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

125

The Vision Quest of

Green Grass and Bull Neck

Dan Howling Wolf

nuu noowitiraáNAt.
There then they went.
noowitiRAhpaaniíšAt nataraakíčI sáhniš nuuwehninaaWIhkhunuuwaáWI.
Then they went on a communal hunt ourselves people when they went around there hunting.
noo- WIšititawéʾ – kuWIšituuxAxaáʾA – kataánuʾ na hukostatiínuʾ.
There were (du) among them – they (du) were named – Green Grass and Bull Neck.
šikanawituuxAsšxá šiNAhkuutaawaanú číkuʾ niinoonakuuxaWIstaáʾU wešinakureesanaxtuúwanu.
They (du) had no sense, their (du) doing things whatever it might even be their (du) always acting wild.

nuu nootiraáNAt.
There then they went.
– noowitiitUhwiiruútIt.
– Then they camped.
– noowitiwaa- NAseéhAt.
– The hills bordered there.
nuuwitiwaaNAhwičeéʾIs.
They were high hills there.

noowitiwaákoʾ – áxkUx kuNAhúx čą́ą́ – tišiNAxwaaríčI
Then he said – one an old man: "Hey – you (du),
číkuʾ šikanaNAxkuukatawóʾ niinawaanaanúʾAt.
why don't you (du) go up somewhere where the hills extend.
na šitikaapaatšaánuʾ.
Be pitiful!
číkuʾ šinehkutkaapaačíštIt číkuʾ šikananaaxeesškáxA.
Something might take pity on you (du) since you (du) have no sense at all.
hawá tišiNAxkaapaa- číšU číkuʾ šinehkuutIštatataʾuúhAt.
Also if you (du) are pitiful something might help you.
na šitičíkAt.
You (du) must cry.
noošitičitáWA híNAx.
You (du) must go up on (a hill) at night.
na šitičíkAt.
You (du) must cry."

nooWIšitiwaákoʾ aahyąą.
Then they (du) said: "Oh, no!"

noowitiwaákoʾ – nuunaaríčI – kataánuʾ nawáh čiíRA wah tiíNI
Then he said – that – Green Grass: "Now, well, now tonigh
híNAx koosíhWA.
t we will go."

nawáh híNAx nooWIšitikatáWA.
Now at night then they (du) went up.
noowitiwaaʾuúhAt.
Hills were there.
WIšitičitáWA.
They (du) went on top.

noowitiwaákoʾ aráh teenikiituuxuneéRIt.
Then he said: "Say, right here is where I'll stand.
nuu- kuneešanuuneéRIt.
You stand over there.
nuukuneešiínaʾ.
Then you'll come from that way.
na nuu- kutAxiínaʾ.
And then you'll come from that way.
čeésiʾ nootatíʾAt.
Too then I'll go.
witineesit- čitapiitíkuʾ.
Then we can cross each other.
– nuutAxwísAt.
– Then you'll get there
– štoh nootAxuutapí- taahAt.
– Again you'll turn around.
čeésiʾ hawá štoh.
Yourself also again."

noowitiwaákoʾ kataánuʾ nawáh.
Then he said Green Grass: "Fine."

nikunooWIšituúta – híNAx – noo wešohna- číkAt.
Then that is what they (du) did – at night – then when they (du) were crying.
nuu nikuWIšituutaánuʾ nooWIšititUtčitapiítIt.
There that is what they (du) were doing: then they (du) crossed each other.

kanawitišwaawaNUxuúkuʾ weNAhkitkAxtíRA.
They never used to eat food while one fasted.
tsu tišinawaaríčI áxkUx noowitanuhtawiraáʾAt.
However (of) these (du) one then he ran down yonder.
nuu witaah- nuúkAt.
There he entered (a dwelling) yonder.
noowitaanaNAxtoswaakároʾ weNAhkuwaawáʾA.
Then he took picked up some food to eat.
štoh noowitikatáʾAt.
Again then he went up.

nawáh wetootiíwisAt.
"Now it is your turn."

čeésuʾ uunaaríčI noowitiihUhtawiraáʾAt weNAhkuwaawáʾA híNAx.
Too the other then he ran down to eat at night.

noowitAheéšaʾ.
Then morning came.
nuu nooWIšitikaaʾíšWA wešiNAhkitkáwa.
There then they (du) went back home where they (du) would sleep.
wah štoh híNAx.
Now again at night.

wehniihaweéNA – táWIt nuuwešohnačíkAt – na
After nights passed – three while they (du) cried there – and
noowiteéʾaʾ kataánuʾ natsú tiwewitíʾAt tawáx.
then he came Green Grass, but he went here Scabby.
nuu nooWIšitooNItčitapiítIt.
There then they (du) crossed each other.
tiwehnareewaataáNA noo čikohnáʾU witeéʾaʾ niiʾAhnaʾaahkawiiʾátA.
When he looked there something it was coming where the cutbank was.
noowitee- katáʾ čikohnáʾU.
Then it was coming up something.
WIšituutáwi.
They (du) stopped.

witiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI ka NAxuuteérikuʾ aninaaʾá.
He said this one: "Do you see it the one coming?"

noowitiwaákoʾ– uunaaríčI – kataánuʾ heeʾ tatuu- teérikuʾ
Then he said– the other one – Green Grass: "Yes, I see it."

šohnawaaríčI na witiwaákoʾ uunaaríčI noowiteeraNU- huniiwíʾIs sakuutuúnikUt.
These (du) and he said the other one then all of a sudden: "He'll catch us.
sakuutuúnikUt.
He'll catch us."
a čiríkU nooWIšituhkUxwáʾAx.
And, oh my, then they (du) ran off.
nooWIšitikUxtawiraáWA nii- ʾAhneetúhkUx.
Then they (du) ran down the hill where the village was.
WIšitikUxuúpA.
They (du) ran inside.

wešohnakaákUx noowitiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI tawáx ee aráh wetAxtaanaahúnoʾ.
When they (du) were inside then he said this Scabby: "Oh, say, you've spoiled it.
ka NAxuuteérikuʾ wenohtaʾá.
Did you see it its coming?"

heeʾ tatuuteérikuʾ.
"Yes, I was seeing it.
heeʾ číkuʾ wetehnoóxaʾ.
Yes, something was coming.
číkuʾ weteNAsakuusuxkaapaatšaánuʾ.
Something must have been pitying us.
číkuʾ weniʾaasakutkaapaat- štíRA.
Something would have pitied us.
nawáh wetsinaanaahúnoʾ.
Now we've spoiled it.
nawáh číkuʾ kanaanakUsuu- xaáʾit.
Now don't tell anything about it.
na kaakunaaʾít tiweNAsiitaáNA.
Don't tell about it what we have done here.
uu kuNAhúx sakutwaraahwá.
Oh, the old man he will scold us.
koosakuúroʾ waraahAhkúsuʾ.
He will give us big anger."

noowitAheešáʾ.
Then morning came.

wah čiíRA ka číkuʾ wenuutAxítIt.
"Now, hello, did anything happen?
ka číkuʾ wešinookaa- paačíšIt.
Did anything pity you (du)?"

heeʾ číkuʾ wekaakiroóʾAt.
"Yes, it didn't amount to anything.
tsu wetikoowíʾAt.
But I'm still tired.
wetikuRIšAhnaaNAhwíʾAt.
My ribs are tired (from crying)."

nawáh čiíRA ka číkuʾ wešiNAxsuxtaaʾeéRIt.
"Now, well, did you (du) see anything?"

noowitiwaákoʾ kaakíʾ.
Then he said: "No."

nuuwešohnawanú kunohnihneésiš kuNAhúx.
As they (du) were going around there, then they found out the old men.
nooWIšititkáxaʾ.
Then they called them (du).
nooWIšitiisiRAxuú- kAt.
Then they took them (du) inside.
– WIšitihnaakaanunoswaáWI.
– They set food down for them (du).
– uu weWIši- tiwaawaʾá.
– Oh, now they (du) ate.

noowitiwaákoʾ tawáx tičé wenuúʾUt tiwešiNAxkutkAxá.
Then he said Scabby: "What is it your calling us?"

nuu weWIšititčiríkUx kuNAhúx heeʾ
There now they stared at them (du) the old men: "Yes,
noošikaakAxunaaNUhuné niiwešiNAxuutaáNA.
you (du) did badly what you (du) did.
– hásI – wešitehnoosux- kaapaatšaánuʾ.
– Look – they must have been pitying you (du).
wešitehnoosuxkaapaatštiráxtA.
They surely were going to bless you du).
hásI a či wešitAxanaanaahúnoʾ.
Look, and here you (du) have spoiled it!"

weWIšituutáxkUx.
Now they (du) just sat there.
witiwaákoʾ tawáx heeʾ neenikutatuúta.
He said Scabby: "Yes, that is what I did."

uu wešohniNUhwánu kuNAhúx hásI kaakunaáhe.
Oh, while they scolded them (du) the old men: "Look, it is not good!
– tiraawaaRUxtíʾ.
– It is a mysterious thing.
– wešiNAxsuúxaaNA atíštIt wešitAxsuuxaánuʾ.
– What you (du) did well you (du) were doing.
hásI wešikooxotkaapaačí- šIt.
Look, it would have pitied you (du).
wah tsu wešineštaanaahúnoʾ.
Now but here you (du) spoiled it.
hawá štoh číkuʾ wešikaakíʾ šinaakunuutaáNA.
Also again there isn't anyth ing to be done for you (du).

wenikuWIšituúta tawáx na kataánuʾ áriišIt nooWIšitohnunaanaahúnoʾ.
Now that is what they (du) did: Scabby and Green Grass themselves then they (du) spoiled it for themselves.