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

112

Mice Mouths, the Boy

Given Power by the Mice

Dan Howling Wolf

niinatoxtaakítAt – niiʾAhnačísA –
Where our village was – where the water was –
witatoxtaahnaanukaátA niikohniíhiʾ niiʾahnačiisoótA tswaarúxtiʾ.
we were by the edge of the stream wherever it was where the water flowed Missouri River.

tsu wiináxtš – witiwanúʾ tákuʾ kananaakunúhkUx – čituúʾuʾ wenakunaanunáhAs.
And a boy – he lived his not having anyone – all his (pl) having died.
wewitiihúNA.
He was alone.
tsu nikuwituutaánuʾ číkuʾ nooNAhkuraaWIhkaʾaáhNA skaná nooNAhkuraawihkaʾaáhNA.
But he always did that his going hunting somewhere, alone his going hunting.

číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ číkuʾ tehnuúxAt.
Somewhere he must have gone.
tehnuxtaačeéʾIs niiwenaátA nuu niiwenawanú.
It was a long time where he went there where he was going.
nooteekaaʾiíšaʾ niiʾAhneetúhkUx.
Then he came back where the village was.
nuu nootiwísAt.
There then he arrived.
wehnaaWI- sá anoo tákuʾ kanawitiíkUx.
After he came back there was no one there.
noowitiihuNAhpaníNIt čituúʾuʾ wehnaaNIhtakuúwo.
The ground was bare (lit slick) all after they had gone as a group.

wenawanú wenuhnaaweerikú
When he was going around when he was looking at everything
niiʾAhnuuxakaawaáWI ahnoowituxwakaraníWIs sápat tuuháʾ
where the lodges had been, there just appeared a sound a woman over there
– kaatAhaáhniniʾ – waraákAt AhnačíkAt.
– in the back – in the woods when she was crying.
wewitiraačeéʾA Ahnoowiteéʾaʾ sápat.
It was a while then she just came a woman.

nootíʾAt.
Then he went.
aa tičé nuúʾUt.
"Ah, what is the matter?"

noowitiwaákoʾ sápat netčíkAt piiráʾuʾ wešiti- kuunáNAt tiihéʾ nuuxítAt.
Then she said the woman: "I am crying babies they took mine here where the camp was.
karuúxuʾ nikuta- tiniNAhkákUx piiráʾuʾ.
Sacred bundle mine are in that one babies.
nikutiRAhkákUx.
That is where they are in.
na weneh- takuúwo nikutiraačítA tiNItčíkAt.
And after the group went that is why my crying here.
na niiwekoh- natuutaaníštA naakuranaʾá – Ištóh – piiráʾuʾ.
And I do not know what I am going to do to bring them – back – the babies."

na noowitiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI wiináxtš čą́ą́ nuu koxtíʾAt.
And then he said this boy: "Why, there I will go.
– koxtohnanáʾ.
– I'll bring them.
– tIhéʾ na nootiiwanúʾ.
– Here you stay.
tiiháʾ Ištóh koxtinaniwísAt.
Here back I will bring them.
koxtuutakunaawísAt.
I will overtake them."

nikunootuúta – wiináxtš – nootíʾAt.
Then that is what he did – the boy: – then he went.
nuu wenaátA nuu wenaátA wah niiháʾ tiwaákUx taNAhaataakAhčiwihnáhUx.
There his going, there his going now there there was a hill Scraped White Buffalo Hide.
nikutitwaanehkUxuúkuʾ.
That is what they called the hill.
na inoó nikuwitiʾítAt.
And there that is where the village was.
nootiwísAt.
Then he got there.

na noo nikuwitíʾIt wah niiʾAhnuuxítAt.
And there they were the ones now where the village had been.
wah kaakihneesiíšuʾ -- kaakatuhneesiíšuʾ niikohnáʾIt tinaroóšI
Now they did not know -- I do not know which it was this
karuúxuʾ -- tsu wewitihnaaʾiitáWI sápat na nikutíʾIt
sacred bundle -- but she had told him the woman: "Well, that is the one
na nikuneešaáNAt.
and that is where you'll go."

nikunootuúta wiináxtš wenaraaNAxwé noowitIhunáx
Then that is what he did the boy: when he looked for it then he found him
AhnaranaáhNA karuúxuʾ.
the one who kept it the bundle.

nootuhnaʾít aa tatiínaʾ aaxuNAsareečiwátI tinaroóšI karuúxuʾ.
Then he told him: "Ah, I have come for you to untie it this bundle.
tatihnaánaʾ.
I have come after them.
číkú tatihnaánaʾ.
I have come after something."

noowituhnaawiíʾAt.
Then he was willing.
nawáh.
"Fine."

nikunootuúta nootiraanawaraáNIt na inoowitiiRAhkákUx saakAxIhániʾ.
Then that is what he did: then he opened it out and there they were in it young mice.

nootikúxIt naawiínuʾ.
Then he picked it up a cloth.
nootiRAhkakúx.
Then he put them in it.

wah tinaroósI nikutatihnaánaʾ.
"Now these they are the ones I came for."

noowitiwaákoʾ wiítA ka noonuhnaánuʾ.
Then he said the man: "Is that all?"

heeʾ nootuhnaánuʾ.
"Yes, that is all.
tinaroósI nikutatihnaá- naʾ.
These they are the ones I came for.
wah noowetuhnaánuʾ.
Now that is all.
wah wetaátAt.
Now I will go."

tiRAhkakúx.
He put them in it.
– nootiroosít – na – nootíʾAt – štoh.
– Then he picked them up – and – then he went – back.

nuu – wehnaátA niiʾAhnuuxítAt – nootiwísAt.
There – as he went where the village was – then he arrived.

wewitiíkUx na inoowiteéʾaʾ sápat.
Now he sat there and there she came the woman.
noowiteéʾaʾ.
There she came.

wah tiweneešiniinós.
"Now here are yours.
wetatohnánaʾ piiráʾuʾ.
I have brought yours babies."

uu witeesšteehuúʾu.
Oh, she was thankful!

aa wetAxkoosšteéRAt weNAxkuhnánaʾa piiráʾuʾ.
"Ah, you have pleased me your bringing mine babies.
wetikuNAhčíšIt.
You have saved them."

noowitiraánu.
Then he gave them to her.

na – nuukunoowiteéʾaʾ – áxkUx wiítA.
And – then he came from over there – one man.
nuuku- noowiteéʾaʾ.
Then he came from over there.
nuukunoowitiwiítIt tuuháʾ.
Then he sat down over there over there.
WIšitiitiikawiriwiítIt wehnaákUx.
He was seated in the center where he sat.

wah tsu – wešitaatAsšteehuúʾU – niiwešiNAxkunuutaáNA.
"Now but – he and I are thankful – what you did for us.
wah nikukooxuúʾUt wah číkuʾ wekaakoonaačiteewaahnúxtA číkuʾ niiNAxkuWIskáʾA.
Now it will be thus: now nothing is going to be hard for you whatever you want.
– kaakAxiniinaačitéštA.
– It will not be difficult for you.
– hawá číkuʾ niiNAxkuutaánu číkuʾ kanaaxiraačitéʾ – naawiinakuúnuʾ
– Also whatever you do nothing will be difficult – (on) the warpath
NAxkoótA číkuʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ NAxkutawaʾuutú.
when you go, some horses when you steal them.
wah nikuwešineetaraaʾú.
Now this is the power we have given you."

noowitiwaákoʾ wiináxtš nawáh.
Then he said the boy: "Fine."

tuunaákUx – tuuháʾ kUxIhaáhniniʾ – noowiteehuunukaáʾ saákAx.
That one – over there on the left – then it jumped up the mouse.
taanoowituhtaʾuúkUt saruuxíniʾ.
Then it jumped on him here on the cheek.
noowi- tuunáWI saákAx.
There there was an image a mouse.

hawá tuunaákUx noowiteehuunukaáʾ.
Also the other then it jumped up.
noowituhtawiítIt.
Then it landed on him.
weWIšitanuhtákUx.
They (du) were now on him.

noowitiwaákoʾ – wah wetaátAt.
Then she said: – "Now I'll go now.
– wešitAxkoosšteéRAt naáNIt.
– You have pleased us really.
wah tsu čeésiʾ taanikuwešitataraaʾú.
Now but too this is the power we have given you.
wah wešitAxkoosšteéRAt.
Now you have pleased us."

na nikunootuúta wiináxtš – nootíʾAt.
And so this is what he did the boy: – then he went.
– noo- witiwísAt niiʾAhnaraanoótA.
– Then he arrived where they were.
nootitaʾiwanuuxítIt.
Then he began going among them.
číkuʾ weNAhkoótA naawiinakuúnuʾ – sananát – weNAhkohnanaa-
After he went (on) the warpath – the Sioux – when he was ruin-
hunoóku nooWIšiteeninuuNIhuúʾU.
ing them, they held him in esteem.
číkú nookanawitaaninuunáʾ NAhkutaʾuutú xaawaarúxtiʾ NAhkutawaʾuutú.
It was nothing for him to be stealing it, horses for him to be stealing them.
weNAhkutawaʾuútI noowitikaništiwísAt.
After he stole them then he brought a herd back.

číkuʾ niikooNAhkuúʾU číkuʾ niikooNAhkuutaánu hawá ahnoo-
Whatever it was, whatever he was doing also then he
witiraaniwísAt sápat noowituNAhtawaʾuutUxítIt na –
just reached the point: women then he began stealing theirs, and –
niinehkunusteéʾU – číkuʾ kanawitaaninuunaačitéʾ na nooWIšitiítI.
whenever he liked her – it was not at all difficult for him and then they (du) were together.
uu šikanawiteeninustéʾ wenuutaawaanú.
Oh, they did not like it the things he was doing.
wah nikunootuúta.
Now then that is what he did.

noošohnihnaaʾiitáWI číkú neehuuNIsakaátA kooxee- raačiwátAt.
Then they told him: "If you overstep your limit you will lose your power."

aniwenuutaawaanú nikunootuutAxítIt.
The things he was doing then that is what happened.
noo- witiraačiwátAt niiʾaNUsuúxA.
Then he lost his power how he had been.
noowitiwaaRUxtIhčíwatAt.
Then he lost his holiness.
štoh noowitunaačiteewaahnuuxítIt niiNAhkuWIskáʾA.
Again then things were difficult for him what he wanted.

na niiháʾ číkuʾ niikohnuutAxítIt.
And here it is not known what happened.

wah – nooNAhiínaʾ – aniwenaraátA – na – nooWIšitee-
Now – beyond – when he had taken it, – and – then they
niNUxtoosítIt noowehnuutaawaanú.
began to hate him when he was doing things.
a piiráʾuʾ číkuʾ weNAhkučíkAt saakAxaakaáwa wekohnaáʾ.
And a baby when it would cry, Mice Mouths he must have come.
noowi- taaNItkóʾ.
Then he would hear it.
noowitiraaWIhnuúkAt noowitikoótIt.
Then he charged inside. Then he killed it.
nooWIšiteeniNUxtoosítIt.
Then they began hating him.

na noowitinaahunáx.
And then they discovered a way.
nooWIšititkároʾ ničiíšuʾ.
Then they made it for him corn.
nikukananitkáʾa saákAx niciíšuʾ.
That is what they really like mice corn.

aniwenuutaawaanú noowitiwaaRUxtIhčíwatAt haáwaʾ.
When he was doing these things then he lost his holy power also.
na nooWIšitihnánoʾ aniwenaraanátA.
And then they put it in a pouch when they went there.
nikunoowitIsá nooWIšitinaánu ničiíšuʾ.
Then that is what they did: then they gave it to him corn.
wehneečinaanuúNU – wenakaanuunawitariisaáNA – saakAxaakaawá
When he was in a hurry – when he ate rapidly, – Mice Mouths
nikunootuúta – nootuNAhkatakUxiinihUxítIt.
then this is what he did: – then he began choking.
– štoh wekuwituhnaáʾuʾ šohninaáNUhu.
– Again it continued their giving it to him.
hUhtiísuʾ noowituNAh- katakUxí.
Finally then he choked on it.

nikunootuutAxítIt – nooWIšitihkoótIt.
Then that is what happened: – then they killed him.
– taa- nikuwituutAxítIt.
– This is what happened.