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

136

The Singing Coyote

Dan Hopkins

wah tatunaaʾiitíštA – naawiinakuúnuʾ – Ahnux- taanátA.
Now I am going to tell about it – (on) the warpath – when they went.

tiwenaraanátA tiwenaraanátA anuú tii- táke.
After they went on, after they went on there they stayed overnight.
hawá štoh tAheéšaʾ.
Also again morning came.
nootiraáNAt.
Then they went on.

wenaraanátA nuu nootiitáke.
When they went there then they stayed overnight.
hawá štoh tAheéšaʾ.
Also again morning came.
nootiraáNAt.
Then they went on.
noowenaraanátA tsu čiričeeríšuʾ – tiRAhwóʾ –
Then when they went, but the advance scouts – they were going –
hináxtIt weNAhkiihaahtiwiitikú.
early in the morning when it was becoming daylight.
noowiwitihčitaʾús.
Then they lay down on (a hill).
tsu wetiraáNAt a nootaraánaʾ.
But now they went on and then they came on.
wah siíno číkuʾ kaakiraahunuuwá.
"Now yet there is not anything going about.

wah niiwekohniihawé čirá táWIt čirá čiitíʾIš
Now it isn't known how many nights it was perhaps three, perhaps four
– nuuwenaraanátA – noowenaRAhkataátA wenawaanaáhkUx wenaRAhčitáxA.
– their going there – as they went up there where hills were clustered as they lay on top.

hUhtiísuʾ– wewitoosaahtáʾ.
Finally– the sun rose.
nikunooWIšitiinátkoʾ – anuuháʾ sAhaahníniʾ wenaraanáʾU --
Then they heard this – there in the valley as it sang --
wenaraanáʾU sAhaahníniʾ.
as it sang in the valley.
wah taanikutiwaákoʾ.
Now this is what it said: .

nátkuʾ kooxaahkaahunaanáWA.
Merely the earth will go on.
tinakaahunaanawáNA tatuuNUxkaahunaaninoohuʾ.
This earth extending I was afraid of the earth.
aki hi e re he o.
.

aniwenawakUhtaátA noowitiRAsawiraáʾAt a noowitiišá
After it had finished singing then they went down and there it was lying
sčiríhtš wehnariWAhteekoótI.
a coyote one that had starved to death.
wekanawitiiʾaáhwa.
There it had no teeth.
nuuwekuwitanestAhká.
There its intestines were drawn in.

a nikuwitiwaákoʾ anuú kooxaahkaahunaanúʾAt.
And this is what it sang: "There the earth will go on.
tinakaahunaanoótA tatuuNUxkaahunaaninóʾ.
This earth extending I was afraid of the earth."

na niiháʾ– nooWIšititčiskakúx – niikóh- noʾ.
And there– then they put it around its neck – whatever it was.
naawiínuʾ witičiRAhpAhaáʾAt.
A (piece of) cloth it was red.

niiháʾ nootiraáNAt.
There then they went on.
aniwenaraanátA nooši- tiináčeʾ na – štoh – nootuhnaanapítaahAt.
After they went on, then they counted coups on them, and – again – then they turned around.
wewitinaahukoóʾUs wešiniináče.
Now they were brave after they counted coups on them.
wewita- RAhwísaʾ.
Now they came back.