then he pricked his testicles.
uu wititskawátAt čiisAhítš.
Oh, the liquid came out tallow.
witičiraanaWIhuučitaʾá nakatakáxtš.
The liquid came flowing onto it the kindling.
noowitiwá tapáhtuʾ.
Then it became pemmican.

nawáh tiwehneéRIt noowituhnaahaánus na sčiríhtš wewitiwaʾá.
Now, as he stood here, then he put it in a bowl for him, and Coyote now he ate.

nawáh čiíRA atípaʾ tuxkaaʾiíšAt.
"Now, hello, grandpa, let me go home!"

noowitikaaʾiíšAt.
Then he went home.
piirátš kananiiraná.
Children he had them indeed.
witIhuú- kAt.
He went inside.
tIhuúkAt.
He went inside.

wah šuxtaapiná nakatakáxtš.
"Now pick it up kindling!
uu wešitikuraaʾú.
Oh, they gave me a way."

čiríkU noowitihpiná nakatakáxtš.
Poor things, then they picked it up kindling.
noo- wituhNAhwiítIt wehnaRAhweéšu.
Then he sat down to do it as they were pounding them.

čé NAxuutaánuʾ.
"Wh at are you doing?"

kooxuhnaahneesíš.
"You will learn.
wetAxtapaawaaníštA.
Now you (pl) are going to eat."

uu witiraahaánus AhnaRAhweéšA nakatakáxtš.
Oh, they filled it when they pounded it the kindling.

noowiteekaaxwaátaʾ.
Then he lifted his leg.
škuúxu šíštš.
"Give it to me an awl!"

nooWIšitiínu.
Then they gave it to him.

uu witooNItpiikuuníkUt číkuʾ noowitohNItnipii- kásAt.
Oh, when he grabbed his testicles, then he pricked his testicles.
čirikU paátuʾ kunoowititskawátAt.
Poor thing, blood then the liquid came out.
uu kaakuutAxítIt.
"Oh, it did not happen!"
noowewitiiNAhúna.
Then he staggered.
weteeštAhweeraʾuúkUt na noowitikót.
Now he fell over and then he died.
čituúʾ paátuʾ witaahtskawátAt.
All the blood the liquid had come out.

noowiteéʾaʾ čítUx.
Then he came Beaver.
čeétoʾ ituuteeríšAt.
"Let me go to see him!"

noowitiikostá.
There he lay dead.

taanikutuuAxítIt.
"This is what happened."

witiwaákoʾ čítUx na číkuʾ kaakiwaákoʾ.
He said Beaver: "Don't say anything.
škuusuxtaa- ʾiitáWI– na koxtohnaaʾiitáWI číkuʾ niinakuutaáNA
Tell me– and I will tell you what you are to do
kanaa- xíkot.
you won't die.
koxtohnaaʾiitáWI niinakuutaáNA.
I will tell you what to do."

nikuwituutá sčiríhtš noowitohnikoótIt weh- nunaataʾuutú
That is what he did Coyote: then he killed himself when he imitated his way
čítUx aatakaráʾU tapáhtuʾ.
Beaver 'that I make it' pemmican.
noo- witohnikoótIt áriišIt.
Then he killed himself himself.

wah tireskaáʾAt.
Now the gut went in.