Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)êkwa pêyakwâw nipêhtên kayâs ê-nitopayicik. |
(1)This story I heard of once long ago when some men were on the war-path. |
(2)nama kîkway kî-miskamwak. wâhyaw papâmohtêwak. ohcitaw wî-kakwê-miskawêwak ayahciyiniwa. piyisk asinîwacîhk takohtêwak. êkwa kiskêyihtamwak tânitê ê-ispiciyit. |
(2)They had found nothing. They wandered far. They were determined to find some Blackfoot. At last they reached the Rocky Mountains. Then they found out in what direction they had moved their camp. |
(3)«mâskôc nânitaw ê-mâmawôpayicik, ê-wî-nipâkwêsimocik. ohcitaw ka-miskawânawak,» itwêwak; «mêkwâc miyawâtahkwâwi, ka-kimotamawânawak otêmiwâwa. osâm wâhyaw t-êsi-kîwêyahk, piko ta-têhtapiyahk,» itwêwak. |
(3)«Perhaps they are assembling somewhere the celebrate the Sun-Dance. Let us surely find them,» they said, «While they are celebrating, we will steal their horses. It is too far for us to go home like this; we shall have to have mounts,» they said. |
(4)tahki sisonê pimohtêwak asinîwacîhk. kîtahtawê mitoni ê-mis-îspatinâk ê-wacîwik, êkota kapêsiwak. cîki êkota ê-at-âyâcik, misi-kimowaniyiw.1 |
(4)They kept walking along at the edge of the Rockies. Then at one time they were camping by a very high peak of the mountains. While they stayed by there, a great rain fell. |
(5)«kiyâm pita ôta pêhotân; t-âstê-kîsikâw. astê-kîsikâki, wêtinâhk ka-sipwêhtânânaw.» |
(5)«Let us for the present wait here until the sky clears. When the sky clears we can walk on comfortably.» |
(6)êkota ay-ayâwak. tahki mâyi-kîsikâw. piyis nôhtêhkatêwak, mitoni mîna tahki ê-misi-kâ-kitocik piyêsiwak. |
(6)They stayed there. The bad weather kept on. At last they grew hungry, and all the while the Thunderers loudly roared. |
(7)êkwa ê-nôhtêhkatêcik, ômisi itwêwak: «mâ-mâcîk, mîna kita-nitawâhtâyêk. kinôhtêhkatânânaw.» |
(7)Then, when they were hungry, they said, «Go hunting, and at the same time reconnoitre. We are hungry.» |
(8)êkosi nanânis isi sipwêhtêwak, mîna ê-wî-kakwê-minahocik, êkwa, «mâskôc nika-wâpamânânak kâ-nitonawâyâhkok,» ê-itêyihtahkik.2 |
(8)Accordingly they went off in different directions, hoping to kill game and thinking at the same time, «Perhaps we shall see those whom we are seeking.» |
(9)ôki oskinîkiwak ê-nîsicik, pêyak mitoni kîskwêw. kîtahtawê ê-sâkêwêcik, ê-câhkâpiskâsik, mâka nisihkâc, cikêmâ kostâcîwak. kisiwâk ôta ê-kîskâpiskâk, êkota kâ-wâpamâcik ê-apiyit kîskâpiskâhk mitoni ê-misikitiyit, ê-misi-wâkikotêyit, ê-kaskitêsit, êkosi misiwê ê-wâ-wâpiskisit. |
(9)Of those two young men, one was very wild in his ways. Presently, as they came over the crest of a small steep hill, in a lonely spot, they were greatly frightened. On a steep cliff near by they saw sitting some very large being, with a large hooked beak, black, with white spots all over its body. |
(10)«ê-papâmihâcik êkotôwahk,» itêyihtamwak. |
(10)«It is a kind of bird,» they thought. |
(11)êkosi awa oskinîkiw kâ-kîskwêt owîcêwâkana ômis-îtêw: «mahti nika-pimwâw.» |
(11)Then that wild young man said to his companion, «Suppose I shoot an arrow at him.» |
(12)«êkâ wiya!» itik owîcêwâkana. |
(12)«Do not!» his companion told him. |
(13)mâka namoya wî-nitohtawêw. âhci piko pêyak wîpisis kêcikopitam, ê-wî-pimwât. |
(13)But he would not listen to him. In spite of the other's remonstrance, he drew forth an arrow, to shoot that being. |
(14)«êkâ wiya!» itik owîcêwâkana. |
(14)«Do not!» his companion told him. |
(15)âhci piko pimwêw. mitoni tâpiskôc ê-wêwêpâstaniyik at-îspayiyiw. mwêhci cîki ê-ayâk ôma acosis, kâ-pê-wâyônakotêk acosis, «awas!» ê-itikot owîcêwâkana. ê-nawakipayihot, mitoni cîki kâ-pimakotêk acosis. êkosi tapasîwak. |
(15)Nevertheless, he shot at it. It seemed much as though it were being swayed this way and that by the wind. When the arrow had got close to its mark, suddenly that arrow started to fly back, and, «Look out!» his companion said to him. He ducked, and very close the arrow darted past. Thereupon he fled. |
(16)ê-takohtêcik, âcimôwak. |
(16)When they arrived, they told what had happened to them. |
(17)êkosi, «mâskôc piyêsiw,» itêyihtamwak. |
(17)Then, «Perhaps a Thunderer,» they thought. |
(18)ayisk namoya wîhkâc wâpamâw êkotôwahk itôwahk kâ-wâpamâcik. êkosi sêkisiwak. |
(18)For never had such a being been seen as that which they saw. Therefore they were frightened. |
(19)«kiyâm kîwêtân. mâskôc kiwî-mâyipayinânaw.» |
(19)«We had better go home. Perhaps we shall fare ill.» |
(20)êkosi wawêyîwak; kîwêwak. nama kîkway pêtâwak. |
(20)So they made ready; they went home. They came empty-handed. |
(21)opwâsîmôwak otâcimôwiniwâw. |
(21)This is a story of the Assiniboine. |