Alec Brass | Alec Brass |
(1)nênapos êsa nkotitah wîkihtoh. otôskinikiskwêmiw, êkwah pêyak nâpêsisah. kîtahtawê êsah kâ-mamêyawêyimât otânisah, êkwâ kâ-kakwê-miskawêyihtahk tânisi ci-kîh-tôtahk ci-osisimisot. êkosi êsa êkwah itêyihtam, ci-âhkosit, piyis ci-nipit. tâpwê âhkosiw sôhki kêtahtawê, piyis kinwês. |
(1)Nenapus, the story goes, lived somewhere with his family. He had a young daughter and one little boy. Then, they say, he began to lust for his own daughter and to ponder upon how he could do to be his own father-in-law. Then he must have hit upon the idea of falling sick and finally dying. Accordingly, in due time he fell very ill, and the illness turned out of long duration. |
(2)êkw itêw onôtokêma, «namo wya kêhcinâ nka-miyw-âyân. mistahi kêhcinâ kika-kitimâkisinâwâw, kîspin nântaw tâpwê ihtiyâni. iyâkwâmisih kicawâsimisinânik.» |
(2)Then he said to his old woman, «It seems I shall not get well. Surely you will be in a sorry plight, if really anything happens to me. Do not forget to think of our children.» |
(3)tâpwê kêtahtawê êkwah wî-nipiw. |
(3)Really, soon he was at the point of death. |
(4)êkosi êkotah itêw, «nipiyâni, têhtahokanihk kik-âkosinâwâw.» |
(4)So then he said to them, «When I die, you will place me upon the drying-scaffold.» |
(5)êkwah tâpwê êkos ê-isi-nipit. nitawih-akotâw ohpimê, kwayask ê-kî-wawêspitiht. |
(5)Then, really, he died. They took him a little ways off and put him up there, dressed in his best finery. |
(6)wiya kî-itwêw, «nântaw isi miskâkoyêko oskinîkiw, miyâhkan kitânisinawa. mâskôc tâpwê kika-kî-pimâcihikowâw nântaw.» |
(6)He himself had said to her,»If by any chance a young man should find you, give him our daughter in marriage. Perhaps he will really be able in some way to provide for your living.» |
(7)nêwo kîsikâw ê-kîh-nipit, awa nâpêsis ê-mêtawêt wayawîtimihk, kêtahtawê pîhtokêpahtâw. |
(7)Four days after he had died, that little boy, who was playing out of doors, came running into the lodge. |
(8)«nêkâ, awiyak ôta pê-tohtêw nâpêw!» |
(8)«Mother, some man is coming here!» |
(9)«hwêy, êkosi okî-itwâhtay!» sêmâk itwêw nôtokêw; «`pîhtokê, nîstâ,' itâhkan, ôta pê-takosihki,» itêw ôhô awâsisah. |
(9)«Dear me, is not that what he said!» cried the old woman at once; «When he gets here, say to him, `Come in, Brother-in-Law,'» she told the child. |
(10)tâpwê awa nâpêsis kîmôc itâpiw. |
(10)So the little boy peeped out in that direction. |
(11)êh-pê-takohtêyit, «pîhtokê, nîstâ!» itêw. |
(11)When the other arrived, «Come in, Brother-in-Law!» he called to him. |
(12)pê-pîhtokêw awa oskinîkiw. |
(12)The youth came into the lodge. |
(13)«êkotê, nêtê ohcih,» itêw awa nôtokêw, otânisa itêhkê k-ay-apiyit. |
(13)«Right there, over there,» said the old woman to him, pointing to where her daughter sat. |
(14)êkos ê-isi-wîhkihtocik. tâpwê kîsikâyiki ê-mâ-mâcît aw oskinîkiw, mistahi minahôw. miywêyihtam mistahi awa nôtokêw. |
(14)So the two were married. Really, the youth, hunting every day, killed much game. The old woman was very well content. |
(15)êh-tipiskâyik pêyakwâw ê-kîh-nipâcik, wîpac pêkopayiw awa oskinîkîs. êh-itâpit, nêtê wîstâwa kê-wâpamêw ê-mosêtiyêhkwâmiyit. wâpamêw êy-osîkiciskêyit. ôhtâwîpana sêmâk isinawêw. kawisimopayihôw. okâwiyah koskonêw. |
(15)One night, when they had gone to bed, that little boy woke up during the night. When he looked over there, he saw his brother-in-law sleeping with buttocks uncovered. He saw that his buttocks were scarred: at once he recognized his deceased father. He lay down again. He woke up his mother. |
(16)«nêkâ, nôhtâwiy ocisk!» |
(16)«Mother, those are my father's buttocks!» |
(17)«ss!» itwêw; «kiyâm apih, mac-awâsis, mâna awa misiwê kâ-itwêt!» |
(17)«Hush!» she said; «Keep still, you bad boy, always talking nonsense!» |
(18)mâka ohcitaw itêyihtam awa nâpêsis ê-nisitawinawât. âsa mîna câhkâskwêyiw. |
(18)But that boy was sure that he had recognized his father. Again he raised his head. |
(19)«tâpwê, nîkâ, nôhtâwiy ocisk ana! mâcikôc îtâpih!» |
(19)«Really, Mother, it is my father's buttocks I see on that man. Do look there!» |
(20)piyis awa nôtokêw ê-mwêstâsihtawât, kîmôc kâ-itâpit, awên âwa, tâpwê kî-nisitawinawêw nênaposa, ê-isiw-ocîsiciskêyit ohci. kâ-pasikôt, ôtah kâ-otinahk kihci-mihtih, ê-atimitiyêsiniyit pakamahwêw, êy-itât, «atim, kâ-isi-môhcowit mâna awa! wiy êcik âni mâka mîna!» |
(20)At last the old woman, tired of his bothering, took a furtive look, and whom did she see? Truly, she recognized Nenapus by his buttocks, all covered with scars. Up she got and took a big club, and, where he lay facing yon way with buttocks exposed, she struck him, crying, «Dog, who always does crazy things like this! He is up to his old tricks, is he?» |
(21)nênapos êh-pasikosipahtât, êkos ôma êsi-nayêwacimot, «êkw ani taw-isiwêpan, nîkân k-êtiy-askîwik, pâh-pêyak oti!» itwêw êsah, ê-wayawî-kwâskohtit. |
(21)Nenapus, jumping to his feet, at the same time cried out, it seems: «This very thing shall happen, in the future course of the earth, but only now and then!» _ and with these words he fled out of the lodge. |