XML version dated March 02, 2004. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

134

The Wild Buffalo

Dan Hopkins

wetatuuniitíštA taNAhoosánax.
Now I am going to tell about it a wild buffalo.

weNAhkuraanátA wenehkuraNAxwé tanáhaʾ noowitinaanunáx.
When they went when they were looking for them buffalos then they found them.
noowitiikaníškUx.
There was a herd there.
wenehkustuu- wíRIt – čiríkU – witiiwanúʾ – áxkUx –
While they slaughtered them, – oh my, – it was there – one –
číkuʾ niiNAh- kuhtItkatítkUx noowitiraanawikUxiwaáhAt.
wherever there was a black mound (of dirt) then it charged and scattered it.
kanawitíʾ šiNIhkuhwiisátA.
No one was able to go towards it.

natsú – wiiNAxtšutakaahuúnuʾ – NAhkiisAhkaʾaáhNA witirá xaawaarúxtiʾ.
But – a poor boy – one who was in that village he had it a horse.
witikatariíʾI.
It was swift.
noowitiwískaʾ waaxtóh koxtíʾat.
Then he thought: "Now surely I will go."

nootitoonawaahUxítIt.
Then he began to tease it.

nooWIšitiiNIstaanipákuʾ axíʾAt.
Then they admonished him: "Don't go!
axíʾAt.
Don't go!
kaakíʾ  naakuriiwaníkA naáNt.
It will not miss you really."

natsú tinaátA wiiteešútš kaNAtkoókuʾ.
But this young man he didn't listen.
nootíʾAt niiʾAhnawánu.
Then he went where it was.
nootoonawaahUxítIt wehnunaʾiwaa- hakú.
Then he began teasing it when he was repeatedly heading it off.
– tinaaríčI noowitiiteéRIt.
– This one then it saw him.
– nootiináʾAx.
– So it chased him.

tinaátA – xaawaarúxtiʾ – nootiitaRAhtšwá wehnuh- kUxáxI.
This – horse – then it gained strength as it ran off.
natsú nootiináʾAx.
But then it chased him.
nuu wenihniraanátA nuu wenihniraanátA witikatiisiʾá.
There as it chased him, there as it chased him, it became dark.

nuu witiihaahtawiítIt.
Then it became daylight.
wehneehaahtawiítIt wekuwi- tuhnaaʾúʾ Ahnaaʾá.
When it became daylight the way continued its coming.
nuu wehnihniraanátA noowi- tikatiisiʾá.
There while it chased after him then it got dark.

na – weneehaahtawiítIt – štoh – xaawaarúxtiʾ – noo- teewíʾAt.
And – after it became daylight – again, – the horse – then it tired.
nooteeʾiwooxítIt.
Then it began to tire.

witiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI xaawaarúxtiʾ aninaaʾá -- aninaaʾá
It said this horse: "That one coming -- that one coming
kaakiwaʾá na kaneeniičiikaáhuʾ.
it does not eat and it does not drink.
tsu netčiikaáhuʾ tsu netwaʾá.
But I drink, but I eat.
wah šuxčíWAt sčiríhtš.
Now bark (as) a coyote!"

nikunootuúta wiináxtš tinaaríčI nootičíWAt sčiríhtš
Then he did that boy this: then he barked (as) a coyote.
xaawaarúxtiʾ nootiihUhtaRAhtšá.
The horse then it regained it strength.

nuu wenaátA nuu – wenaátA – nootikatiisiʾá štoh.
There as it went, there – as it went – then it became dark again.
nootiihaahtawiítit štoh.
Then it became daylight again.

hawa štoh šuxčíWAt sčiríhtš.
"Also again bark (as) a coyote!"

nikunootuúta nootičíWAt sčiríhtš.
Then that is what he did: then he barked (as) a coyote.

nootikatiisiʾá na nootiihaahtawiítIt.
Then it became dark and then it became daylight.
na nooteewíʾAt xaawaarúxtiʾ.
And then it tired the horse.
na xaawaarúxtiʾ nootuhnaánuʾ.
And the horse then that was the end.

nootiwísAt – a – tinaákUx wiiteešútš.
Then he arrived there – and – this young man.
niku- nootuutaánuʾ.
This is what he did.
– nootiiwaákUx.
– There there was a hill.
– kostaáka noowetii- waákUx.
– White clay there now was a hill.
niiháʾ nikunootikUxtáʾAt.
There that is where he ran up.
nootikoosáwiitIt.
Then he sat down on top.

tsu – nuuwenaáʾa – nuuwenaáʾa nootawísaʾ niinaáxA xaawaarúxtiʾ.
But – as it came there, – as it came there then it arrived where it lay the horse.
– nooteewikAsakUxítIt.
– Then it began goring it.
– čituúʾuʾ tiitapItkároʾ.
– All it tore it to pieces.

na nootiRAxweesítIt.
And then it began looking for him.
nootiiNAxhuunúkAt niinaaxhuunoótA.
Then it trailed him where his tracks went.
noowetitákUx niiháʾ nii- nawaákUx.
Now then he sat on it there where the hill was.

tinaaríčI – hukós nootIhaahkaʾiíšAt – nuu
This – bull then it went down in a depression – there
weNAhkUhaahkaaríčI weNAhkuhooRUtkatawaahakú.
where it stood below where it was going around in the mud.
na štoh witeekátaʾ.
And again it came up.

na noowituunaahkawiksakUxítIt NAhkUhunaahkawitawirátA weNAhkutoonaahkatawiráhAt.
And then it began hooking it when it caved in the earth after it had sliced the hillside.
noowitIhunaahkawitawíRAt tiwehniNAhwanú tiwehniNAhwanú.
Then it caved in the earth, its going after him, its going after him.
na hUhtiísuʾ tsu wekanawitiiwaaNIhuúʾU niiʾaNAhuučitákUx.
And finally but it was not a big hill where he sat on top.

na noowitIhaahkaʾiíšAt štoh.
And then it went down again.
NAhkUhaahkaʾiišátA AhwitiraačeéʾA NAhkUhaahkaaríčI.
After it went down below it was a little while longer when it stood down below.
na noowiteekatáʾ.
And then it came up.

noowituunaahkawikAsakUxítIt.
Then it began goring the earth.

weNAhkUhaahkaʾiišátA tiweNAhaahkaʾiišátA tsu – tinaákUx
After it went down the bank, when it went down the bank, but – this
– wiiteešútš nootirinuʾá.
– young man then he became afraid.
tičé kuta- tootaaníštA.
"I wonder what I am going to do?"

štoh tiweNAhaahkaʾiišátA číkuʾ wekanawiteewaaNIhuúʾU.
Again after it went down there the hill was small(er).
nootiraaʾá NAhkuroohUhtakaáhAt.
Then it appeared that it would throw him off.

tiweNAhaahkaʾiišátA tsu – tinaákUx – witeešútš nootikUxtakaáhAt.
After it went down the bank, but – this – young man then he jumped off.
nootikúxAx iiʾAhnuxčiisúkuku niinakutswó.
Then he ran where water had been dripping where water flowed.
nikunoowititIhaahkaʾús.
That is where he lay down at the bottom.

nuu witiNAhaahkoósA wenakataʾá wenuutaáNA anookaakiitákUx.
There when he was lying in the depression when it came up when it did it he was not on top.
noowitiihooRUhtákaahAt.
Then the clay dropped down.
nootiwaawirít.
Then it knocked the hill over.

na wekananiiteéRIt nootiiNAxhuunúkAt.
And when it did not see him then it trailed him.
noo- tihnunáx niiʾaNAhaahkoóčI.
Then it found him where he was in the depression.
tehniraawi- čeéʾIs niiʾAhnuuxaahkáxA.
It must have been high where he lay in the bottom.
tinaaríčI weNAhkoótA noowituhnunaanawiksakUxítIt.
This one where it went then it gored the earth.
nuukuwitaahnooRUtkUxawáNIt.
It threw clay off the other way.
štoh nuukuwitáʾ.
Again it came over there.

tiwehniNAhwanú tiwehniNAhwanú hUhtiísuʾ
After it went after him, after it went after him finally
noowitihkawi- RAhaákuʾ.
then it was almost prying him (with its horns).
uu číkuʾ noowitihkawiRAsaákuʾ.
Oh, then it almost touched him.

tinaáxA wiiteešútš – nooteečítstaʾ – wenačíkAt wenačíkAt.
This young man – then he cried, – when he cried, when he cried.
noowitiwískaʾ tsu wetAxkukUhunáhAs.
Then he thought: "But I'm going to die."

tsu wehnuutaánu witeenaahkawiksaákuʾ.
But while he was doing it it was goring the earth.
noo- witihkawiRAhaákuʾ.
Then it was almost prying him out.

tsu – wiiteešútš tinaáxA – wewitiwískaʾ wetAxkukUhunáhAs.
But – young man this – he thought: "Now I'll die."

na – nooteéʾaʾ tanáhaʾ.
And – then it came the buffalo.
tiihéʾ – NIstaakíniʾ nootiNAstaʾiwooxítIt.
Here – on his back then it began licking him.
wehniNAstaʾiwó wehniNAs- taʾiwó – nootetskaruuwáʾ – paátuʾ.
As it was licking him, as it was licking him – then it came out – blood.
tetskaruúwaʾ paátuʾ.
It came out blood.

na nootikatáʾAt.
And then it went up.
nootiwiítIt.
Then it sat down.

a noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh šuuxiriwátAt.
And then it said: "Now get up!"

wiiteešútš nootiiríwatAt na inootiíkUx sáhniš.
The young man then he got up and there there sat a person.

na niiháʾ nikunoowitihnaaʾiitáWI wah wetAx-
And there then that is what it told him: "Now you
kuunaanaahúnoʾ – nikuNItkuutaáNA – nikutshaahwaah- nú NItkiihuuwiraaʾaáhNA.
have spoiled things for me – that which I did – when I was acting proudly when I was going around fast.
tsu weneškuunaanaa- húnoʾ weNAxkuutaáNA.
But you spoiled things for me what you have done.
xaawaarúxtiʾ NAxuuxičitáWI tuxkatariíʾI – tsu – kaneeniikatariíʾI.
The horse the one you rode it was fast – but – it was not so fast
– tsu – tiwenatohniraána tuxkatariíʾI -- tiwenatohniraána tiwenaaweétA.
– But – when I chased you it was fast -- when I chased you when it tired.
nikutAxkuu- naanaahúnoʾ natUsuxtsaahwaahnú.
You are the one who spoiled it for me when I was acting proudly.
nikutuh- naanáʾA tiwenatootinaaWIsá xaawaarúxtiʾ wenatohkoo- tíkA.
That is the reason when I caught up with you horse my killing yours."

wah noowitihnaaʾiitáWI wah xaawaarúxtiʾ tsu kaneeniikatariíʾI.
Now then he (the man) told him: "Now the horse but it was not so fast
– weNAxuutuunikUxtáNIt – xaawaarúxtiʾ naáNIt nikutikatariíʾI.
– The one you are going to catch – horse really that one will be fast.
niiháʾ neešaahkaʾii- šátA – niiháʾ tIhaahkaáRIt
There when you go into the brush – there it will be standing down there
– xaawaarúxtiʾ.
– a horse.
neešuutuuníkUt anináʾU – xaawaarúxtiʾ– nikutikatariíʾI skána.
When you catch it that one – horse– that is the fast one alone."

nikunoowituúta – wiiteešútš – wehnaátA.
Then that is what he did – the young man – when he went.
nootitkaapaačíštI.
Then it pitied him.
nikunoowitiínu xaawaarúxtiʾ nakukatariíNU.
Then he was given that one a horse its being fast.

nootikaaʾiíšAt.
Then he went home.

nootuutaanuuxítIt – weNAhkoótA – naawiinakuúnuʾ na
Then he began doing it – when he went – (on) the warpath and
nooWIšitihtaraʾóʾ anináʾU wiiteešútš taanikutuúta.
then they talked about him that young man: "This is what he did."

nootUtkawiiruutikUxítIt.
Then he began performing outstanding deeds.
tehnaraanaáNIš NAhkuutaawaanú.
It must have been true the things he did.

nookaakunaaheereétIt haáwaʾ.
Then it became bad also.
nootuutAhnoohuunaawaa- nuuxítIt áriišIt
Then he started doing (bad) things to them himself:
tákuʾ NAhkuuxIhtakuríkUx noowitoo- siRAxkaáʾ.
whoever one was married to then he brought her out.

wah niiháʾ nikuwetiraáʾAt.
Now there that is now the end.