XML version dated February 14, 2024. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
152
Soldier and the Wolves
Eleanor Chase
koxtunaaʾít. |
I will tell the story of it. |
tiraaʾiitUxtaáNIš | natanuu- | NUxtaakunuuwaáWI | – | kuNAhúx | – |
It is a true story | (of) one | of ours who was living | – | an old man | – |
nuuxAxaáNU | xunáNIš. |
who was named | Soldier. |
sinoó | AhnuxčipiriíNU | číkuʾ weNAhkUtpsiwaáhNA |
Yet | when he was young | when he was about winters old |
nooxiniʾ na taWIšaápis | – | noowitiraaWIhkaʾiíšAt | – | weNAhkUhunuu- | waáWI | NIhkuraaNAxweekoóčI. |
eighteen, | – | then he went hunting | – | when they went | around | when they looked for things. |
nuu | wehnaátA | nuu | wehnaátA | skaweéraaʾuʾ |
There | as he went, | there | as he went | west, |
číkuʾ nookanawitiihunuuwá | číkuʾ niinakukootíkA |
there there was nothing going round | nothing for him to kill |
číkuʾ niinaakuranikaaʾiišá | tsástš. |
some for him to bring home | meat. |
tiwehnuútA | – | tiwehnuútA | – | hUhtiísuʾ | wewitIsakuuníšwoʾ |
As it was, | – | as it was, | – | finally | it was about sunset |
číkuʾ niikohnuutAxítIt | – | AhnakAhaanáwi | – | sáhniš. |
whatever happened | – | its being the odor | – | a human. |
nuu | wehnaátA | noowitIhaapé. |
There | as he went | there was a tree. |
naaNIšú | wituhnaaké | atíštIt | nakukoosaátA. |
Really | it was a nice tree, | good | for one to climb up on. |
wehnatkáʾU | noowitíʾ | sčiRIhkaapinát | tiwehnaWAhnaáhu. |
When he heard it | it was | a wolf | when it was howling. |
noowitiwískaʾ | parúNIt | toxkoosáʾAt. |
Then he thought: | "Quickly | let me get up on it!" |
a | noowitikoosáʾAt | niiʾaNAhaápI. |
And | then he went up | where the tree was. |
noowiteehaah- | níhIt | aNAhaápI | niiwehnakoohaahkaátA. |
There was a | single tree | the tree | where he went on the prairie. |
noowiti- | koosáʾAt. |
Then he | climbed up on it. |
atíštIt | noowiwituhkUxiwaáRIt. |
Well | then he seated himself comfortably. |
kanawituxtaačeéʾA | noowiteekUxuhčitáʾ |
It was not long | then they came running over the hill |
číkuʾ niikohnuhnaánuʾ | sčiRIhkaapinát. |
however many there were | wolves. |
noowewiteeraawakaah- | taʾaáhuʾ. |
Now they were all | howling. |
noowitištsaaweerawiítIt | niiʾAhnakoo- | sákUx. |
Then they put their paws up against it | where he was | sitting on top. |
tsu | noowitiraná | niíšuʾ. |
But | he had them | arrows. |
kaništanuhkáʾIt | tinaákuʾ. |
They didn't have them | guns. |
noowitiwískaʾ | nookanaxteekUxawaníkuʾ | niíšuʾ | nát- | kuʾ. |
Then he thought: | "I will not just shoot them | arrows | without | purpose. |
– | kutiraáNIš | naáNIt | nakUxaakaareétIt. |
– | It was to be | really | when it opened its mouth |
– | noo- | witiwískaʾ | kunoxtootUhuunookuwáNIt. |
– | Then | he thought: | "I'll shoot it into its mouth." |
a | nikunoowituúta | wenehkuraawiinúʾa |
And | then that is what he did: | when they came charging |
wenehkišwiNAsaaweereétIt | sčiRIhkaapinát | noo- | witiiwáNIt. |
when they raised their forepaws up on it | the wolves, | then | he shot it. |
noowituhniišUhuunookuwáNIt. |
Then he shot the arrow into its mouth. |
noowituu- | tIsaapiraáʾAt | na | noowitiʾiitoóxIt. |
Then it | rolled over | and | then it lay still. |
wah | tiinikuwehnuutaánu | wehnakawoótiku |
Now | while he was doing this | when he was killing them, |
wehnakawoótiku | AhnoowewitikohniwiíkUx. |
when he was killing them, | then the dead bodies were piled up. |
wehnuutAxkoosákUx | noowitiwískaʾ | Axtóh | kaakíʾ | nataakutakaáhAt. |
While he was just sitting on top | then he thought: | "Certainly | I canno | t get down." |
wah | tiwehnuútA | tiwehnuútA | uunawaa- | ríčI | AhwituuxaWIsunuuwá. |
Now | as it was, | as it was | the | others | they were just lingering around for a while longer. |
nootiRAsačipiítIt. |
Then they gathered together. |
– | nootiraáNAt. |
– | Then they went |
– | wekaaku- | naaneešawíhAx. |
– | There was a | multitude of them. |
číkuʾ | NAsawíʾuʾ | kohniikawoótIt. |
About | thirty | he must have killed them. |
wehnakoosákUx | noowitiwískaʾ | Axtóh | aatoo- | xátA |
While he sat on top | then he thought: | "Certainly | if I | should go |
naraatawé | kuúNUx | axkuuhunáx. |
perhaps | a bear | maybe he'll find me. |
tiiháʾ | neetoxkoosákUx. |
Here | let me stay up on top!" |
wah | tiwehnakoosákUx | kaakiiRAtkAhaahčeenoókuʾ | awirítkAt. |
Now | as he sat on top | the night is not long | in summer. |
wah | tiwehnuútA | noowitiihaahtawiitikUxítIt. |
Now | as it was | then it began to become daylight. |
wehneehaahtawiitikUxítIt | noowitiwískaʾ | aatox- | tanooʾaáhNA | – |
When it began to become daylight | then he thought: | "If I | extracted them | – |
niíšuʾ | naraátawe | – | xanuhnaanapítaahAt. |
the arrows, | maybe | – | they might turn back." |
noowitiriškUxawáNIt | – | na | – | noowitiwískaʾ | nuunee- | šuxtoswá. |
Then he threw the arrows away | – | and | – | then he thought: | "Let | them lie there!" |
na | noowititakaáhAt. |
And | then he got down. |
AhnoowituúNAx. |
Then he just ran. |
tiwehnaátA | tiwehnaátA | wehnakaaʾiišátA | nuu | wewitoosaahtáʾ. |
As he went, | as he went, | when he was going home | there | the sun now came up. |
naáNIt | witiihaahtawiítIt | wehneehuuwiraátA. |
Really | it became daylight | as he ran. |
nuuwehnaátA | AhnuxtaačeéʾA | AhnuxkoohaahkaʾaáhNA. |
As he went there, | it was a long time | his being on the prairie. |
nootiwísAt | wenataraapačeéhu | áxkUx | wenakutoókUt. |
Then he arrived | what we say | one | its being the time. |
wehnaWIsátA | noowitiwaákoʾ | číkuʾ Ahnoowekaakatiraa- | hunáx. |
After he arrived, | then he said: | "I just did not find | anything. |
waáwi | šineekukoótit | sčiRIhkaapinát. |
They n | early killed me | wolves. |
číkuʾ koh- | natiikawoótIt– | wiitaʾuʾ na šíhUx | – | naraatawé | NAsawíʾuʾ. |
I must have | killed them– | twenty-five, | – | perhaps | thirty. |
noo- | wetikohniwiíkUx. |
The | dead are piled up there now." |
wah | – | niinuhnaaʾuúʾA | – | šikaakiwakuuniiNIšikUxítIt. |
Now | – | as is the way | – | they began to doubt what he said. |
nooWIšitinaWAxkUxítIt. |
Then they began to laugh at him. |
noowitiwaákoʾ | – | toxtaahnaaničitawiítIt. |
Then he said: | – | "Let's mount up! |
– | toxtaahnaáNAt. |
– | Let's go!" |
noowitiraaničitawiítIt | niikohnuhnaánuʾ. |
Then they mounted | however many there were. |
nootuu- | taakIsiráxAt. |
Then he | led them. |
nuu | noowitiRAhwísAt. |
There | then they arrived. |
wewitIsakUhteerípiRIt. |
It was now afternoon. |
tsu | tiwehnaraaničitáWI | wewitiRAhkatariíʾI. |
But | since they were on horseback | they were now fast. |
noo- | witiRAhwísAt | na | inoowitiikohniwiíkUx. |
Then | they arrived | and | there the dead were piled up. |
na | noowitiwískaʾ | toxtanoóʾa | niísuʾ. |
And | then he thought: | "Let me take them out | the arrows!" |
noowititakaáhAt. |
Then he got down. |
na | noowitiranooʾaahnuuxítIt | niíšuʾ. |
And | then he began to take them out | arrows. |
číkuʾ kanawitihwáčiʾ | tinawaaríčI | šohniiNIšwakuu- | náwo. |
They did not say anything | these | the ones who were | doubting him. |
na | nooteeraánaʾ | na | noowiteeRAhwísaʾ. |
And | then they came | and | then they arrived back. |
noo- | tiraaʾiitUxkatawiíhAt. |
Then | word was passed around. |
noowitihwáčiʾ | tiraáNIš | xunaáNIš. |
Then they said: | "He is truthful | Soldier. |
waáwi | šikooxihkoótIt | sčiRIhkaapinát. |
They n | early killed him | wolves. |
šiteh- | niináʾAx. |
They must | have chased him. |
kunohnitáʾAt. |
Then he climbed up. |
nooteehaahníhIt | nuuxaápI. |
There was a single tree | where the tree was. |
číkuʾ nii | waáwi | kohnuúta. |
I do not k | now wh | at he would have done. |
waáwi | šikooxehkanéʾIs | sčiRIhkaapinát. |
They w | ould have eaten him up | the wolves. |
tsu | tiwehnatá- | kUx | noowitiwaákoʾ | weNAtkuWIskáʾA | koxteekoótIt. |
But | when he sat | on it | then he said: | 'When I thought, | I will kill them. |
nootatiihaakawáNIt. |
I'll just shoot one in the mouth. |
na | tiraanaáNIs | nootatikoótIt. |
And | it is truly the way | then I'll kill it!'" |
wehnaaWIsá | noowitihneésiš | a | či | NAxiwáhNIš. |
When he arrived back | then they found out: | "And | here | you are truthful! |
a | či | nikuNAxuúta. |
And | here | that is what you did!" |
na | noowitiwaákoʾ | xunáNIš | waaxtóh | kaakatihčeéšIt. |
And | then he said | Soldier: | "Now truly | I do not lie. |
weNAtkuwaákA | teenikuwetatuúta. |
When I said: | 'This is what I did. |
tiiháʾ | nikuwetatuúta | nikutiraawáhNIš. |
Here | it is what I did,' | that is the truth. |
wekaakatihčeešaanúʾ. |
I have not been lying. |
tsu | šineškuuNUx- | wakuunáwoʾ. |
But | you were | doubting me. |
nikutiraačítA | wenataraahnaanátA. |
That is the reason | for our going. |
wenee- | šuhnaahneésiš |
Now you | have learned." |
wah | – | tiwenatáwe | – | tatsuuxeéRIt | kuNAhúx. |
Now | – | while he was among us | – | I saw him | the old man. |
wetúx | kuNAhúx. |
He was | an old man. |
– | tehnúx | xunáNIš. |
– | He must have been | a soldier |
– | na | tiraa- | naáNIs | naaxaáNU | xunáNIš. |
– | And | it was | truly the way | his being named | Soldier. |
ipáhniʾ | nikutóx | naahukosčiripásIt. |
His grandfather | he was the one | Little Brave. |
niku- | tatakuunaakunáhAs | – | nuu | – | nuxwanú |
That | one died for us | – | there | – | when he was going around |
France | nuu | nuuxapakú | First | World | War. |
(in) France | there | when he was fighting | First | World | War. |
wah | teenikutuhnaaʾiitUxúʾ. |
Now | this is the story. |