Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)kîtahtawê awa pêyak ayahciyiniw, ê-mâ-mitonêyihtahk, k-êtêyihtahk, «mahti nika-kakwê-otinâw apisc-âcihkos.» |
(1)Once upon a time a certain Blackfoot, having long meditated upon it, decided, «Suppose I try to catch an antelope.» |
(2)êkosi sipwêhtêw, ê-papâmohtêt, konita ê-sipwêhtêt, ê-nitonahk kit-âpacihtât, ita ê-mihcêtiyit apisc-âcihkosa, ê-wî-kakwê-mostinât. kâ-kapê-tipisk êkâ ê-nipât, kiyîsikâyiki piko nipâw.1 piyis tâni-tahto-tipiskâw êkota ayâw. kîtahtawê ê-nipât, awiya k-ôtihtikot, ê-pawâtahk. |
(2)So he went off and wandered about, with no definite goal, looking for the creature he would use, there where the antelope were many, meaning to catch one alive. All night he would not sleep, but slept only in daytime. At last he had been there I know not how many days. Then at one time, as he slept, someone came to him in his dream. |
(3)ômisi itik: «wâpahki ôta kisiwâk osêhcâw awasâyihk aya kika-wâpamâw. êkosi kik-ôtinâw. kâ wiya kostâhkan. ka-kîwêhtahâw. wâpahki êkota ka-wâpamitin,» itik. |
(3)Thus that person spoke to him: «Tomorrow at the other side of this nearby hill, a certain being you will see. Then you will take it. Do not be afraid of it. You will take it home with you. Tomorrow I shall see you there,» that person told him. |
(4)êkosi ê-wâpahk itohtêw ita kâ-pawâtahk. tâpwê ê-sâkêwêt ôma k-ôsêhcâk, kâ-wâpamât êkota kîkwaya êtokê. êkosi âta kostêw; ôma kâ-pawâtahk tâpwêhtam; namoya wî-kostêw. at-îtohtêw. otinêw. wiya ayâw pîsâkanâpiy. êkosi ati-sipwêhtêw, ê-sakâpêkinât. pôti mitoni miyosiyiwa. |
(4)Accordingly the next day he went to the place of which he had dreamt. Really, as he came over the crest of that hill, there he saw he knew not what kind of a creature. Then, to be sure, he feared it; but he placed faith in his dream; he would not let himself fear it. He went there. He took it. He had a rawhide line. Then he went off, leading it on the line. He saw that the creature was very handsome. |
(5)«ka-têhtapin,» kî-itik. |
(5)«You will ride it,» that person had told him. |
(6)êkosi têhtapiw. kîwêw. ê-takohtêt, pê-nitawâpamâw otêma, kâ-kapê-kîsik ê-wîhkwêkâpawistâht awa kâ-pêsîht.2 |
(6)So he mounted it. He went home. When he arrived, people came to see him and his animal, and all day long, for days, they stood round the creature he had brought. |
(7)êkosi awa kâ-pêsiwât kakwêcimâw, «kîkway awa kâ-pêsiwat?» ê-itiht. |
(7)Then he who had brought it was asked, «What sort of being is this you have brought?» |
(8)«misatim isiyîhkâtêw.»3 |
(8)«Horse, its name is called.» |
(9)ê-sakahpitât, tahki mîna ê-kitâpamiht, ê-mâmaskâtiht, mîna nawac piko ê-kostâcik, êkosi wiya awa kâ-pêsiwât nakayâskawêw.4 |
(9)As it was tied up, all the time it was stared at, and wondered about, though even more, they feared it; but he who had brought it got accustomed to riding it. |
(10)kîtahtawê ociwâma nitâhtâmik. êtataw awihêw. kîhtwâm mîna pê-nitâhtâmik. namoya wî-awihêw. |
(10)Presently a close friend asked to borrow it. He could scarcely get himself to lend it to him. Then again the other asked him for the use of it. He would not lend it to him. |
(11)êkosi awa kâ-nitâhtâmot nêpêwisiw. êkâ ê-awihiht. mîna nêpêwisiw. êkosi awa misatim nâpêstim namoya ta-kî-yahkîmot, ayis êkwêyâk ê-wâpamiht misatim. |
(11)Then he who had asked for the loan was ashamed, because he was not lent it. [NO GLOSS] And he was ashamed. Now this horse, a stallion, could have no offspring, since it was the first time that a horse had been seen. |
(12)êkwa awa kâ-nitâhtâmot, «mahti nîsta nika-nitomawâw, kit-ôtêmiyân.» |
(12)Then he who had asked for the loan of it, «Suppose I go look for a mount of my own.» |
(13)êkosi sipwêhtêw. awasâpisk isi sipwêhtêw, wîsta ê-wî-kakwê-otêmit. itohtêw awasâpisk. piyis wâhyaw. êkosi takohtêw ita k-êtohtêt. kiskêyihtam ita k-êtohtêt, pawatamôwinihk ohci. ê-kisci-nêyâyik, mitoni ê-misikamâk sâkahikan, êkota k-êtohtêt nisitawinam. |
(13)So he set out. Beyond the Rockies he went, seeking to get a horse for himself. He went beyond the Rockies. In the end, a long ways. Then he reached the place for which he was bound. He knew his destination from a dream. When he came to a mighty point of land in a large lake, he recognized it as his goal. |
(14)êkwa kawisimôw. kîtahtawê ê-mêkwâ-nipât, kîkway kâ-pêhtahk. namoya kiskêyihtam kîkway ê-pêhtâkwaniyik, ê-pâ-pâsic-ôhpîwâtikot kiyikaw, ê-wî-kwêtipiwêpahokot. piyis wâpaniyiw. âhci piko nipâw. âsay mîna ê-tipiskâyik, kâ-pê-pêhtâkwaniyik ê-kitoyit, konita ê-pitihkopayiyit, mîna ê-kitoyit. mâka namoya kiyitam kîkway.5 mîna ê-wâpaniyik, nayêstaw sîsîpa kâ-kitoyit. mîna kapê-kîsik na-nipâw. âsay mîna ê-tipiskâk, âsay mîna pê-otihtik mihcêt kîkway, ê-pâpahtâyit, mîna ê-pâ-pâsic-ôhpîwâtikot, tâpiskôc ta-pistiskâkot. ê-wâpahk, êkosi nêo-tipiskâw. êkos-îtahkamikihtâw. êkwa ê-wâpahk, êkota nîpawiyiwa misatimwa. mitoni mâyâtisiw. |
(14)Then he lay down. In his sleep he heard something. He did not know what made the sound, as those beings kept leaping over his body pell-mell, as though about to roll him over with their hoofs. At last dawn came. He kept on sleeping. The next night came the sound of their neighing, and from every direction the pattering of their hoofs, and their neighing. But he saw nothing. And in the morning, it was only ducks that had been quacking. Again through the day at intervals he dozed. The next night again many beings of some kind came where he was, approaching on the run, leaping across his body, as though about to strike him with their hoofs. Morning came, and then the fourth night. He did as before. Then, the next morning, there stood a horse. It was very ugly to look at. |
(15)êkosi otinêw. têhtapiw. pê-kâ-kîwêpayiw. mitoni mîhkawikiyiwa. ê-tipiskâk pakitinêw. kîkisêpâ mîna pê-kîwêpayiw. mîna wâhyaw pê-kapêsiw. mwêhci ê-nêo-tipskâk, kayahtê, ê-wâpaniyik, misahkamik wîcêwêyiwa otêma. êkosi otinêw otêma. pê-kîwêw. pê-têhtapiw. êkosi kotaka pê-pimitisahok kahkiyaw misahkamik ôhi misatimwa. takohtahêw. êkosi mâtinamawêw owâhkômâkana. mitoni êkwa mihcêtwastimwêwak. |
(15)Then he took it. He mounted. He continued to ride homeward. The horse was very fast. At night he let it loose. In the morning again he rode homeward. Going a far ways, again he camped for the night. The fourth night, at daybreak, behold, his horse had a great herd of fellows. Then he took his horse. He went on toward his home. He came on horseback. And all that big herd of other horses came following him. He brought them. Then he distributed them to his kinsfolk. Then they had a great plenty of horses. |
(16)êwako kâ-kî-mâci-otêmicik êkota mîna nêhiyawak, ê-kâ-kimotamawâcik. êwak-ôhci k-ô-mihcêtwastimwêcik. itwani mâna ta-kî-mihcêtiyiwa otêmiwâw.6 êkosi wiya nêhiyawak tahki êtataw kî-otêmiwak. kêyâpic anohc nikiskêyihtên. |
(16)And then it was that the Cree, too, began to have horses, for they used to steal them from the others. It was through this that they were well supplied with horses. Indeed many were their horses. But as for the Cree, they scarcely managed to have any horses at all. Even today I know this of my own experience. |