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

139

Coyote and Buffalo Race

Dan Hopkins

wetatuuniitíštA sčiríhtš.
Now I am going to tell about him Coyote.

nootIhunáx tanáhaʾ weNAhúNAx tanáhaʾ Ah- nawánu.
Then he found him Buffalo when he found him Buffalo as he went around.

na – sčiríhtš – nootíʾAt – na – noowitiwaákoʾ Axtóh číkuʾ kanaaNAxikatariíʾI.
And – Coyote – then he went – and – then he said: "Surely you cannot be at all fast!
tikutAxUtwihtakaRUxuúčI na tiku- NAxUstakaRUxuúʾA číkuʾ kanaaNAxikatariíʾI.
You have such big limbs, and your being so big you cannot be at all fast!"

noowitiwaákoʾ tanáhaʾ nikuneešuúʾUt.
Then he said Buffalo: "You are that way!
nikuneetuu- tAsšúʾ natooteériku.
I feel that way my looking at you.
tikuNAxUtkaxčišpIsaanuúčI.
You have such skinny legs.
Axtóh číkuʾ kanaaNAxikatariíʾI
Surely you cannot run fast!"

noowitiwaákoʾ sčiríhtš nawáh wetsihwaaxíštA.
Then he said Coyote: "Now we are going to run.
wah WIštéh.
Now wait!
tuuxUhuhnaaneéhAs.
Let me ready things first!"

sčiríhtš – nootiihuuwiraawaáhAt.
Coyote – then he ran all around.
wenaátA – nooti- raahunáx – nuu niiʾAhnakaaxIšúhAt
As he went – then he found a way – there where there was a cut bank
– iiʾAhnakaaxIš- wičeésU.
– where there was a deep cut bank.
nikunootuutAxaakaáWI.
Then that is where he set the goal.

na – noowitiwaákoʾ – sčiríhtš nawáh wetAxuhnaaʾeéRIt
And – then he said – Coyote: "Now now you see the way
niiweNUsunáhWI – niiháʾ – niinanuutAxaakaáWI.
where the border is – there – where the final point is yonder.
sihwaáxI wah aniiháʾ nikutiwísAt – na – nootiita- RAhtšwá.
When we run, now there you'll reach that – and – then you'll run harder."

nooWIšituhwáʾAx.
Then they (du) ran.
tiwešinawáNA atsú sčiríhtš noowitireewaataánuʾ na
While they (du) went, but Coyote then he was looking, and
noowitičirikatapIšá wehnuu- teériku tanáhaʾ tiʾAhnaátA
then he blinked his eye while he was looking at him Buffalo as he went,
tsu tiʾAhnaátA.
but as he went.

noowitiwíska tanáhaʾ anuú číkuʾ koxtaanawiʾoóxIt.
Then he thought Buffalo: "There I will be way ahead."

niiwešinaWIswáNA iiʾAhnuutAxaakaáWI anuuháʾ – noowitičirikaRUxwá.
As they (du) reached the point where the final point was there – then he closed his eyes.
tanáhaʾ – wenačirikaRUx- waáhNA nootitaRAhtšwá.
Buffalo – when he closed his eyes, then he ran harder.
noowitiihuunaahkáʾAt iiʾAh- nakaaxIšúhAt.
Then he fell over the bank where the cut bank was.
nootaahnuukakaaʾuúkUt.
Then he fell down it.
nootihkoótIt.
Then he was killed.

tsu sčiríhtš noowitiihuunawiisawiíʾAt.
But Coyote there he ran along the ridge.
noowituu- tapítaahAt.
Then he turned around.
– noowiteéʾaʾ.
– Then he came
– noowitičiričitáʾAt sčiríhtš iiʾAhnaáxA tanáhaʾ weNAhaahkáxA.
– Then he peeped over Coyote where he lay Buffalo as he lay at the bottom.

nootitawiraáʾAt sčiríhtš.
Then he went down Coyote.
– noowituúta – noowiti- káxaʾ – hą – hą.
– Then he did it: – then he called: – "Ha – ha!"
witikáxaʾ – hą – hą.
He called – "Ha – ha!"
wewititawiraa- wóʾ phiináNIt tiwehnaátA.
Now he was going down slowly as he went.
Ahnoowitunaasíhtš.
Then he was just suspicious.

číkuʾ noowiteštAhkUxíhAt.
Then he kicked his feet.
weNAhkoxtAhkUxíhAt číkuʾ  kanawituunáwiʾIt.
When he kicked the feet he did not move at all.
noowitiwanuuxítIt Ahnuhneésiš a či NAxkoóʾAt.
Then he began to walk around when he knew, "And here you are dead!"

na noowitičiiwaakarookUxítIt.
And then he began butchering it.
wehnačiiwaakaráʾU noowitiroswá tsástš.
After he butchered it, he laid it down the meat.
noowitituhnoósI íhUx.
Then he put it aside for himself half.
noowitituhnoósI tsástš.
Then he put it aside for himself the meat.
wewitinuh- noosíhA na noowituutakAxaáwaʾ.
As he put it aside for himself, and then he called them.
wewiteewakA- huutáʾ tiweneešiniinaakaanúhkUx niinoonakuúʾU níkUs
Now he called out: "Here is some food for you," different kinds birds
na sčiríhtš číkuʾ niikohnaačitaáNIt čituúʾuʾ.
and coyotes whatever their tribes were all.

noowiteeRAhwísaʾ wehnihwaawáʾA.
Then they arrived as they ate.

noowitiwaákoʾ tinaroósI wekutatináʾ.
Then he said: "This one it is mine."
wewitIhuučitákUx.
Now he sat on it.
wewitIhuučitákUx kanítš.
Now he sat on it a stone.
– tinaroósI kutatináʾ.
– "This one it is mine.
– tákuʾ Axiš- taʾuúkUt.
– Let no one lay a hand on it!"

tinawaaríčI AhnihwaawáʾA AhnihwaawáʾA wewitihkanéʾIs na
These as they ate, as they ate, now they ate it up and
tákuʾ wewituúxAt niiʾAhnaanunuuNUxtoósI.
someone now went where his lay.

noowitiwaákoʾ šuxkatáhAt.
Then he said: "Get away!
kutatináʾ.
It is mine."

tinaákUx – sčiríhtš – nootunaačiteeʾá nakiiriwátAt.
This – Coyote – then it became (too) difficult for him for him to get up.
či weešanustatatAhuuté kanítš.
Here now he was stuck to it the stone.
wešanustatatAhuuté kanítš.
Now he was stuck to it the stone.
na tiwehnihneésš weNUstatatAhuuteéNA – kanítš – a noowitiraáNAt.
And when they found out his being stuck to it – the stone – and then they went.
nooWI- šitihkanuuwaáhAs.
Then they ate everything.
– niiháʾ noowitikawaawáRIt.
– There then they scattered.
– WIšitih- kanuuwaáhAs.
– They ate everything.
sčiríhtš číkuʾ nookaakirá.
Coyote then he had nothing.