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

133

The Young Man Who Became a Snake and

the One Pitied By the Thunderbirds

Dan Hopkins

wešitatuuniitíštA – wiiteešútš – šiNAh-
Now I am going to tell about them (du) – young men – when
kuwaawanú noošiNAhkuraaWIhkaʾaáhNA.
they (du) went around when they (du) went hunting.

noošiNAhkuwaawanú – nooWIšitičitAxá – šohnuhnaaweerikú.
When they (du) went around, – then they (du) lay on top – as they were looking at things.
nooWIšituutaakeéRIt tanáhaʾ.
Then they saw them buffalos.
inoowitaahkániškUx wešohnuutačiríkUx.
There there was a herd yonder as they (du) watched them.
nooWIšituhnaasíštA.
Then they (du) watched them.

tičé NAsiitaáništA – siinapiisátA – tanáhaʾ iinawaaríčI.
"What are we going to do – for us to get close to them – buffalos those?"

wešinačitáxA – tanáhaʾ – noowitiraanunahAsUxí- tIt.
While they lay on top – the buffalos – then they began to disappear.
noowitiraanunáhAs tanáhaʾ.
Then they all disappeared the buffalos.
tišinaáxA wiiteešútš weWIšituhnaasíštA.
These (du) young men they (du) watched them.

čiraátoʾ síhWA niiwenaraanunáhAs.
"Let's go where they disappeared."

nuu nooWIšitíWA.
There then they (du) went.
nooWIšitiwísWA.
Then they (du) arrived.
inoo- witeehunaahnátA.
There was a hole there.
noowituutItkAhtákUx.
Dirt was dropping down.
tiroohuNIhuúʾU NAhunaahnatáWI.
It was a big one where the hole was.

nooWIšititawiraáWA – a – nooWIšitIhukakaawaaʾuúkUt.
Then they (du) went down, – and – they (du) got to the base.
anuuháʾ noowitiiwaraawá.
Over there there were trees all around.
AhnawaraawaáWI noošinawaraakaʾaáhNA wešinuhnaaweerikú noowitikaahunaáhkUx.
Where the trees were as they (du) went in the trees as they (du) looked at things, it was a (different) country.
nuu šinawanú šohnuxkaʾaáhNA wah siškaaʾíšWA.
There as they (du) went around after they had gone in the woods, "Now let's go home!
na neesiinaaʾít sihWIswáNA.
And we will tell about it when we arrive."

a nooWIšiteekatawáʾ.
And then they (du) came up it.
tiwešinakatawaʾá noowitUstaakákUx nút niiʾaNAsunaahnatawiʾuúʾA.
When they (du) came up it there was around it a snake as (big as) the hole was.
niiwe- šohnakatawanú – nikuwitipAxtAhúNA.
Where they (du) went up, – there was a head bordering it.
štoh – noo- WIšitIhaahkaʾíšWA nuuháʾ.
Back – then they (du) went down the bank there.

noošitipinaaNIšítIt nátš.
Then they (du) began to gather it wood.
wešinapinaáh- NA nooWIšiteeranikatáʾ.
After they (du) gathered it, then they (du) brought them up.
nooWIšiti- roósI niitiwenaáxA nút.
Then they (du) put them down here where it lay the snake.
nooWIšituuNAsaa- kákux.
Then they (du) put it around it.
WIšitikuNIstoohaásIt.
They (du) set it afire.

štoh noošitIhaahkaʾíšWA – anuú – wešinaka-
Again then they (du) went down the bank – there – as they
ʾaáhNA wešinakaʾaáhNA.
(du) went about in the woods, as they (du) went about in the woods.

waaxtóh wekooNAhuúNIt.
"Now truly it must have burned."

šiteekatawáʾ a noowiteekapIstAhkáʾ weNAhuúNIt.
They (du) came up and then there were coals after it had burned.

áxkUx– noowiteeNIšítIt.
One– then he began to eat it.
– noowiteeNIšítIt.
– Then he began to eat it.
naaxtóh thané.
"Surely it tastes good!"

uunaaríčI kanawitiiwískaʾ Axtóh kaakunaahé.
The other one he didn't want it: "Surely it's not good."

uunaaríčI witeeNIšítIt.
The other one he began to eat it.

nooWIšiteewáʾ.
Then they (du) came.
nuu wešohnaawaʾá šituté.
There when they (du) were coming they (du) stayed overnight.

weneehaahtiwiítIt weneeriwátAt tinaaríčI wii- teešútš noowitooNAxtAhkaraniíʾI.
After it became daylight after he got up this young man then his feet were spotted.
čii – hásI – číkuʾ wekutikuNAhuúnuʾ.
"Hey – look, – something has happened to me!
čii nootunaahé.
Hey, it is good.
koxtiwanúʾ -- koxtiisAhkaʾá Axčeewariínuʾ.
I will go around -- I will go in the village bare footed."

noošiteewáʾ.
Then they (du) came.
noošiteewáʾ.
Then they (du) came.
štoh noošituté.
Again Then they (du) stayed overnight.

tiweneehaahtiwiítIt nuukuwitiiraateéhAt paanaaníniʾ wenakaxtAhkaraniinaáNA.
When it became daylight the way extended farther (up) there on the knees where the legs had become spotted.
na kunoxti- wanúʾ – -- kaxčeewariínuʾ nuu koxtiisAhkaʾá.
"And I will go around – -- bare legged there I will walk in the village."

noošiteewáʾ.
Then they (du) came.
– noošiteewáʾ.
– Then they (du) came.
– štoh noošituté.
– Again then they (du) stayed overnight.

wah – štoh – tiweneehaahtiwiítIt nuukuwitiiraateé-
Now – again – when it became daylight, the way extended
hAt wenakaxtAhkaraniinaáNA.
farther (up) there where the legs had become spotted.
wah koxtiwanúʾ čeewariínuʾ.
"Now I will go around naked.
koxtiisAhkaʾá čeewariínuʾ
I will walk in the village naked."

štoh nuu noošiteewáʾ.
Again there then they (du) came.
tikatiisiʾá.
It became dark.

tiweneehaahtiwiítIt nootiišá NUtkaríš wenaʾaáNA.
When it became daylight, there he lay a bull snake after his having become.
nootiʾá nút.
Then he became a snake.

nohniwaákoʾ wah škúxta niinačiísA.
Then he said: "Now take me where there is water!"

nootiruuwanuuxítIt wenariwó niinačiísA.
Then he began to take him when he was taking him where there was water.

huukaawiraátA – kuteeNAsuxwiʾúʾ – weNAhoósA.
(To) the east – he must have faced – as he lay in the water.

witiwaákoʾ škuxtoóʾa.
He said: "Take me out!
kaakunaáhe.
It is not good.
škuxtoóʾa.
Take me out!
nookiiškuusuxwiʾuurút skaweéraaʾuʾ.
Turn me to face west!"

noowitUtwiʾuurút skaweéraaʾuʾ.
Then he laid him facing west.
na nikuwitihnaaʾiitáWI.
And that is what he was told.

noowitiwaákoʾ číkuʾ niiNAxkuWIskáʾA nakuutaáNA na niku- taáʾ.
Then he said: "Whatever you want to do, you should come here."

sinoó nootiwanuuxítIt wiiteešútš.
Yet then he began to go around the young man.
we- nawanú wenawanú číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ nawaákUx.
As he was going around, as he was going around, wherever it was its being a hill.
noowititiʾús wehnétkA.
Then he lay down his sleeping.
wehnétka noowititiʾús.
His sleeping then he lay down.

na noošituuteéRIt – neétAhkas – niišikohná- ʾA –
And then he saw them (du) – eagles, – whatever they (du) were, –
níkUs – šohnúxkUx.
birds – their (du) sitting there.
nooWIšitinoohUhkatee- riítIt iinaanunuhkákUx piiráʾuʾ.
Then they (du) flew up with him where it had its in (the nest) child.

weneehaahtiwiítIt inoowitiikAxá.
When it became daylight, there it was in (the nest).
a niiháʾ nikunooWIšititwaaWIhtít níkUs waarúxtiʾ.
And there then that is where they (du) talked to him birds holy.

nooWIšitiwaákoʾ šikaakikuhnaNAxaátuʾ piirátš tiiháʾ tiNAhaʾaáhNA šinikuhkaneehAsú.
Then they said: "Ours don't grow up children here this one in the water its eating them up.
wešinatakúxIt.
We picked you up.
weneeraʾaanúʾ NAxkuuwaníkA.
It is for you for you to shoot it."

noošitiniišú nišwaaRUxtiíʾuʾ.
Then they (du) gave arrows (du) to him holy arrows.
NIhaakaareétIt šuuNUxaakaratawísAt.
"When it opens its mouth, shoot it in the mouth!"

tsu WIšiteewanúʾ šiNAhkoowánu šinehkuranuuwaáhu nehkuwaawáʾA.
But they (du) were flying as they (du) were flying around their (du) bringing it for him to eat.

noowitetsuutáʾ wehnetsuutá niiʾAhnohkaroósI.
Then the water rose, the water rising where the nest was.
noowiteehuúʾaʾ nuutawáčeš.
Then it came up on the water a water monster.
tsu tišinaawa- nú weWIšitihwaníkuʾ wešiniiwanikú.
But these (du) flying they (du) were shooting it, their (du) shooting it.

nootiwísAt niiʾAhnohkaroósI wehnootuu- saʾá.
Then it arrived where the nest was after it came out of the water.
– nikunoowituutá – weNAhaakaareétIt nootuhnaakaratawísAt.
– Then this is what he did: – as it opened its mouth then he shot it in the mouth.
nootikoótIt.
Then he killed it.

nootitstawíʾAt štoh.
Then the water receded again.
noowitaahnuNAhtaahIškAxá.
Then it lay there on dry land in the distance.

wah – niiháʾ wiiteešútš – nooWIšititwaaWIhtít.
Now – here the young man – then they (du) talked to him.
šititkaapaačíštIt.
They blessed him.

wah noowitiwanuuxítIt.
Now then he began to go around.
wah tsu anuuNAhá- xA inaániʾ šinaatíRA nootuhneésiš.
Now but that one in the water his brother his friend then he knew.
wenehku- ʾá wenehkuʾá – kaakAxunaáhe – sináNI
When he came, when he came – it was not good – his friend
wenehkuhtee- riiʾaáhNA.
when he would spy on him.
wah niikóhnoʾ naarikawaáWI noowituu- taNAsareewaápI niikohnáʾIt.
Now whatever it was its having horns, then he tied the horns whatever they were.
noowituutaRIhnaanuusAh- kawiítIt.
Then the horns protruded from the water.

nuuwenaʾá – nuuwenaʾá – nootuutuhtawiítIt
As he came there, – as he came there, – then he swooped down
aatakootíkA – inaániʾ niiwenuutaáNA – noo- tiituuníkut.
'that I kill him' – his (snake) brother. As he did that – then he caught him.
nootiiNAhuuʾiítIt.
Then he took him underwater.
nootihčiwatuu- xítIt weniNAhwanú
Then he began to change him (back to a human) his working over him,
weniNAh- wanú.
his work- ing over him.
wetihčíWAt.
Now he changed him.

wenihčiwátI – atsú – kanawitihčíWAt čiRIh- naaníniʾ.
When he changed him, – but – he did not change him in the eyes.
wekuwituhnaaʾúʾ – waawaapIsúxuʾ – AhnuutAxitikú na
It continued – lightning – its occurring, and
wititčiriNAsarét NAhkuúkUx.
he had his eyes tied as he would sit.

nootikaawiítIt.
Then he sat down in the lodge.
weNAhkuúkUx noowitoot- čiriNAsarét.
When he sat then his eyes were tied.
na witsuuxá NAhkuxtooʾaáhNA nawaawaa- pIsúxuʾ kanawitihčíWAt čiRIhnaaníniʾ.
And he did it: when he took it off, the lightning it had not changed in the eyes.
wekuwituhnaaʾúʾ.
It continued.