Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)êkwa kotak nêhiyaw otâcimôwin. |
(1)Now another story of the Cree. |
(2)ê-nitopayicik, nânitaw nisto-mitanaw ê-ihtasicik, cîki êkwa ê-ihtatêyimâcik kâ-nitonawâcik, âskaw oskinîkiwak sipwêpahtâwak, ê-nitawâhtâcik. kîtahtawê pêtwêwitamwak. wâpahtamwak mîkiwâhpa. |
(2)They were on the war-path, some thirty men, and now, when they thought them near whom they were seeking, at intervals the young men would run off to reconnoitre. Presently they came with shouts. They had seen the tents. |
(3)«namoya cîki nôtihtênân; mâka niwâpahtênân mîkiwâhpa. mîna misatimwak niwâpamânânak wâhyawês. kêyâpic sipwêhtêtân.» |
(3)«We did not go near them; but we saw the tents. And we saw horses a little ways off. Let us go ahead.» |
(4)êkosi sipwêhtêwak. |
(4)So they started ahead. |
(5)«namoya osâm cîki êkota ka-tipiskihtânânaw.» |
(5)«Let us not be too near there during the dark.» |
(6)âsay mîna kotakak sipwêhtêwak, ê-nitawi-kêhcinâhocik. êkosi ê-tipiskâk, sipwêhtêwak ôki kâ-mihcêticik. wîpac nakiskawêwak. êkwa kêhcinâhôwak ita kâ-wîkiyit. |
(6)Again some others went off to go and make sure. So, after dark, the main group set out. They soon met the others. They made sure of where the enemy were camping. |
(7)«mitoni namoya nipâwak. mêkwâc nîmihitôwak,» itwêwak ôki kâ-kî-nitawâhtâcik. |
(7)«They are by no means sleeping. They are engaged in a dance,» said those who had been scouting. |
(8)êkosi sipwêhtêwak. cîki ê-ayâcik mîkiwâhpihk, êkota nakîwak. êkosi nêo otinâwak, ta-nitawi-kimoticik. kotakak pêhôwak. ôki nêo sipwêhtêwak, ê-nitawi-kimoticik, ê-nakacihtâcik ôki nêo nâpêwak, mîna ê-nâpêhkâsocik. êkwa cîki mîkiwâhpihk ê-ati-takohtêcik, nîswayak ohci itohtêwak, ê-nâ-nîsicik. êkwa ati-pimitâcimôwak. piyisk mitoni cîki mîkiwâhpihk pimisinwak, ê-kitâpahtahkik mîkiwâhpa, ê-wîhkwêstêyiki mîkiwâhpa ê-papâ-nikamoyit, mîna pîhtêyas ê-mihcêtiyit, ê-nîmihitôwiht, ê-misi-kwâhkotêyik êkota wâsakâm ê-têhtapicik, mîna ê-nikamocik. mâka misatimwak kahkiyaw pîhtêyas ayâwak. |
(8)So they went ahead. when they were near the tents, they halted. Then four were chosen to go and steal. The others waited. The four set out to go and steal, four men who were skilled and were brave warriors. Then, when they came close to the tents, they approached from two directions, two from a side. They kept crawling ahead. At last they lay very close to the tents and observed the camp, as those people went round singing within the circle of the tents, and were in numbers in the center of the camp, dancing, riding on horses round a blazing fire, and singing. But the horses were all in the center of the camp. |
(9)êkwa pêyak cîki êkota mîkiwâhp ayâw; wâsaskotêw êwako. tahki kâ-kitâpahtam awa pêyak okimotiw. pîtotêyihtam iskotêw. kîtahtawê kâ-pê-wayawît iskwêw. pê-nâtikwak kwayask ita kâ-pimisihkik, cîki êkota kâ-pê-nahapiyit, mitoni cîki. |
(9)One tipi was right close there; it was lighted up. One of those thieves kept observing it. He thought the fire looked strange. Presently a woman came out. She went straight to where they were lying, and near that spot she sat down, very near. |
(10)êkwa awa kâ-nâkatôhkêt wîhtamawêw owîcêwâkana, «mâcikôtitân yôhtênahki, kitâpahta kiy-êsinâkwahk iskotêw!» |
(10)Then he who was listening said to his companion, «Let me tell you: when she opens the door-flap, observe the look of the fire!» |
(11)tâpwê kitâpamêwak. ê-yôhtênahk, pôti tâpwê namoya iskotêw, mitoni ê-askîhtakwâyik. |
(11)So they watched for it. When she opened the door-flap, really, they saw, it was no fire, but something green. |
(12)êkosi êkwa kêhcinâhôwak: namoya ayîsiyiniwa, «nawac ta-tapasiyahk!» k-ô-itwêcik. |
(12)So now they were certain: these were not mortals, and so, «We had better flee!» they said. |
(13)êkosi ati-sipwêhtêwak. êkosi kotakak ôki kâ-nihtâ-kimoticik wâpahtôwak. |
(13)So they went away. Thus they encountered the other pair of expert robbers. |
(14)«tânisi êtâpisiniyêk?» itêwak owîcêwâkaniwâwa. |
(14)«What brings you back here?» they asked their companions. |
(15)«tânisi kiy-êtâpisiniyâhk? `namoya ayîsiyiniwak,' nitêyihtênân. êwak-ôhci k-ô-pê-kîwêyâhk,» itikwak; «kiyâm tapasîtân.» |
(15)«What brings us back here? 'They are not mortals,' is what we think. That is why we have come back,» they told them; «We had better flee.» |
(16)êkosi ati-tapasîwak. |
(16)So they fled from there. |
(17)nêki kâ-pêhocik tahki kîkway pêhtamwak, tâpiskôc owîcêwâkaniwâwa ê-pêsiwâyit misatimwa; mâka konita. êkosi mitoni kostâcîwak, mîna ê-pêhtahkik ê-mâtôwiht. mîna pêhtamwak ê-tatwêwitamiyit; tâpiskôc mitoni ê-mihcêtiyit ayîsiyiniwa itihtamwak. êkosi tahki mac-îtêyihtamwak. |
(17)Those yonder who were waiting kept hearing something as though their companions were bringing horses; but it only sounded so. Therefore they became much frightened, and the more so as they heard weeping. Then again they heard people making great noise; it sounded to them as though there were a great many people. In this wise they constantly thought that things were not right. |
(18)«nawac tapasiyahk.» |
(18)«We had better flee.» |
(19)«mâka kiwîcêwâkaninawak pêhâtânik. ahpô êtokê ta-kimotiwak. mîna ka-pâhpihikonawak, tapasiyahko, êkâ kîkway ê-wâpahtamahk. kiyâm pêhotâk!» |
(19)«But let us wait for our comrades. For all we know, they will be stealing something. And they will laugh at us, if we run away when we have not seen anything. Do let us wait!» |
(20)êkosi tâpwê pêhôwak. |
(20)So they waited. |
(21)êkwa ôki kâ-nitawi-kimoticik, «kiyâm sipwêhtêtân. namoya ôki ayîsiyiniwak: cîpayak!» |
(21)And those who had gone off to steal, «Let us be off. These are not mortal men: they are spirits of the departed!» |
(22)tâpwê êkotôwahk, kayâs êkota ê-kî-mêstinêcik mihcêt ayahciyiniwak, êwakoni kâ-cîsihikocik. |
(22)Such really they were; of old many people had died in that place, and these were the ones who had deceived them. |