(1) aya pêyak âhcî ê-kî-sôniyâwokimâwit ôta nêhiyânâhk, êkwa pêyak âpihtawikosisân pôl kapinêt, êwako pîhtokêwak minihkwêwikamikohk.

(1) A certain man named Archie, who was Indian Agent here in the Cree country, and a halfbreed, Paul Caplette, entered a tavern.

(2) êkosi, "mitoni cî kinisitohtên nêhiyawêwin?" itêw awa kaplêt, sôniyâw-okimâw ê-itât.

(2) Then, “Do you understand the Cree language very well this Caplette asked him, asked the Indian Agent.

(3) "â, mitoni ninêhiyawân!" itik.

(3) “Why, I speak Cree very well!” the other answered him.

(4) "hâ, kîspin kinêhiyawân, kîspin mitoni kwayask kinisitohtên nêhiyawêwin, wanwêhkâtâni, kika-minahâwak ôta tahto kâ-ayâcik pîhcâyihk âpihtawikosisânak." "mâka kîspin êkâ wanwêhkâtâni, niya nika-minahiwân." "kêkway anima: 'ahpônâni kîwâc,' kêkway anima êwako?"

(4) “Well then, if you speak Cree, if you understand the Cree language very well, then, if I speak so that you cannot understand me, you will treat to drinks as many halfbreeds as are in here. But if I do not put you at a loss by my speech, then I shall stand the drinks. What is this: 'With nary a fail,' what is this?”

(5) êkosi, "â, konita ê-osîhtâyan, 'osâm ninihtâ-nêhiyawân,' ê-itêyihtaman!" itik awa kisêyiniw kaplêt.

(5) Then, “Oh, you are just making it up, because you think you speak Cree so well!” said the other to old man Caplette.

(6) "â, êkosi minahiwê!" itêw awa kaplêt.

(6) “Ho, so now stand the drinks!” Caplette answered him.

(7) êkosi awa sôniyâw-okimâw isiwêpinêw napakihtakohk niyânanwâpisk. nânitaw niyânanosâp êkota pîhcâyihk ê-ayâyit, êkoni kahkiyaw ê-minahât, nayêstaw nikotwâsik sôniyâs ayiwâkipayiw anihi niyânanwâpisk.

(7) Thereupon the Indian Agent threw five dollars on the bar. As there were about fifteen men in the place, when he had treated them all, only six bits were left of that five dollars.

(8) "hâ, namôya kîhtwâm ka-wanwêhkawin kêkway!" "êkoyikohk'nîsta ninêhiyawân,' nititêyihtên, konita kâ-wanihcikêyân."

(8) “Well, you will never put me at a loss again: Because I thought 'I too speak Cree,' is why I lost my money for nothing.”

(9) "ê-pîtosi-nêhiyawêyan, namôya mihcêtin nêhiyawêwin." "pêyak kêkway mihcêtwayak isiyîhkâtêw, mitoni ta-nisitohtamihk nêhiyawêwin." "'pêyak kêkway ninisitohtên,' kitêyihtên, pêyak kêkway pîkiskwêwin nêsitohtamani nêhiyawêwin."

(9) “Because you talk a foreigner's Cree, the Cree language is poor and of small extent. But each thing has many names, when the Cree language is well understood. You think, 'I understand the name of one thing,' when really you understand only one word.”

(10) êkosi mistahi pâhpiwak. ê-wîhtamâht ana osîkinikêw kêkway ohci kâ-minahiwêt awa, mistahi pâhpiw mîna êwako. êkosi kîsihtâwak êwako. êkosi wayawîwak êkwa.

(10) At that they laughed much. When the bartender was told why this man was standing treat, then he too had a hearty laugh So they finished this. Then they went out of the place.

Footnotes