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

128

Coyote and the

Dancing Prairie Chickens

Dan Howling Wolf

sčiríhtš noowitikatáʾAt.
Coyote then he went up a hill.
noowiteeRAhkaaʾaáhuʾ út.
Then they were dancing prairie chickens.
uu – witiraačiškawá – ut wehnuuNAsaakAháku.
Oh, – they were having fun – prairie chickens as they were going round and round.

sčiríhtš noowitíʾAt wehnaRAhkaáhu.
Coyote then he went as they danced.
noowitiwiítIt.
Then he sat down.
noowitihtatatákUx Ahnuhnaaʾeerikú.
Then he was sitting close by while he was looking at them.

noowitiwaákoʾ – sčiríhtš -- áxkUx noowiteéʾaʾ -- – witiwaákoʾ
Then he said – Coyote -- one it came -- – he said:
nootunaahé NAxinaaNAhkaáhu.
"It is good your (pl) dancing.
nawáh atsú kutunaahé NAxkuraačirikaRUxwaáhNA.
Now but it is better if you shut your eyes.
na tiRAhčirikaruúxIt.
Close your (pl) eyes.
na tikutiíhAt niitinátkUx.
Pass by here here where I sit.
kooxiraahnaaNIhtatatawiihaákuʾ.
You (pl) must pass close by."

nootunaahé.
"That is good."

nikunoowitIsá.
Then that is what they did.
áxkUx witiiháxAt út.
One it went dancing by prairie chicken
– nooniinaákUx witihčirikaruúxIt.
– There where he sat it had its eyes shut.
– witihtatatawiíhAt.
– It went close by him.

a čiišaná nátš.
And here he had it a stick.
čiríkU noowitipAx- táʾIt.
Poor thing, then he hit it on the head.
witikoótIt.
He killed it.
nikuwitiihUhkaatoohaásAt.
He threw that one in back of him.

nawáh na nikutaraaNIhtatataʾiišaáhuʾ.
"Now pass close by here.
tikutiRAhnaákuʾ teškúNIt
Pass right by here close."

noo hawá witáʾ áxkUx.
Then also it came one.
– witipAxtáʾIt.
– He hit it on the head.
– witi- koótIt a noowitiihUhkaatoohaásAt.
– He killed it and then he threw it in back of him.

áxkUx wewiteéʾaʾ.
One now it came.
noowitireewaáta.
Then it looked.
noowiteeríhIt.
Only one remained.
atoó – kananaatootAsšú – tinaákUx sčiríhtš niiNAxuutaawaanú.
"Why – I should know you – this Coyote what you always do!
či čituúʾ wenikuraakawoótIt.
Here all now he has killed us."
út noo- witiíʾAt.
The prairie chicken then it flew up.

noo sčiríhtš noowitikawaačíš.
Then Coyote then he was happy.
wetatAhaakawaasíštA atíštIt.
"Now I am going to eat well."
noowitiroosítIt.
Then he began picking them up.
nuu noowitiráNAt.
There he took them.

noowitiwískaʾ tooxUhuuNItká.
Then he thought: "Let me sleep awhile!
na atíštIt neeteehaakawáʾAs
And well then I will eat."

nuu – wehnaáxA wehnétkA – noowitičirikaʾá.
There – where he lay after he slept, – then he awoke.
nookanawitaanunuunós út.
Then his were not lying there prairie chickens.

nuu – noowitiihuuwiraawaáhAt – wenaraNAxwé út.
There – then he was running around – as he looked for them prairie chickens.
– noowitiihaapé.
– There there was a tree
– nuukuwitaahtákUx ísAt.
– He was way up there Raccoon.
či čituúʾ weešeenuunoosítIt út.
Here all he had taken them prairie chickens.
noowitiranitáʾAt.
Then he had taken them up.

sčiríhtš nootunaačiteeʾá číkuʾ nakutaátA.
Coyote then it was difficult for him to climb up.
tiwaákoʾ aa čikiškuusuuxuhtakaaráhAt.
He said: "Ah, now throw one down to me!"

witiwaákoʾ – ísAt aa – Axtóh – áriišIt – šištáʾ.
He said – Raccoon: "Ah, – surely – yourself – climb up!"

noowitunaačiteeʾá.
Then it was hard for him.
uu witiriWAhteekootíhuʾ.
Oh, he was starving to death.
nikunoowitíʾAt.
Then he went there.
wehnaákUx wehnuhnuníkUx číkuʾ axkiíhA číkuʾ kanawitiínu.
While he (Coyote) sat when he was waiting 'that you give me one,' he (Raccoon) gave him none.
sčiríhtš witiriWAhteekootíhuʾ wenatoonaahkatákUx.
Coyote he was starving as he sat on the hillside.

noowitiWIskaaxiíkuʾ číkuʾ kananaataakuukanéʾIs.
Then he was thinking: "I should have eaten some of them.
číkuʾ koxtikaawačiitúxkUx.
I might be sitting here full.

noowititawiraáʾAt – štoh – wenunaahuníkUx.
Then he went down – again – while he was waiting.
čituúʾuʾ wešohnihkaniwaáhAs noowitiriWAhteékUx.
All while they were being eaten up he was sitting there starving.
aa nuunataakukawootíkA út.
"Ah, why did I kill them there prairie chickens?
pakúhtuʾ číkuʾ weʾatkaniwaáhAs.
Long ago I should have eaten them up.
waáwi koxtikaawačiíʾIt.
I migh t be full."

tsu inaahtákUx nootiraaNAxweesítIt
And that one way up there then he began looking for a way
číkuʾ niinakuutaáNA nakukootíkA.
for him to do something to kill him (Raccoon)
– číkuʾ kanawitii- raahunaáxuʾ.
– He did not find a way.
– tsu noowitíʾAt.
– And then he (Coyote) went.
– nuu noowitii- NAhúna wehnaátA.
– There then he staggered as he went.

noowitikaaʾiíšAt sčiríhtš.
Then he went back home Coyote.
noowitiwísAt niiʾAhnaanunuunakaáWI.
Then he arrived there where his home was.
– noowitiwaákoʾ – na piirátš číkuʾ kaakatohnaahniwísaʾ.
– Then he said: – "Why, my children, I did not bring anything for you.
šitikuhtaʾút.
They were stolen from me.
číkuʾ wekaakatohnaahnáʾ NAxkuraapaawáʾA.
I did not bring anything for you (pl) for you (pl) to eat.
wešitikuhtaʾút.
They were stolen from me.
tatuxkawoótIt út tsu čituúʾ šineekuhtaʾút.
I killed them prairie chickens, but all they were stolen from me."

haa tsu noowiteesšoóxAt.
Ha, but then he forgot (them).
haa noowitiraawá- NIt sčiríhtš.
Ha, then he gave up (thinking of them) Coyote.

nikuwitiNAhuúnuʾ sčiríhtš wehnuxkawootí- kA
That is what happened to him Coyote after he had killed them
út šohnihtaʾuútI.
prairie chickens the ones that were stolen from him.