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

84

The Fire Maker and

Why Children Misbehave

Lillian Brave

tsu waaxeehaaniwiruúʾ tsu nooNAhkookaníkUx kana- witiwískaʾ tákuʾ aaxihnuúkAhu.
And Waaxeehaaniwiruuʾ, and his having a home he did not want that anyone enter it.
wiináxtš weNAhkuRAhnuupó piiráts – haáwaʾ nikunoowituutaánuʾ
The boys when they went in children – also, then he was doing that
– weNAhkukahIhnikú.
– his making a fire.
a čiišaáʾA waaRUxtininoósiʾ.
And here he was the Devil.

hásI kooxiraahnaanaahúnoʾ inoonikiišuhnaakaánu šinaaNAhnuúkAhu.
"Look, you are going to spoil it if you keep on doing it, if you continue coming inside.
kooxiraahnaanaahúnoʾ.
You will spoil it."

noowituúta NAhkukahIhnikú.
Then he did it his making a fire.

noowiteeRAhnuukáʾ Ištóh.
Then they came inside again.
piirátš witiraaNIhuúʾU wehnaaRAhnuúka wešohnitčeekeesštáWI.
Children there were many their coming inside their liking the fire.
natš noowitee- naNAhuúkaʾ – wešohnitkaʾIhnikú –
Wood then they brought it inside – when they made the fire for him –
waaRUxtini- noósiʾ.
the Devil.
nooWIšitihčeekatawíʾIš.
Then they stoked the fire.

nootiwaákoʾ aaxuhnaakaánuʾ.
Then he said: "Don't do it!"

hUhtiísuʾ nooWIšitihčeekoohUhčitaWAtwoóhAt.
Finally then they were jumping over the fire.
noowewi- tiisaahnúʾ wah WIšititčeekoohUhčitáʾAt.
Then they were doing it: now they jumped over the fire.

noowitiraawičeéna – noowitiwaákoʾ wah – si wetAxtaNAhnaanaahúnoʾ.
Then it was a while later – then he said: "Now, – see, you have spoiled it!"

áxkUx– tiwehnaariwiriihuunukaaʾá noowiteéti – atihUx- kúsuʾ.
One– when he jumped up high then he farted – a big fart.
noowitUtčeekaáti.
Then he farted on the fire.

noowitiwaákoʾ nikuwetAxuhnaahnaáNAt.
Then he said: "You (pl) are the cause of it."

noowitiinuuwáʾAx piirátš.
Then they ran away the children.
uu witiitAhnaanu- kaaʾuúkUt Itkanaahtuúsuʾ.
Oh, they blew into their eyes ashes.
uu wetikuhnaahnaanukaaʾuúkUt.
"Oh, they blew into our eyes."

áriišIt tAxuhnaahnaáNIt.
"Yourselves it is your fault.
wetAxtaNAhnaanaahúnoʾ.
You have spoiled things.
nikuwetAxuhnaahnaáNIt.
You are now the ones who are the cause.
wekaakAxtaakAsškAxá.
You are senseless.
wekaakAxUhunaakiwá.
You are not well behaved.
piirátš wekaakAxtaakAsškAxá.
Children you have no sense.
wah tsu tíNI noowetiraateéhAt.
Now but now this is the end.
tsu wetAxtaNAhnaanaahúnoʾ.
But now you have spoiled it.
hásI tinátkUx.
Look, here I am!
nikutatuhnaasíštA atíštIt aaxIhunuuwaáWI nataakuhnaakaʾIhnikú.
I am the one who watches over it well that you live for me to be making a fire for you.
wah tsu wetAxtaNAhnaanaahúnoʾ.
Now but you have spoiled things."

noowitiwaákoʾ šuxtaahnaanaWIsítIt.
Then he said: "Go outside!
šuxtaaNAhkaaʾiíšWA.
All of you go home!"

noowitiraáNAt.
Then they went.
noowitiraanaWIsítIt nuuwehnaraanátA.
Then they went outside as they went off.

noowitiwaákoʾ wetohnaahnaanukaaʾuúkUt Itkanaahtuúsuʾ.
Then he said: "Now they were blown up ashes.
noowetiraateéhAt.
Now that is the end.
– wekaakAxUhunaakiwaaráxtA.
– You are not going to be good.
– piirátš wekaakAxtaakAsškAxá.
– Children you are senseless.
tsu nikuwetatíʾ waaxeehaaniwiruúʾ.
But now I am the one Waaxeehaaniwiruuʾ.
nikutátiʾ NIhúxuʾ NItkuhnaasštawaáWI.
That is who I am only my watching them."

noowitiraanaWIsítIt piirátš.
Then they went outside the children.
tiraanaWIsítIt.
They went outside.

atináʾ tinakaákUx – wiítA – wetikuraakUhuhkaaráʾ.
"Mother, this one inside – man – he threw us out.
wetAhnaNAhnaanaahúnoʾ.
We spoiled things.
wešitatuhčeekaáti tiwenaRAhwáRIt Itkanaahtuúsuʾ.
We farted on his fire their scattering the ashes.
neeneekuhnaahnaanukaaʾuúkUt.
They blew up into ours (eyes).
neeniiwaákoʾ wah hánuʾ.
Then he said: 'Now go on!
šuxtaahnaanaWIsítIt.
Go outside!
wekaakAxtaakAsškAxá.
You (pl) are senseless.
wetAxuhnaahnáʾA áriišIt.
It is your fault yourselves.'"

noowitiraanaWIsítIt.
So they went out.
noowitiRAhkaaʾiíšWA.
Then they went home.

a čiišaáʾA waaRUxtininoósiʾ waaxeehaaniwiruúʾ.
And here it was the Devil Waaxeehaaniwiruuʾ.

wetiiNAhnaáʾu kanaNIhkoosškáxA.
They were now given the way their being senseless.
tiíNI tiNAsaakaríčI nikuwetuhnaáNIt piirátš tinawaaríčI wekananuhniwaáRA.
Now today they were the cause the children these their being bad.
wetiraačítA.
That is the reason.
nikuwetuhnaáNIt.
They are the ones.

tiwehnaRAhwáNA – piirátš – tinaaríčI wiítA áriišIt wewititUtkahIhníkuʾ.
After they went – the children – this man himself he was making the fire for himself.
witiwaákoʾ wah hánuʾ.
He said: "Now go on!
aniišuxtaahnaáNAt.
Go away!"
noowitaakUxhuhkaáraʾ.
Then he threw them out.

noowitiRAhkaaʾišwaáWA.
Then they each went home.
anuú noowitiraáhWA niikohnoxtAhwáʾ.
There then they each went off wherever they came from.

nawáh wetuhnaáNIt piirátš wekananuunaaheéRA.
Now they were the cause children their not being good.
nikuwetuhnáʾA waaxeehaaniwiruúʾ.
He is the one who was the cause Waaxeehaaniwiruuʾ.
a čii- šaáʾA waaRUxtininoósiʾ.
And here he was the Devil.
wah tíni tiNAsaakaríčI wetíʾ satan.
Now at present today he is Satan.

wetuhnaáNIt piirátš weninaanaahunáʾU
They were the cause the children when they spoiled things
wekananuhniwaáRA weninaanaáhNA naapiraninoosíʾuʾ.
when they were not good their having them bad habits.
piirátš wetuhnaáNIt.
The children they were the cause.

a či nikiišanuhnáʾA AhnakahIhníku AhnuhnaasštawaáWI.
And here that one was the cause the one who makes a fire the one who watches over them.
a – či – nikiišanaačítA AhnakawaawaahIhnikú – atsú –
And – here – that was the reason the one who makes fires – but –
wetiinaanaahúnoʾ piirátš.
they spoiled it the children.