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

117

The Disliked Young Man

Who Went on the Warpath

Dan Howling Wolf

nuuʾAhnatoxtaakítAt číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ Ahnatox- taakituunoótA
There where our village was, wherever it was where our village was:
wah toxtaapóʾ naawiinakuúnuʾ.
"Now let's go (on) the warpath!"

tsu áxkUx wiináxtš tiwitiwanúʾ.
But one boy he was going around there.
noowiti- taʾiítIt na noowitiwaákoʾ koxteeraapóʾ.
Then he joined them and then he said: "I will go with you."

šikanawiteenunuusuxtéʾ – wiináxtš wiiteešútš – nii- wekooNUtpsíwa.
They did not like him – the boy, the young man, – however many winters old he was.

WIšitiiNUhunaasšká – nuuwenaraanátA.
They disliked him – while they went there.
– wenaakuʾá čee kaakunaahé.
– When he came, why, it was not good.

nuuwehnaraanátA čéstIt číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ nootih- kawoótIt –
After they went there far, wherever it was then they killed them –
NAhnunáhtš – wehniinaaWIhkaʾaáhNA.
deer – when they hunted.
– uu – noowiti- tsastiwiíkUx.
– Oh, – then the meat was piled up.
witiitsastós.
The meat was piled up.

na noowitiwáčiʾ wah wešitataroohíštA
And then they said: "Now we're going to give you a task
NAxkuRAhpinú sapiinaáNUx.
for you to brush them away flies."

nooWIsitinaánu sčeekaraákuʾ wetinaroósI nikutohnanáʾ –
Then they gave them to him leaves: "These (lying) you use these –
nakuranaawaahakú – he naahnootUstaakA- haákuʾ
to fan them back and forth – and you must just go around (the meat)
nakuRAhpinú sapiinaáNUx.
as you brush them the flies.
wah tsu wetAhnapóʾ áwit nuu – štoh – neetinaananiwísaʾ tsástš.
Now but we'll go first, then – again – we will bring it back meat.
kaakiraaNIhuúʾU tinaroósI.
There is not enough of it this.
kaakíʾ nakuroosaWIsátA.
There i s not enough to go around."

nikunootsá nooWIšitihnuunáwaʾ tsu nootiraáNAt.
Then that is what they did: then they left him behind and then they went.

nuu – šikooxehkoótIt – sanánat.
"There – they will kill him – the Sioux.
šikooxehnunáx.
They will find him."

nootiraáNAt.
Then they went on.
nuu – weeNAhunuúWI – číkuʾ niikoh- niíhiʾ sanánat wešohniiNAhnaNAxwé.
There – as they went about – wherever it was the Sioux where they were looking for them.
číkuʾ nii- kohniiraáʾAt AhnuuxunuúWI.
It is not known how long it was their going around.
wewitiraačeéʾA noowiteeRAhkaaʾiíšaʾ.
It was a long time then they came back.

čiraátoʾ itaraápoʾ šiNAsiisuunáwa naranaawaahakú wiiteešútš naranaawaahakú.
"Let's go where we left him behind to fan them the young man to fan them.
tičé wenihnoohuunaáwa.
What has happened to him?"

nuu nootiraáNAt.
There then they went.
– nikuwitiíhiʾ – tawiti- waraatAxá čehtátAt.
– That was where it was: – there was a cluster of trees by the edge of brush.
nikuwitiíhiʾ Ahnuxtanaawaahakú.
That was where it was where he was fanning them.

tiRAhwísAt.
They arrived.
siíno witiihaákuʾ.
Yet there he was going around.
nuu číkuʾ nuuwekuwiteehAtkahUhwíʾAt.
There there was a depression where he went.
tsástš AhnuxtoósI nikuwewitíʾIt – čiíšuʾ.
The meat where it lay now there were – bones.
na – sčeekaraákuʾ – NIhúxuʾ – wewití- ʾIt nátš.
And – the leaves – only – now they were sticks.
na neešeeníʾU noowewitiitaahí- šIt.
And the main one (ie the boy) there he was all dried up.
noowititšičiíʾIt.
He was alive.
aa wewitiitaahíšIt.
Ah, now he was all dried up.

aráh siíno tineéRIt.
"Why, yet here he stands!"

noowituuNAhwísAt.
Then they went to him.
– nooWIšitinoóʾa.
– Then they took him
– aa WIšitih- kúx.
– Ah, they set him down.
nawáh AhništanuhkoóčI – kunaáʾuʾ – nooWI- šititčiraanoowohtikUxítIt.
Now the ones who carried them – medicines – then they began to give him medicine to drink.
noowiteewiʾeekootíhuʾ tiNUstaakAháku.
He was tired to death (of) this going around.
xúhtš AhnuxtanaáhNA noowita- nuhkákIs.
Moccasins the ones he had his were torn.
noowewitiʾá čištaaNIšíšuʾ aNUstaakAháku.
He had become really skinny as he was going around.

kunaáʾuʾ nooWIšititčiraanoowóhtIt.
Medicines then they each gave them to him to drink.
noo- kananištanuhkoóčI kunaáʾuʾ.
They always carried them medicines.

tiwaákoʾ tičé weNAxuutaáwa tiweNAxtšičiítU.
One said: "What did you do that you are alive?"

awít – tuuNUxtaahé.
"First – it was good.
tsástš – číkuʾ nootatiíkAt weNAtkúʾA.
The meat – I'd cut off a slice of it for me to eat.
awitaRAsíniʾ čipaásuʾ nootatiʾá.
In a hurry raw I would just eat it.
číkuʾ kaakatuuxísAt.
I did not roast any.
čipaásuʾ číkuʾ nootatiteeríWA.
Raw I would take a slice of some.
noowenaraačeenaáNA – wenaranaahuunaáNA – wenaawiRIstakaáhAt
Then after a long time – after it spoiled – after it became hot,
neeneekunaačiteeʾá – wenaranaahuunaáNA – tsástš.
then it became difficult for me – after it spoiled – the meat.
neeneekunaačiteeʾá číkuʾ nakúʾA.
It became difficult for me to eat any.
wekaakuhniwá Axtóh naáNIt.
Now it was not good indeed really.
piRUxkás noowetíʾIt.
Maggots there they were.

hee nikuneeneetuúta.
"Hey, this is what I did.
awít tuuNUxtaahé.
At first things were good.
nootatiihUhtawiraáʾAt iinačiisúhAt iiháʾ.
I would just run down where the river is there."
noowitičii- suúhAt – tswaarúxtiʾ.
There the river was – Missouri River.
tAtčiíkaʾ – awitaRAsíniʾ.
"I drank – hurriedly.
štoh nootatiínaʾ.
Again then I came.
wah naáNIt neeneekunaačiteeʾá taRAhtšíniʾ tiweNAtwó
Now really then it became difficult for me barely my going
nakutawiraátA číkuʾ nakučiíka.
to go down to drink something.
wah nikutatuúta.
Now that is what I did.
taanikutuutAxítIt.
This is what happened."

nikunootsá – nawáh– WIšititkeeriiwaápI.
Then that's what they did – now– they wrapped him up.
noo- WIšitihkaʾús xaawaarúxtiʾ áxkUx AhnaruuhaahnanaáhNA.
Then they laid him on it horse one one pulling a travois.
nooWIšitihkaʾús.
Then they laid him on it
– nooWIšitinikaaʾiíšAt.
– Then they took him home.
noowitiinaa- kAsštaʾaánuʾ awít – wešohništaasškaáWI –
Then they were feeling bad at first – their regretting it –
wešiniiteéRIt niiweNUsaáhNA.
when they saw him what they had done.

nuu – WIšitinoohuuNIsAhkaʾuúkUt – weniikoh- nuuxaká
There – they hurriedly took him into the village – wherever the lodge was
niiʾAhnuxtAhkaawaáWI – kunaáʾuʾ – ništanuhkoó- čI.
where they were inside – medicines – those who had them.
nikunooWIšitiniwísAt.
Then they took him to that.
wah taanikuwituutAxítIt AhnootiRAhwísAt
Now this is what happened: then they just arrived
AhništíRA Ahnux- taanátA.
the ones who had been together the ones who had gone.

nootiinaaʾít wah taanikutatuhnaáka.
Then they told it: "Now this is what we did.
tatiraah- naanoóxAt.
We made a mistake.
– nikutatuhnaáka – šitatuunáwaʾ tinaaríčI wiiteešútš.
– We did that: – we left him behind this young man.
aa – tikuraakAsštaʾaánuʾ – niinatuhnaakaáNA.
Ah, – we feel bad – (for) what we did."

nikunoowitsá nooWIšitiiNAhunuukUxítIt kunaáʾuʾ ništanuhkoóčI.
Then that is what they did: then they began doctoring him medicines the ones who had them.
nooteekatawiswáʾ štoh.
Then he put on weight again.
nuu wehnaraátA šikanawitiiNUhuuniʾítkuʾ kunaáʾuʾ šohnitčiraanoowohtíku.
There as time went on they did not let go of him medicines while they were giving them to him to drink.

noowitiihUhtaRAhtšá.
Then he regained strength.
noowitikaʾaaNIšítIt.
Then he began to walk around.
noowitiwanuuxítIt štoh.
Then he began to go about again.

noo nikunootuúta weneehUhtaRAhtšaáNA – nooti- kaaʾiíšat iiʾAhnaanunuuNUxakaáWI.
There then he did thus: after he became strong – then he went home where his lodge was.
noowititšičiíta.
Then he became lively.
noowitunaaʾít áriišIt – natoxtaapó – naawiinakuúnuʾ.
Then he told of it himself – "When we went – (on) the warpath."