(1) kêtahtawê êsa êkwa iskwêw awa nihtâ-nôcihcikêyiwa onâpêma. manitôwiw. kêtahtawê onitopayiwa mawîhkâtik iskwêw. miyik wêpinâsona ta-kosâpahtahk; otinam. ospwâkana miyik ê-saskahamâkot. êkwa kosâpahtam.

(1) Once upon a time, the story goes, there was a woman whose husband was a great hunter. She had supernatural power. Once a war-party asked her for help. They gave her cloth-goods that she might use the medium's tent; she accepted the gift. They gave her a pipe with a ceremonial offering of tobacco. Then she used the medium's tent.

(2) "mihcêt misatimwak ka-otinâwâwak," itêw.

(2) “You will take many horses,” she told them.

(3) tâpwê sipwêhtêwak. êkwa iskwêw wîsâmâw ta-wîcihiwêt. namôya tâpwêhtam. piciw; mâcîpiciw. êkwa sakâhk pimipiciw. piyis nama kêkway mîciwak. nîso otawâsimisa êkwa osîma pêyak êkwa onâpêma êkwa wiya; niyânaniwak. nama kêkway mîciwak. kêkâc nipahâhkatosôwak.

(3) Accordingly they set out. The woman was invited to go along. She did not accept the invitation. She moved camp; she moved camp for the purpose of hunting. She camped from place to place in the woods. At last they had nothing to eat. Her two children, her younger sister, her husband, and she; there were five of them. They had nothing to eat. They were nearly dead of hunger.

(4) kêtahtawê iskwêw awa onâpêma môwêw. êkwa êkota ayâw; piyisk kitamwêw. otawâsimisa mîna pêyak kitamwêw; piyis mîna kotaka. osîma piko iskwamêw. êkwa osîma wâposwa piko ê-môwâyit, mistahi piko êkwa micihcîsa iskwastam. êwakoni nîmâw. êkwa ê-sipwêhtêt, wîcêwêw osîma, ê-sipwêhtêcik, kotaka ayîsiyiniwa ê-nitonawât, ê-wî-môwât. nitawi-takosin ôhtâwiya okâwiya ostêsa ita ê-ayâyit. kêtahtawê kiskêyihtam ayîsiyiniwa kisiwâk ê-ayâyit.

(4) Then that woman ate her husband. She stayed there; in time she ate his entire body. Then she ate up one of her children; then the other. Her sister alone she spared. Her sister ate only rabbits and left only the fore and hind paws uneaten. These she kept as provisions. Then the woman went from there, with her sister she went from there, to seek other people whom she might eat. She headed for the place where her father and mother and older brothers were staying. Presently she knew that some person was near.

(5) "ka-kakwêcimik," itêw osîma, "'awîna kâ-mîcisot?' kika-itik." "'wiya awa nisîm,' kika-ititin." "'cî?' ititâni, "êha," kika-itwân."¹

"êkây êkosi wî-itwêyini, ka-nipahitin."

(5) “He will ask you,” she told her sister, “'Who has been eating here?' he will ask you. 'Why, my sister here,' I will say of you. When I ask you, 'Isn't that so?' you will answer, 'Yes.' If you do not speak thus, I will kill you.”

(6) sêkimêw osîma.

(6) She frightened her sister with these words.

(7) "êha," itwêw iskwêw; "êkosi nika-itwân," itwêw.

(7) “Yes,” said she; “I shall speak thus.”

(8) êkwa pêhôwak maskwamiyihk. kêtahtawê kâ-pêtisâpamâcik wîcimosa. êkwa êkota takosiniyiwa.

(8) Then they waited on the ice. Presently they saw her sweet-heart coming. He arrived.

(9) "awîna kâ-mîcisot?" itikwak.

(9) “Who has been eating here?” he asked them.

(10) "wiya awa nisîm," itwêw iskwêw awa. "cî," itêw, "nisîm?"

(10) “Why, my sister here,” said that woman. “Isn't that so, Sister?” she asked the other.

(11) "êha" itwêw.

(11) “Yes,” she answered.

(12) "mahti mâka," itêw awa nâpêw wîcimosa, "kêkway kâ-nîmâyêk?" itêw.

(12) “But let me see, then,” said that man to his sweetheart, “what supplies are you carrying?”

(13) kêkway natonamwêw: pôti ôma awa omisimâw ayîsiyiniw micihciya nîmâw, êkwa kotak wâposwa. otinamiyiwa.

(13) He looked to see what they had: behold, the older sister had a store of human hands, the younger of rabbit's paws. He took the things.

(14) "kiya kika-nipahitin," itêw; "kitawâsimisak êkwa kiwîkimâkan kikitamwâwak." "kinisiwanâtahkamikisin."

(14) “As for you, I shall kill you,” he said to her; “You have eaten up your children and your husband. You are a horrible being.”

(15) êkwa kîwêhtahêw; takohtahêw wîkiwâhk. êkwa tihkisamwak wâkayôsi-pimiy. êkwa minahêwak. êwako êkwa pâh-pâkomohêwak. mistahi kapê-ayi pâkomohêwak. kêtahtawê kâ-pâpayihâyit miskwamiya. êkwa âpahkawisiyiwa.

(15) He took the women home with him; he brought them to his lodge. Then they melted bear's-grease. They made her drink it. In this way they made her vomit repeatedly. They kept her vomiting for a long time. Presently she threw up some ice. Then she came back to her natural self.

(16) êkwa iskwêw ê-kiskisit ômisi itwêw: "nitawâsimisak nikitamwâwak mîna niwîkimâkan." "êkosi êkwa nipakwâtên;" "kiyâm nipahik," itwêw.

(16) When she regained her memory, she spoke thus: “I have eaten my children and my husband. I cannot bear it; please slay me,” she said.

(17) "namôya," itâw.

(17) “No,” she was told.

(18) "âhci piko êkâ nipahiyêko nika-mêscihtân ôtênaw." "nama awiyak nika-sâkôcihik."

(18) “In spite of everything, if you do not slay me, I shall destroy everyone in the village. No one will overcome me.”

(19) piyis êkwa, "êha," itâw.

(19) At last, “Very well,” she was told.

(20) êkwa tâpwê nipahâw. êkwa mêstihkaswâw. ê-ati-mêstihkasot nitonikâniwiw. êkwa miskawâw êkota asinîs ê-miyosit. êkwa êwako wâtihk nitawi-asiwahâw. êkosi isi piciwak ayîsiyiniwak; nakatamwak. kîhtwâm ê-nîpihk pê-ispiciwak; takopiciwak êkota. êkwa pimihkân osîhtâwak ê-wîhkohtocik. êkwa nitawâpahtamwak; pôti ôma êkota wâtihk ohci tapasîyiwa wâkayôsa. êwako awa iskwêw kâ-kî-nipahiht, ê-kwêskimot.

(20) And so she was slain. Then she was burned up. When in time she had burned up, a search was made. There a beautiful little stone was found. Then they went and placed it in a pit. Thereupon the people moved camp; they left it behind. The next summer they came there again to camp; the band arrived there. They made pemican and held a feast. Then they went to look at the thing; lo, there from out the pit fled a bear. This was none other than the woman who had been slain; she had changed to this form.

(21) êkosi wiya êwako.

(21) That is the way this story goes.

Footnotes

¹LB on cî: This particle, the regular sign of a yes-or-no question, is not ordinarily used along; one says tâpwê cî?