XML version dated October 16, 2025. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

76

Coyote, the Artichokes,

and the Rose Hips

Lillian Brave

kuwiteetuunúʾaʾ sčiRIhtšutaRAháxuʾ
The village was coming in a long procession, Mischievous Coyote
NAhkutawé sčiRIhkaapinát– NAhkutawé uu
his being among them, Wolf– his being among them, oh,
NAhkutaʾiwaawanú – NAhkučiRIh- neewaawatíRA
his mingling among them – his looking all around
číkuʾ aatAhúNAx NAhkúʾA.
'that I might find something' to eat.

a inoowitiiwá tšuúxIt.
And there they grew artichokes.
noowitiiwá tšuúxIt.
There they grew artichokes.

witiwaákoʾ čee či tiNAxtapaáRIt.
He said: "Why, here you (pl) are!"

tinehnapaáRIt.
"Here we are.
nehkuNAsáʾUx.
Do you feel hungry?"

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš tikuriWAhteekootíhuʾ.
Then he said Coyote: "I am famished."

noowitiRAhwiísAt.
Then they parted (lit moved away).
witiRAhwiiwaásIt.
They wilted.

aniišuuxuukáWAt.
"Pull it up!
aniišuuxuukáWAt.
Pull it up!
neešíʾa.
Then eat it."

nikunoowituúta.
Then that is what he did.
čiríkU noowitIhaakatsawákUx.
Oh my, then he was smacking his lips (eating daintily).

saxtš nuuwekuNAhkuraneewaataáNA noowitikUxuuʾiwaníkuʾ.
As soo n as they looked the other way then he wolfed them down.
či wewitiišánoʾ kotkúsuʾ.
Here he made himse lf bloated (on them).
či wewitiišánoʾ kotkúsuʾ tšuúxIt wehnawáʾA
Here he made himse lf bloated (on them) artichokes his eating them,
wehnawáʾA tsu tiwehnawáʾA.
his eating them, and his eating them here.
uu witikaNAsaareešítIt.
Oh, his stomach became full.

nawáh tuxtaaNUhuunawíʾAt.
"Alright, let me quit (eating) for a while!"

anuú noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.
uu ahwewitiwaraakáʾAt waraačeékAt.
Oh, now he went a short ways into the woods in thick woods.
ahnoowiteétI.
Then he just farted.
noowiteehuunukaaráʾ.
Then it made him fly up into the air.

aa kaakUsunaahé.
"Ah, that felt sort of nice."

noowehnaátA wah štoh ahnoowiteéti čiríkU wehnaatihUxuutaáhu.
As he went on now again then he just farted, oh my, as the farting in- creased.
– nuuwekuwitaanuhkatAxá.
– Now he was high up in the air.
– wekuwitaanuhkatAxá sčiríhtš.
– Now he was high in the air Coyote.
wewitatawiraáʾ.
Now he came down.
noowitihnunaaníWI weh- naáxA wehniiNUhuunuúku.
Then he hit the ground his lying there as it was hurting him.
hUhtiísuʾ noowititčirih- káWAt.
Finally then his rectum came out.
wituutIskUxkáwatAt.
His rectum dropped out.

weNAhkoótI nihUxú noowititatsWAhnaáwaʾ.
When he farted only there was a sloshing sound.
wewi- titatswákUx.
The sloshing sound continued.

aa Axtóh čikiituxtaaNAxwéʾ.
"Ah, surely let me look for some way (ie help)!"

na noowitikáWAt haahnaaWIškaáhtš.
And then he took it out a pipe.
wituxtá.
He had it.
nowititaáRIt.
Then he filled it.

waaah takiiškuusuuxeéRIt.
"Nooow, someone see (ie help) me here!"

witiwaákoʾ takohnáʾU waraačeékAt šuúhuniʾ šiišaahnáʾ.
He said someone in the thick woods: "Over this way bring your pipe!"

nikunoowituúta tikutiwehnaátI nuukuwitaanuhkatAxá.
Then that is what he did: when he farted here he was flying far up in the air.
noowitiʾíšta haahnaaWIškaáhtš.
Then he was holding it the pipe.
nuuwekuwitaanuh- katAxá.
Now he flew up there with it.
– noowititakaáhAt.
– Then he came down
– noowitihnaakawaápIt wačéh haahnaaWIškaáhtš.
– Then the pipe broke, poor thing, the pipe.
witiitohtawaakároʾ.
It was taken apart.

wewitUtčiríkUx.
Now he looked at it.

parúNIt šištáʾ šuúhuniʾ.
"Quickly, bring it over here!"

a či nikukóhnoʾ natareepíhUx.
And here it was the one a vine.
či nikutíʾ.
Here it was the one.

noowituutIštsawitareewaápI.
Then he wrapped them around his hands.
noowehnuútA tiwehnaátI čiríkU štoh
When it was that way when he farted, oh my, again
tiwehninooʾátA noowititakaáhAt.
when (only) his body went over then he fell down.
kanawitii- raakáxtš tiíNI wehnatakaáhAt.
It was not so hard now when he fell.
wititakaáhAt.
He fell.

wewitiišá.
Now there he lay.
– siíno wewitihčiriinaʾaanúʾ.
– Yet his rectum was hurting.
– wewitohnuuteéRIt čiríkU wewitUtčirihkawátAt.
– When he looked at himself, oh my, his rectum had come out.
tsu wetitkaapaačíštI tšús.
But he had been pitied by it a grape (vine).
tšús ikuwewitíʾ natareepiínuʾ wenii- tAsškaapaatštíRA.
Grape that was the one a vine the one that had pitied him.
nooteeničíšIt.
Then it had saved him.

anuú noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.
witiiríwatAt.
He got up.
noowitíʾAt.
Then he went.
noowitIhaakírut haahnaaWIškaáhtš wačéh.
Then he picked it up the pipe, poor thing.
noowi- titačiwaapí.
Then he gathered them [pieces] up.
anuú noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.

wah tíNI štoh kanaaxtiwaʾá.
"Now this time again I won't eat them.
štoh kanaax- tiwaʾá.
Again I won't eat them.
či kananuhniwá.
Here they aren't good (anyway)!"

anuú noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.
nuu wehnaátA tsu weWIši- teeničíšIt.
There as he went but he had been saved.
nootitariiwaátAt.
Then he went through it.

a noowitiiwaáRIt čikohnoóčI.
And there they stood some things.

witiwaákoʾ čee či tiNAxtapaáRIt pAhastaátuʾ.
He said: "Why, here you (pl) are here rose bushes!"
pAhastaátuʾ tiíNI witíʾIt.
Rose bushes this time they were.
aa čee tineštapaáRIt.
"Ah, why, here you are!"

inooʾeenooNAsáʾUx a číkuʾ tiwaʾá.
"If you are hungry, yo u should eat some."

wah sčiríhtš tsu – tináʾU – noowitiiwaʾá.
Now Coyote but – his being the one – then he ate them.
tiiwaʾá sčiríhtš.
He ate them Coyote.
wehnawáʾA – wewitUtčiriiNAhpiíšuʾ weNUtčirihkaawó.
As he ate the – now his rectum was healing as it was going back inside.
wetUtčiriiNAhpiišúʾ.
His rectum was healing.

na noowitiwaʾá štoh páhAt.
And then he ate them again rose hips.
wehnakaátA waraákAt noowitUtčirihčireešihUxítIt sčiríhtš.
When he was going in the woods in the woods then his rectum began to itch Coyote.
noo- witUtčirihnuNAhwíʾAt.
Then he squatted and dragged his rectum.
hawá štoh witUtčirih- nuNAhwíʾAt.
Also again he squatted and dragged his rectum.
wewitiraaNAhpaáʾAt.
Now (his rectum) was all bloody.

tehnikutčiriiNAhpaáʾAt.
"My rectum must be bloody.
wetehnakáwatAt štoh.
It must have come out again."

a – či wešiišeeNUxčirihkakáʾUs – neekAstičiíšuʾ páhAt.
And – here they were now biting his rectum – the seeds rose hips
– nikuwetíʾIt – NIhkutčirihčireešIhú.
– That is what they were – its making one's rectum itch.

nuu wehnaátA noowitiwaraakáʾAt.
There as he went then he went into the woods.
noowiti- česwaátAt waraačeékAt.
Then he got to a clearing in thick woods.

witiwáčiʾ čee tičé NAxuúta.
They said: "Why, what did you do?
wetAxičiraanawíRIt paátuʾ
You are dripping it blood."

kaakíʾ.
"No.
tatuxwaʾá páhAt.
I ate them rose hips."

a noowitiiwá uuxapáhAt.
And there they grew red willows.
noowititareeʾuúxIt.
They were green.
wititareeʾuúxIt.
They were green.

witiwaákoʾ čee či tiNAxtapaáRIt.
He said: "Why, here you (pl) are!"

heeʾ tinehnapaáRIt.
"Yes, here we are.
kaakunaáhe.
It is not good.
kaakAhnaNAhna- neehaáʾAs.
We are not fully developed.
číkuʾ kaakAhnaNAhpAhaáʾAt.
We are not painted (red) yet."

witiwaákoʾ koxteeraahnaNAhpAhaáhnoʾ.
He said: "I will paint you."

witIhaakičitáWI – nuu – wehnaranooʾaáhnu paátuʾ.
He straddled a tree – there – his taking it off the blood.

wewitIhaačiRAhpAhaátIt.
Now the trees were all red.
wituutaakeéRIt čituúʾuʾ.
He saw them all.

ka weNAhnaNAhnaaneéhAs.
"Did I finish all of them?
wah Axtóh taatAsíš čituúʾuʾ wetAhnaaneéhAs.
Now surely I think all I have now finished them.
hawá čitapátš čee čitapátš wetAxinaaNAsareeʾúx
Also willows, why, willows you are just green!"

na nikunoowititčirihkáWAt.
And then that one took his rectum out.
witiwaákoʾ wah noowetuhnaanúxtA.
He said: "Now then it is going to be the end.
Axtóh witoxtiráʾa.
Certainly I will ruin myself.
witoxtiráʾa Axtóh.
I will ruin myself surely.
neeweetuxtaanaWAhteéhAt.
I shall end my work."

wah hánuʾ.
"Now go on!
niišuúxAt číkuʾ niikooNAxwóʾ.
Go on there wherever you are going!"

wah nuu noowitíʾAt.
Now there then he went.
nuu noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.

tsu – wewitiiniʾít tinaákUx – neeNUhuunukaaruuwaʾá.
But – now they let him go this – artichoke (lit the one that threw him up).
atíhUx – atíhUx witiiniʾít.
The fart, – the fart it let him go.
– hawá páhAt witiiníʾIt.
– Also the rose bush it let him go.

wah hánuʾ.
"Now go on!
– niišuúxAt.
– Go on there!
– tootsuú tAxíʾ sčiríhtš.
– Just you are a coyote."

hee tsu nikutátiʾ.
"Why, but I am the one.
tatíʾ nakunaahiwaarikú čituúʾuʾ.
I am t he one who fixes things everything.
niinookananakuuraaneehaásU nootatunaaheéRIt.
Whatever is not completed then I fix it."

wah si nikunootunaahiwaáRIt.
Now, see, he is the one who fixed things.
nootiraNAh- pAhaáhnoʾ uuxapáhAt.
Then he made them red the red willows.
nootiraNAhpAhaáhnoʾ čitapátš.
Then he made them red the willows.
tiRAhkAhuukároʾ paátuʾ.
He smeared them with it blood.
nootinaNAhpAhatwá.
Then they became red all over.
čituúʾuʾ nootiinaNAhpAhatwá.
All then they became red all over.

čee waaxtóh wetAxunaahiwá.
"Why, surely you have fixed things.
hawá niišuúxAt.
Also go on there!
tootsú tAxíʾ sčiríhtš.
Just you are a coyote."

wačéh nooWIšitihnuuwaʾít.
Poor thing, then they reviled him.
nuu noowitíʾAt.
There then he went.

noowitikaaʾiíšAt.
Then he went home.
noowitičitáʾAt.
Then he went up (the hill).

noowekaakUhčiriíne.
Then his rectum was not good.
naahtakúʾU noowiteenuhkaáraʾ.
His wife then she threw him out.

wah hánuʾ.
"Now go on!
– či wekananaaxUhčiriíne.
– Here your rectum is not good.
– šitehnoox- Iskunúx.
– They must have sodomized you."

šikaakikuuxIskunúx.
"I was not sodomized.
wešitikutčiriinaʾá páhAt.
They hurt my rectum rose hips.
na tšuúxIt wewitiraaniRAxá – tiweNAhatUhkáWI – páhAt.
And artichokes they were the first, – their being last – rose hips."

weWIšitiináʾU nakučiriNAhpAhaataáNA.
They made it for his rectum to become red.
noowitiraNAh- pAhatkawaakároʾ čituúʾuʾ.
Then he made them all red all.
uuxapáhAt nootiRAhpAhaáhnoʾ.
Red willows then he painted them.

tiíNI– tiNAsakuúNU – nikutiraačítA wenaraNAhpAhaatíčI
Now– today – this is the reason their being red
waraákAt – IšwaraakaʾiišátA – tiraNAhpAhaáʾAt.
in the woods – when you go into the woods – they are all red.
sčiríhtš nikuwitúhnaʾA čituúʾuʾ Ahnuhnaahiwaarikú.
Coyote he is the cause everything his fixing things.

a wetireskaáʾAt.
And now the gut went in.