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

126

Coyote and Buffalo

Dan Howling Wolf

nuu nootíʾAt sčiríhtš.
There then he went Coyote.
noowitiiwaáRIt tanáhaʾ.
There they were standing buffalos.
– nuukutikaništeewaáhAt.
– There was a large herd.
– nookanawituuneešawíhAx.
– There was a large number!
sčiríhtš – wenuutačiríkUx nuu tsu – wewiti- riWIhteekootíhuʾ.
Coyote – while he was watching them there meanwhile – he was starving to death.
nuu kuwitanestAhká sčiríhtš tanáhaʾ AhnihwaawáʾA
There his stomach was drawn in Coyote buffalos while they were eating
AhnihkataahwáʾA aNAhuhwaáWI.
while they ate the green grass the growing grass.

sčiríhtš noowewitiraatóxwoʾ nikuʾaataáxiʾ.
Coyote then he liked (their) way: "I wish I were you.
nikuʾaataáxiʾ tanáhaʾ.
I wish I were you, buffalo.
kaNAxkuNAsoxčíštA.
I would not be getting hungry.
číkuʾ nootatiiwaawaʾá – tinakataahwaáWI – tiNAhaaNUtwaáWI číkuʾ niinooNAhkuúʾU.
I would just eat anything – this grass growing – this hay growing whatever it might be.

noowiteéʾaʾ – áxkUx – tanáhaʾ.
Then he came – one – buffalo.
hukós noowiteéʾaʾ.
A bull then he came.
noowitiwaákoʾ tanáhaʾ thaáwiʾ číkuʾ aaxWIskáʾA tináxkUx.
Then he said Buffalo: "It seems you are wishing something, you sitting here."

witiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš heeʾ heeʾ.
He said Coyote: "Yes, yes.
nootatiiwískaʾ aaxií- kuʾ nikuʾaatootuúʾA niitiNAxuutuúʾA
I just wish that it were for me to be like you the way you are,
nooNAxiwaa- wáʾA tiiNAhuhwaáWI číkuʾ noonakuuxawásU
your just eating them these grasses, no matter what it is,
sčeekaraákuʾ NAxkuwaawáʾA – čituúʾuʾ.
leaves your eating them, – everything.
nootAxikaawačiíʾIt – tsu wačéh – tinátkUx sčiríhtš – wetikuriWIhteekootíhuʾ.
You are just full, – but, poor thing, – I sitting here a coyote – I am starving to death.
číkuʾ tsástš aatáʾA – číkuʾ– wáRUx číkuʾ aatakoo- tíkA.
Some meat I wish I might eat – some– rabbit I wish I might kill one.
číkuʾ aataraahúNAx.
I wish I might find some way.
nootatiniinaa- čitéʾ.
It is just difficult for me."

noowitiwaákoʾ tanáhaʾ Axtóh kaakiraačitéʾ.
Then he said Buffalo: "Surely it is not hard.
Axtóh nikukooxuútuʾ niitinatuutuúʾA.
Surely you will be this way this way I am.
nawáh tuusiškatáWA tuuháʾ niiNAhuNAhpaníhtU.
Now let's (du) go up over there where the ground is smooth!"

uu witikačíš sčiríhtš.
Oh, he was happy Coyote.
nooWIšitíWA.
Then they (du) went.

noowitiwaákoʾ – tanáhaʾ taaneešúxkUx – tiiháʾ.
Then he said – Buffalo: "You sit right here – here!
nuuwekutatúhtA.
I am going to go over there.
nuukoxtiʾuuneéRIt.
There I will stop.
neetiínaʾ.
I'll come.
čiitíʾIš kooxuhnaanaánuʾ wetatakatAtčíštA.
Four the times will be I am going to hook you."

nikunoowituúta tanáhaʾ.
Then that is what he did Buffalo.
noowitíʾAt.
Then he went.
noowi- tuutapítaahAt.
Then he turned around.

tsu sčiríhtš wetiíkUx.
But Coyote he sat there.
tičé wetAxkuNAhuu- núxtA.
"I wonder what you are going to do to me?"

noowitunaawiíNAx.
Then he (Buffalo) charged.
uu čiríkU sčiríhtš tiwehnakatátkA tanáhaʾ witeeNUhuunukaaruuwaáhuʾ.
Oh, the poor thing, Coyote when he hooked him Buffalo, he was throwing him up in the air.
tsu wačéh sčiríhtš noowitinuuwaʾá weeNAhuunukaaruu- waʾá.
But, poor thing, Coyote then he got hurt after he threw him up in the air.
noowitiʾuúkUt.
Then he landed.

noowitiwaákoʾ tanáhaʾ wah – tiíNI – táWIt
Then he said Buffalo: "Now – this time – three (times)
wetunaaʾiíWIs táWIt.
the way remains three."

nawáh sčiríhtš wewitinuuwaʾá.
Now Coyote he was now hurting.
wewitičištawíhuʾ wehnaátA.
He was now limping as he went.
noowitiwiítIt.
Then he sat down.
tičé weNAxuúta.
"What did you do?"

na witikaakeewáNIt.
"Don't move around.
noonikiišuutaáNA kooxoonaačiwátAt.
If you do that, you will lose out.
kaakAxuutúxtA – niitinatuutuúʾA – číkuʾ nooʾuusuuxáWIs- Axitikú.
You are not going to be – the way I am, – no matter what may even happen."

tanáhaʾ štoh noowitíʾAt.
Buffalo again then he went.
noowitiʾuuneéRIt.
Then he stopped.
nawáh noowitunaawiíNAx štoh.
Now then he charged again.
sčiríhtš noowitihkátAt.
Coyote then he hooked him.
číkuʾ  nuukuwiteehUhwíʾAt.
He threw him up in the air.
wah štoh wehninuuwanú witiiNAhuunawíʾAt.
Now again after he was throwing him he finished with him.

nawáh šuxwiítIt štoh.
"Now sit down again!"
wačéh sčiríhtš witiirí- watAt.
Poor thing, Coyote he got up.
noowitiiNAhúna.
Then he staggered.
táWIt noowitiwiítIt štoh.
Thrice then he sat down again.

wah štoh noowitunaawiíNAx.
Now again then he charged.
noowitihkátAt.
Then he was hooked by him.
číkuʾ nuukuwiteehUhwíwat.
He threw him up high(er).
wehninuuwanú noowitii- NUhuuníʾit.
After he was throwing him then he let him go.

nawáh wetunaaʾiíWIs áxkUx.
"Now it remains one.
tiíNI nikukooxuútuʾ niiwenatuutuúʾ
Now you will be that way as I am."

tsu – sčiríhtš – noowitiwískaʾ too tAxihčeešaanúʾ tinaaxátA.
But – Coyote – he thought: "Certainly you are lying, you going here."

witeenaawiítIt.
He turned his back to him.
tuutapítaahAt.
He turned around.
nawáh tiíNI noowetiraahatúhkA.
"Now, now this is the last time."
nawáh nikunootuúta sčiríhtš wehnunaawiináxI noowitihkátAt.
Now then he did that: Coyote when he charged then he hooked him.
číkuʾ nuukuwiteehUhwíwat.
He flew up high.
noowitiʾá tanáhaʾ.
Then he became a buffalo.
WIšitikohnakatátku sčiríhtš noowitiʾá tanáhaʾ.
While they were hooking each other, Coyote then he became a buffalo.

nawáh wetAxíʾ niitinatuutuúʾA.
"Now you are like I am.
kaakíʾ naakuNAsáʾUx.
You won 't be hungry."

nawáh čiríkU sčiríhtš wewitiriWIhteekootíhuʾ.
Now, the poor thing, Coyote he had been starving.
noowewitiwaawaʾá – nakataahwaáWI – nakataahtareeʾuúxU.
Now he was eating it – the growing grass, – the green grass.
uu noowitikaawačiíta.
Oh, then he got full!

noowitiraáNAt.
Then they went on.
nuu wituutAhtatatáʾAt tanáhaʾ weNAhkuraanátA.
There he followed them the buffalos where they went.

číkuʾ niikohniiraawiíʾot thaáwiʾ tákuʾ iičitákUx.
It was sometime later it seemed that someone were on it.
wehnareewaataáNA noowitiičitákUx sčiríhtš.
When he looked there he sat on top (a hill) a coyote.

noowitiwískaʾ sčiríhtš taanikutatoosuuxúʾ háwa niiNAxuutuúʾA iináxkUx.
Then he thought Coyote: "I was once like you here also as you are you sitting there.
wah na wetaatičíWI.
Now and I am different.
čeétoʾ taatoosuxtaaʾiitáWI.
Perhaps I'll tell you this."

nootíʾAt.
Then he went.
tiwísAt.
He arrived.
thaáwiʾ číkuʾ aasštaʾaánu.
"It seems that you are hurting.
tičé nuúʾUt tináxkUx.
Why is it your sitting here?"

witiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš tinaákUx nootatiiWIskaaxiíkuʾ nikuʾaatootuúʾA
He said coyote this one: "I am just wishing that I were like you
niiNAxootuúʾA nooNAxIhuhwaawáʾA nooNAxikataahwaawáʾA číkuʾ noonakuuxawásU.
as you are your just eating grass, your just eating the green grass, whatever it might even be.
číkuʾ nookaakAxiniinaačitéʾ.
Nothing is hard for you.
nootAxikaawačiíʾIt naáNIt.
You are just full really."

noowitiwaákoʾ tinaaríčI tanáhaʾ na sčiríhtš Axtóh kaakiraačitéʾ.
Then he said this one buffalo and coyote: "Surely it is not difficult.
nikutátsux niiʾaniiNAxuútA.
I was that way as you are.
nootatúx hawá Axtóh – tatíʾ sčiríhtš.
I was also, truly – I am, a coyote.
niiháʾ – tičé NAxuúʾUt.
There – why is it?
nawáh koxtohnaaʾiitáWI.
Now I will tell you.
siškatáWA niiháʾ niiNAhuNAhpaníhtU.
Let's go up there where it is level ground!"

nawáh nooWIšitikatáWA.
Now, then they (du) went up.
witiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš wešohnawáNA tičé wekuNAxkuNAhuunúxtA.
He said the coyote as they (du) went: "What are you going to do with me?"

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš kooxuhneésiš.
Then he said Coyote: "You will know.
taašuxwiítIt.
Sit down here!
koxtohnaaʾiitáWI.
I will tell you.
anuú – wetatúhtA na – neetiínaʾ na neeteekátAt.
There – I am going to go and – I'll come and I'll hook you.
– čiitíʾIš kooxuhnaanaánuʾ.
– Four (times) it will number.
– tiiháʾ čiitíʾIš– niWIsátA – nikukooxuútuʾ niitinatuutuúʾA.
– Here four– when it reaches – you'll be this way as I am."

nawáh nooWIšitíWA.
Now then they (du) went.
noowitíʾAt tanáhaʾ.
Then he went the buffalo.
tsu wehnaákUx noowitunaawiíNAx.
And when he sat then he charged.
wehnakatátkA sčiríhtš číkuʾ nuukuwiteehUhwíʾAt witohnuhnunaanuuWIhú.
As he hooked him Coyote he threw him up in the air as he was throwing himself around on the ground.

nawáh noowitiwiítIt štoh sčiríhtš.
Now, then he sat down again Coyote.
na táWIt wetanuunaaʾiíWIs tiíNI iitakatátkA.
"And three you have times remaining now that I should hook you."

tukunuuwitíʾAt tanáhaʾ.
He went over there the buffalo.
nootuutapítaahAt.
Then he turned around.
noowitunaawiíNAx.
Then he charged.
noowiteeNUhuunukaaruuwáʾ štoh wehninuuwanú wehninuuwanú.
Then he threw him up in the air again his rolling him around, his rolling him around.
tiiNUhuuníʾit.
He let him go.

nawáh wetanuunaaʾiíWIs pítkUx.
"Now you have times remaining two.
wetanuunaaʾií- WIs pítkUx.
You have times remaining two.
nawáh.
Now."
nootíʾAt.
Then he went.
hawá štoh nikunoowitiiNAhuúnuʾ.
Also again then that is what he did.

wah – tiíNI noowetiraahatúhkA.
"Now – this time this is the last time.
wah – šuxkaaRAxá.
Now – be tough!
kooxootuuxítIt niinatsuúxA.
You'll be like as I am.
nikUšitikUsuxtAhuúnuʾ.
That is how they treated me."

nootíʾAt štoh.
Then he went again.
wehnihkatátkA noowitirooči- winiíta tinaaríčI tanáhaʾ
When he hooked him then the way changed: this one buffalo
AhnuúxU noowitiʾá štoh sčiríhtš.
the one that was then he became again a coyote.

čiríkU nooWIšitohnaroohuuniričíšIt.
Poor things, then they (du) went down fighting.
noowiti- čiwátAt tanáhaʾ sčiríhtš štoh.
Then he changed into it the buffalo a coyote again.

taanikuwituutAxítIt.
This is what happened.