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

97

The Pawnee Woman and the Spirit

Ella P. Waters

tiwenatunaaʾiitštáNI – wetiráʾ – nuuxunuuwaawikoóčI.
What I am going to tell – it is – the ones who used to live.

naapakúhtuʾ áxkUx sapaakIsčiíri tiiháʾI wituxtawéʾ.
Long ago one Pawnee woman here she stayed.
na noowitiwískaʾ wah toxkaaʾiíšAt.
And then she thought: "Now let me go home!"

atsú tuxtáʾ paatúh a noowitiwískaʾ wah híNAx koxteéʾAt
But there were enemy and then she thought: "Now at night I will go,
híNAx tákuʾ kananihkuuteéRIt.
at night so that no one will see me."

anuú wehnaátA wiináxtš wituxtaahpiiná číkuʿ
There when she went a boy she carried him on her back howeve
ahnooweniihuunáčI wiináxtš nuu wehnarátA
r tall he was the boy there when she took him,
wehnataahpiinátA – wehnaWIskáʾA – aatakaaʾiišátA sčiiríhkAt.
her carrying him on her back, – her thinking: – "Would that I go home to Pawnee country."

noowitikatiisiʾá – na – witikaniitawiíʾAt.
Then it became dark – and – there was a rock sticking out.

noowitiwískaʾ wah taatoxkaáʾAt anooškutkatiisiʾaáNA.
Then she thought: "Now let me go underneath it here if it should get dark on me!
šihneešá na neeteéʾAt.
When morning comes, and then I'll go on."

a noowitikaáʾAt.
And then she went under it.

wiináxtš tehnuuNUxé číkuʾ kanawitiičiiwaákAt tiwešohnakaáWI.
The boy he must have been good: he did not cry at all when they (du) were underneath.

wehnapaahUhčeeRIšaáNA – nooWIšitUtkaxtawiítIt – niiʾaNUt-
When the moon shone – then legs (du) hung down – where she
čiriNAhwiʾuúʾA sápat.
had her eyes directed the woman.
nooWIšitUtkaxtawiítIt wiítA wešohnuutAxUhuunukaaʾiwó tsu
Then his legs (du) hung down a man as he swung his feet, but
sápat tiiʾAhnáka.
woman when she was under.

wituuxískaʾ wiináxtš aatataruúpIs.
He wanted the boy 'that I move around.'
na noowi- tunaanipakUxítIt.
And so she began admonishing him
– phiítuʾ.
– "Be still!"
– tehnuuxItčiíšIt.
– He must have been obedient.
a číkuʾ kanawituunáwiʾIt wiináxtš tiwehnutčiriikawaáWI.
He did not make a sound the boy as she eyed things.

hUhtiísuʾ– AhnoowitiwaaWIhtikUxítIt – tiʾaNUtkaxtaanukaa- ʾiwó
Finally– then he just began talking – this one swinging his legs,
wehnawaákAhu – tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
when he was saying – "I am Awichiriikat.
– tatíʾ awičiriikáwa.
– I am Awichiriikawa.
tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
I am Awichiriikat."

tsu – tiwehnaheešahIštáNI – číkuʾ niinohnaáNAt tsu
But – when it was about morning – wherever it was he went, but
sápat nootikawátAt.
the woman then she got out.
Ahnootuutá noo- tuutá nuu wenakaaʾišwó niiʾAhnaanunuunítAt.
Then she just did it; then she did it there her going home where her village was.

nuu AhnawísAt na nikunoowitunaaʾít.
There she arrived and then that is what she told.
noo- witiwaákoʾ wah tikuuxunáx takohnáʾU.
Then she said: "Now he found me someone."
Ahnoowitunaaʾít niiʾAhnuutAxítIt AhnuxkaáWI
Then she just told what had happen- ed when she was underneath,
AhnakaniitawiiʾátA nuxkaáWI tiwehnaáʾa – wiítA.
where the rock stuck out when she was underneath when he came there – a man.
kaakuuteeríkuʾ tsu – NIhúxuʾ WIšitUtkaaxeeríkuʾ.
She did not see him, but – only she saw the legs (du).
taaNUhuunukaaʾiwóʾ wehnawaákA tatíʾ awičiriíkIt.
He was swinging his legs, his saying: "I am Awichiriikat.
tatíʾ awičiriikáwa.
I am Awichiriikawa."

na nooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI aniiNAxtaráʾo pakúhtuʾ tikót.
And then they told her: "The one you talk of long ago he died.
atsú tíʾ sápat.
But she is a woman.
tsu tiwetuuteéRIt.
But she saw him here.
wah tehnataraakunuuwá – tiwenuuteéRIt – sápat
Now we must go about (after death), – after she saw him – the woman
na aáNU tshunúxuʾ niikóhnoʾ.
and perhaps a scalped man whoever he is."

nikunooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI.
Then that is what they told her.
– noowitihwáčiʾ – Axtóh pakUhnaawaawiriíkuʾ wetikót.
– Then they said: – "Surely a long, long time ago he died."