XML version dated October 16, 2025. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.
122
The Scalped Man and
the Hunter's Wife
Dan Howling Wolf
| áxkux | – | wiítA | witiwaákoʾ | -- | kuwituuxAxaáʾA | – | kaakaátš | -- |
| One | – | a man | he said | -- | he was named | – | Little Crow | -- |
| noowitiwaákoʾ | – | wah | – | čikiisíšWA. |
| then he said: | – | "Now | – | let's go off! |
| – | sištaaNAxwéʾ | – | číkuʾ | tsástš. |
| – | Let's look for it | – | some | meat! |
| tátskaʾ | aataraaWIhkaʾiišátA | tuuháʾ. |
| I want | that I go hunting | over there!" |
| nooWIšitíWA. |
| Then they (du) went off. |
| nooWIšitikaataʾíWA | niiʾAhnawaraawaáWI |
| Then they (du) went back into it | where there were woods |
| AhnuxkAhunuuwaaWIhú | NAhnunáhtš. |
| where they used to roam in the woods | deer. |
| – | WIšiteekánoʾ. |
| – | They (du) put up a lodge |
| – | nooWIšiteekánoʾ. |
| – | Then they (du) put up a lodge. |
| sapaahnáʾU | noowiteekanookUxítIt. |
| The woman | then she began to put up the lodge. |
| wah | wetiihíʾ | hiíš. |
| "Now | it is | evening. |
| tuxtaaWIhkaʾiíšAt. |
| Let me go hunting!" |
| nootíʾAt | nootitinaakírut | nootiraaWIhkaʾiíšAt. |
| Then he went, | then he took his gun, | then he went hunting. |
| tsu | – | naahtakúʾU | – | noowitikAhíNIt. |
| But | – | his wife | – | then she made a fire. |
| wehnetkataʾaáh- | NA | – | Ahnunaahiwaarikú | – |
| As she walked by | the fire | – | while she was fixing things | – |
| AhnetkataʾaáhNA | číkuʾ niikohnuúta | tireewaáta | niiʾAhnaakaáWI. |
| her walking by the fire, | whatever she did | she looked | where the lodge was. |
| aNAhaápI | witUsaakawiíʾuʾ | – | na | inoó | – |
| (On) a tree | there was a branch | – | and | there | – |
| nikuwitiisanaanuučítA | tshunúxuʾ. |
| that one had his chin on a limb | a scalped man. |
| witipAxkót | – | WIšititkAhaáhtA | – | sčiríhtš | AhnitčiríkUx | tsu | tiʾAhnawánu. |
| He wore on his head | – | it had ears (du) | – | coyote | as he watched her | but | as she went around. |
| nuutirinuʾá | sápat. |
| Then she became frightened | the woman. |
| tsu | xaátš | šitehnúxta. |
| Meanwhile | a dog | they (du) must have had it. |
| noowitiroohaanaánuʾ. |
| Then it was becoming angry. |
| nuu- | kuwitireewáʾAt. |
| It | looked that way. |
| tsu | NAhkureewaataáNA | – | apAhníniʾ | – | noowititčiríkUx. |
| But | when she would look | – | furtively | – | then he watched her. |
| inoó | nikuwitíʾ | tshunúxuʾ. |
| There | he was one | a scalped man. |
| wehnetkataʾaáhNA | nootiirút | kaatarátš | apAhníniʾ. |
| As she walked by he fire | then she picked it up | an axe | furtively. |
| nootiʾús | teškúNIt. |
| Then she laid it | close by. |
| wewiteesšawitaRAhtškootíhuʾ | aaxihWIsá | neeNAhtakúʾU | parúNIt | aaxihWIsá. |
| Now she was deathly anxious | 'that you come back' | her husband, | 'quickly | that you return.' |
| wewitIsakuuniíšAt | tsu | NAhkureewaataáNA | – | na | – | siíno | noowititčiriikáwa. |
| It was now sundown, | but | when she would look | – | and | – | yet | then he watched her. |
| tsu | xaátš | noowitiroohaanaánuʾ | tiʾAhnaákUx. |
| But | the dog | then it was becoming angry | as it sat there. |
| a | či | wešeénaʾ | kuNAhúx. |
| And | here | he came | the old man! |
| wehnaáʾa | tiwehnareewaataáNA | noowituhkúxAx. |
| As he came | when he looked | then he ran off. |
| kana- | witíʾ | nakuuteéRIt | iNAhaapaáWI | noowitiihUhkaʾišwaahaákuʾ |
| One | could | not see him: | those trees | he was running among the trees |
| nuu | wehnaátA. |
| there | as he went. |
| nohnuhkúxAx. |
| Then he ran away. |
| noowitiwaákoʾ | sápat | wah | nooNUxtaanaáNIš | siškaa- | ʾíšWA. |
| Then she said | the woman: | "Now | right away | let us | go home!" |
| nikunootuúta | nooWIšiteekAhčíWAt |
| Then that is what she did: | then they (du) took the tent down, |
| nooWIšitikawáNIt | nooWIšitehtakUhunaanátut | nooWIšiteekaaʾišwáʾ. |
| then they (du) hitched (the team), | then they (du) loaded their gear, | then they (du) came home. |
| noowitiwaákoʾ | kuNAhúx | aa | tičé noʾ. |
| Then he said | the old man: | "Ah, | what is it?" |
| noowitiwaákoʾ | sápat | kaakunaáhe | iinatuuxItka- | taʾaáhNA. |
| Then she said | the woman: | "It was not good | where I was | around the fire. |
| neeneetireewaáta | niiNAhaápI | na | inoó | iiNAhaakawiiʾátA |
| I looked | where the tree was, | and | there | where there was a branch |
| – | inoó | – | neečirikoosaʾaáhuʾ | tshunúxuʾ. |
| – | there | – | he was looking over it | a scalped man |
| – | wah | – | nikutiraačítA | – | neeneekuurinuʾá | – | na | parúNIt | aaxiína. |
| – | Now | – | this is the reason | – | I became afraid, | – | and | 'quickly | I wish you would come.' |
| wetikoosšawitaRAhtškootíhuʾ | aaxihWIsá. |
| I was deathly anxious | 'that you return.' |
| neeneetiirút | kaatarátš. |
| I picked it up | the axe. |
| neeneetiʾús | teskúNIt. |
| I laid it | close by. |
| na | – | inoo | – | šiinaawiína | a | neeteepAxkásAt. |
| "And | – | there | – | if you come aggressively for me, | and | I'll split your head." |
| nikutiraačítA | tiweNAxihWIsá | tiweNAsihkUxaáxI. |
| "That is why | after you returned | our (du) running away. |
| kaakunaáhe. |
| It is not good. |
| či | nawanúʾ | aniiháʾ | tshunúxuʾ. |
| Here | he is around | there | a scalped man! |
| neečiíNI | čikištaaWIhkaʾiišátA | kooxikuuhunáx. |
| Especially | when you go hunting somewhere | he will find me." |
| nooWIšiteekaaʾišwáʾ. |
| Then they (du) came home. |
| – | nooWIšitiwísWA. |
| – | Then they (du) arrived. |
| – | noo- | WIšitunaaʾít | niiháʾ | – | tshunúxuʾ | – | šitikuuxunáx |
| – | Then | they (du) told it: | "There | – | a scalped man | – | he found us (du) |
| iiháʾ | iišinatúxkUx | tinaákUx | nuxtaaWIhkaʾaáhNA. |
| there | where we were | this one | after he had gone hunting. |
| na | neešiineetuhkUxwáʾAx | na | neešiineetihkaaʾišwáʾ. |
| And | we ran away | and | we came home." |