(1) nêhiyaw pêyak, osîma oskinîkiwa. awa ostêsimâw pêyakoyiwa okosisa. mistahi âhkosiyiwa, ê-apisîsisit awa nâpêsis. êkwa atoskêmôw, ayîsiyiniwa ê-atotât.

(1) A certain Cree had a younger brother, a mere youth. The elder brother had one son. This little boy fell very sick. The man sought medical aid, employing people to use their power.

(2) "mâskôc awa kâ-sâkihak nikosis kita-nipiw," itêyihtam.

(2) “Perhaps my beloved son is to die,” he thought.

(3) kîtahtawê awa oskinîkiw, ostêsa ê-sêkisiyit, "mahti, nistêsê, wâpatonisk miyin," itêw ostêsa.

(3) Then at one time that youth whose brother was in fear, said to him, “Come, Brother, give me some white paint-clay.”

(4) miyik. piyisk misiwê wâpatonisk astêw. âta ê-âhkosiyit okosisiwâwa, otinêw, ê-wayawîhtahât awa oskinîkiw.¹

ê-pîhtokahât ôhi awâsisa, miyw-âyâyiwa.

(4) He gave him some. Then he put the white clay all over his body. Although their son was ill, the youth took him up, and carried him out of the tent. When he brought the child in again, he was well.

(5) êkosi kîtahtawê wîwiw; tâpiskôc wîwiwak ostêsa.²

(5) Then, in the course of time, he took a wife; he took his wife from the same family as had his elder brother.

(6) "hâw, nisîm, atâwâkanak nôcihâtân; paskêpicitân," itêw osîma.

(6) “Come, Younger Brother, let us go in pursuit of furs; let us move camp away from the band,” he said to his younger brother.

(7) "êha," itik.

(7) “Yes,” the latter answered him.

(8) âsay otawâsimisiwak awa oskinîkiw; misikitiyiwa, ê-pimitâcimoyit. kîtahtawê ê-mâcîcik, êkwa awa iskwêw nikohtêw. kîtahtawê wanihâw. namôya takosin. kîtahtawê ê-tipiskâyik, êkâ ê-takosihk, nitonikêwak ostêsa. namôya miskawêwak; namôya mâtâhêwak.

(8) The youth and his wife had by this time a child; it was of a size to be crawling about. Then at one time, as they were hunting, that woman gathered wood. Then, at one time, she was missed. She did not come home. Presently, as darkness fell and she did not arrive, the youth and his brother searched. They did not find her; they did not come upon her tracks.

(9) "mâskôc nipiw sisikoc," itêyihtamwak.

(9) “Perhaps she suddenly died,” they thought.

(10) êkwa ostêsa saskahamawêw.

(10) Then he offered his elder brother a lighted pipe.

(11) "nistêsê, kakwê-kiskêyim kîtim." "kikosisinaw mistahi mâtôw," itêw.

(11) “My, elder brother, try to know about your sister-in-law. Our son is crying much,” he told him.

(12) "êha," itik.

(12) “Very well,” the other answered him.

(13) nikamôw.

(13) He sang.

(14) "nisîm, ôta omêskanaw awa nîtim piko niwâpahtên, êkota ôma kâ-nitonikêyahk." "namôya nânitaw nitisi-wâpahtên ta-misi-wanâtisit awa nîtim ka-wanihâyahk."

(14) “My younger brother, here I see only the path of my sister-in-law, even there where we made search. Not in any way do I see that my sister-in-law whom we have lost has gone to her ruin.”

(15) wiyaskinahêw awa ostêsimâw. êkwa miyâw ospwâkana.

(15) The elder brother filled a pipe. He gave the other the pipe.

(16) "nisîm, êwako ana pîhtwâ." "kakwê-miskaw nîtim." "namôya misi-wanâtisiw." "mâskôc kêkway kikiskêyihtên," itêw osîma.

(16) “My younger brother, smoke this. Try to find my sister-in-law. She has not been destroyed. Perhaps you have some mystic power,” he said to his younger brother.

(17) êkwa pîhtwâw awa oskinîkiw. kêtayôwinisêw. êkwa itohtêw ita kâ-nikohtêyit owîkimâkana. êkwa ê-pipohk; ômayikohk osita kaskitênam; êkwa ôhi ocihciya kaskitênam awa oskinîkiw. êkwa itohtêw; ê-otihtahk owîkimâkana ita ê-kî-nikohtêyit, nitonikêw. kîtahtawê kâ-wâpahtahk ita ê-kî-nîpawiyit owîkimâkana; ita ê-tahkoskêyit êkota nîpawiw. ita ê-ayîtiskêyit, êkota tahkoskêw awa oskinîkiw. pahkêkin akwanahôw; êwako piko mosêskatêw. êkwa tahkoskêw ita ê-kî-tahkoskêyit owîkimâkana.

(17) Then the youth smoked. He took off his clothes. Then he went to where his wife had gathered wood. It was winter; he blackened his feet, here; and he blackened his hands, the youth. Then he went there; when he came to where his wife had gathered firewood, he searched. Presently he saw a place where his wife had stood; upon the imprints of her feet he placed his feet, as he stood. Upon the imprints of her feet, as she had gone, step after step, the youth placed his feet, as he walked. He had a skin wrapped round him; but for this garment he was unclothed. Then he made his steps wherever his wife had set foot.

(18) kîtahtawê êkota ohci ê-itâpit, pôti ôma tâpiskôc pîsimwêyâpiy isinâkwaniyiw omêskanaw awa iskwêw, nayêwac ê-pimakocihk. ohpîw awa oskinîkiw. nayêwac pimakocin, tâpiskôc ê-pimihât. pôti wâhyaw ê-ayât, pôti minahikwâhtikwa ê-nawêyâskosiniyit, êkota êsa kâ-nipâyit, namôya tâpwê ê-nipât, ê-owîcimosit anihi kâ-sipwêhtahikot. êkota ohci ohpiyiwa. ohpîw wîsta, êkwa ê-pimakocihk nayêwac.

(18) Presently, as he looked on ahead, lo, there, like a rainbow looked the trail of that woman, as she had left the ground and floated through the air. The youth took off from the ground. He floated through the air as though he were flying. Behold, when he had gone a long ways, where a pine tree lay across the path, there she must have slept, - not that she had really slept, but where she had taken for her lover him who had abducted her. From there she had again risen aloft. He too rose aloft, gliding again through the air.

(19) kîtahtawê kâ-ati-nîhtakociniyit. ati-nîhtakocin wîsta. kîtahtawê mohcihk êkwa ati-pimohtêyiwa, ê-sêskisiyit minahikoskâhk. pôti kâ-wâpahtahk wîstêpahkwayikamik ê-mâyâtaniyik, ê-misâyik. kotak wâpahtam ê-apisâsiniyik. êkwa pîhtokêw. pôti ôhi kî-apiyiwa wêskwâhtêmihk; kotaka nâpêwa pimitakâm apiyiwa. kiki-apiyiwa owîkimâkana, ê-wîtapimâyit pâkahkosa. awa pimitakâm kâ-apit, êwako tapahtiskwêyiw kotak pâkahkos, ê-ostêsit awa pâkahkos kâ-kimotit iskwêwa.

(19) Presently she had again gone down to the ground. He, too, at that point, went down to the ground. Then she had walked on, on the earth, and had gone into a wood of pines. There he beheld a large and ugly tent of old leather rags. He saw another and smaller one. Then he entered. Lo, there they sat, opposite the doorway; another man sat across the lodge from them. There sat his wife, sitting by the side of a bony spectre. That other bony spectre who sat aross the lodge, lowered his head; and he was the elder brother of him who had stolen the woman.

(20) êkwa awa oskinîkiw pimohtêw, pâskisikan apasôhk ê-takopitêyik, ê-wâpihtakâyik; "pâskisikan pôti ôma! wîsta nika-otinên ôma pâskisikan; nîsta êwako nika-ayân!" itêyihtam.

(20) Then that youth walked over to where a gun hung from the lodgepole; it looked like a bleached stick; he thought, “So this is a gun! From him, in turn, I shall take the gun; I, in turn, shall have it!”

(21) êkwa ê-otinahk, pimakocin awa iskwêwa kâ-kimotit pâkahkos, ê-pâhpit.

(21) As he took it, that bony spectre who had stolen the woman, came reaching for it, with a peal of laughter.

(22) "nikosâk, pakitina ôma nipâskisikan!" "ê-sâkihtâyân ôma nipâskisikan!" "kîwinaw kîwêhta!" itwêw awa pâkahkos.

(22) “My follow-husband, let go of this my gun! I love this gun of mine! Take back our wife!” said the bony spectre.

(23) "namôya! âsay kikî-otinâw, ê-mêkwâ-sâkihak nîsta." "kêkway ê-sâkihtâyan niwî-otinên." "êwako ohci kipâskisikan kâ-ôh-pê-nâtamân." "nîsta ê-sâkihak mêkwâc kîwa, kikî-pê-nâtâw." "êkosi namôya ta-kî-wîwiyân."

(23) “No! You took her, when I, too, loved her. Now I will take a thing you love. That is why I have come to take your gun. When I loved her who is your wife, you came and took her. So now I cannot have her to wife.”

(24) "â, nikosâk, kiyâm miyin nipâskisikan; mistahi nisâkihtân!" itwêw awa pâkahkos.

(24) “Oh, Fellow-Husband, please, give me my gun; I prize it too highly!” cried the bony spectre.

(25) "namôya ka-kî-miyitin."

(25) “I shall not by any chance give it to you.”

(26) "ahpô nama wîhkâc kêkway ka-pwâtawihtân." "ka-nihtâ-nipahtân kêkway pisiskiwak." "tahki ka-wîcêtin."

(26) “If you wish, never will you fail of any game. You will be good at killing every kind of beast. Always I shall go at your side.”

(27) "namôya!" itwêw awa oskinîkiw.

(27) “No!” said the youth.

(28) êkwa awa ostêsimâw wayawîw, ôhtâwiya ê-nitawi-nitomât. pôti awa kisêyiniw pâkahkos pîhtokêw.

(28) Then that elder one went out of the tent to call his father. The old man Koshtchey entered.

(29) "hây, nitawâsimisak kî-nîpawîstâtowak."³

"âta nôton, 'êkâ wiya êkotôwahk iyinito-ayisiyiniw ohtin iskwêw,' nikî-itâw awa nikosis; "manitôwiwak iyini-ayisiyiniw," nikî-itâw mâna, wiyîhtamawaki kêkway, âhci piko kâ-tôtahk, kâ-katâc ê-onâpêmiyit kâ-maskahtwêt awa nikakêpâtisîm, êkâ ê-tâpwêhtawit."⁴

⁵

"- nikosis, êkosi awa ê-tâpwêt, awa kikosâk kâ-isi-wîhtamâsk." "kapê-tipisk ka-nikamohitinân, tânisi ta-tôtaman." "kiyâm niya kitimâkihtawin." "mistahi nisâkihtânân nipâskisikaninâna." "êwako awa ostêsimâw kiciwâm ninahihtâk;"⁶

"tânisi ê-itak tôtam, awa kikosâk ê-kakêpâtisit, kâ-nitawi-kimotamâsk kiwîkimâkana." "êkosi anihi ê-tâpwêt, ôma kâ-itisk."

(29) “Alas, my children have stood facing each other! Although often, 'Do not take a woman of the common, mortal men,' I said to my son; 'Of manitou nature are real men,' though I told him more than once, when I instructed him, yet none the less he did so, robbing, as if none other would serve, one who had a husband, this stubborn fool of mine, who does not heed my words. - My son, even thus he speaks true, this thy fellow-husband, in what he has told thee. All night we will teach thee songs and how to do. Pray, hear me with pity. We greatly prize our guns. This one here, your kinsman now, obeys my word; as I tell him, he does, while he, your fellow-husband is foolish and stubborn, and thus has gone and stolen your wife from you. But in this he spoke true which he told you.”

(30) "êha." "êkâ wiya kiyâski." "awa nika-kîwêhtahâw kîwinaw," itwêw awa oskinîkiw.

(30) “Very well. Do not speak false. I shall take home with me this wife of ours,” said the youth.

(31) "êha."

(31) “So be it.”

(32) "pêyakotipiskwa piko ôta nika-ayânân; wâpahki nika-kîwânân awa kistim."⁷

(32) “One night only we shall stay here; tomorrow your daughter-in-law here and I shall go home.”

(33) "hâ, niciwâ, kitatamihin, ê-tâpwêhtawat kôhtâwiyinaw." "ê-atamihiyan, nama wîhkâc ayîsiyiniw ka-kîhikon." "iyâhkosici, kika-pimâcihâw; ahpô awâsis, iskwêw, nama wîhkâc ka-kîhikon kita-pimâcihat." "hâw, niciwâ, êkosi niya kitisi-miyitin." "kikosâk minahôwin kiwîhtamâk, ta-wahkê-nipahtâyan kêkway pisiskiwak."

(33) “There, Kinsman, I thank you for having lent ear to him who is now your father as well as ours. Because you have done me this favor, never shall mortal man be lost to you. Whenever one is sick, you shall restore him to life; be it a child, a woman, never shall he be beyond your power of restoring him to life. There, brother, this is my gift to you. Your fellow-husband promised you the killing of game, of every kind of beast.”

(34) êkosi itik.

(34) Thus he spoke to him.

(35) "êkwa niya, nikosis, mâhtâhitôwin kika-isiyîhkâtên; êwako niya kimiyitin." "pimiy asamîhkan, takosiniyani kîkiwâhk." "êkota cîki kâ-wîkiyêk nîso môswak kimiyitin, kita-asamiyan, êkota ohci pimiy kita-otinaman." "êkosi awa kiciwâm kâ-itwêt, êkosi nîsta kitisi-miyitin."

(35) “And I, my son, Potlatch you will call it; this is what I give to you. Give me fat to eat, when you arrive at your home. Close by to where you dwell, two moose I give you, that you may feed me, that you may take the fat from them. And even as your brother said, even such a gift I too am giving you.”

(36) "êha," itêw.

(36) “So be it,” he said.

(37) êkwa nikamohik okosâka. piyisk wâpaniyiw. ê-kîsi-nikamohikot, ê-wâpaniyik, wayawîwak owîkimâkana awa oskinîkiw. pâkahkos wayawîw mîna, ê-wîcêwât okosâka.

(37) Then his fellow-husband taught him songs. At last day dawned. When he had been taught the songs, and day had come, the youth and his wife went from that tent. The bony spectre, too, went out, to escort his fellow-husband.

(38) "hâw, nikosâk, êkâya kotaka nâpêwa kita-ayâwêw kîwinaw." "kêtiski-ayîsiyinîwiwin kimiyitin." "mîna kikosisinaw ta-kêtiski-ayîsiyinîwiw." "tâpwê êkâ wiya wîhkâc kita-mâmawîhitow kîwinaw; nikâhkwêyihtaskin."

(38) “Very well, Fellow-Husband; let not our wife have dealings with other men. I give you a full span of life. And our son, too, shall live a full span of life. But see to it that our wife never be guilty of adultery; I am jealous in marriage.”

(39) êkosi kîwêwak owîkimâkana. takohtêwak wîkiwâhk. posko-kîsik mâcîw awa oskinîkiw. nîso nipahêw môswa ê-wiyinoyit; kahkiyaw otinam pimiya oskanihk ohci, êkwa êwako ê-asamât ôhtâwiya, ociwâma, okosâka. êkwa aspin ê-ispayik namôya âcimôw awa oskinîkiw. namôya kakwêcimêw osîma awa nâpêw.

(39) So he and his wife went home. They reached their dwelling. That same day the youth hunted. He killed two fat moose; he took all the marrow from the bones, and made of it an offering to his adoptive father and brother and to his fellow-husband. And the youth did not tell of what had happened from the time he went away. That man did not question his younger brother.

(40) "tânisi êtokê tiyôtahk awa nisîm, kâ-pêsiwât owîkimâkana!" "kêhcinâ manitôwiw awa nisîm!" itêyihtam awa ostêsimâw.

(40) “I wonder how my younger brother did, to bring back his wife! Surely my younger brother has manitou power!” thought the elder brother.

(41) êkwa ôho okosisiwâwa tânitahto askiy ê-wî-ohpikiyit, kîtahtawê ê-kwâpikêt awa iskwêw, kotaka nâpêwa kâ-kitotât, ê-mâmawîhitot. ê-kîwêt, awiya kâ-pakamahokot otihtimanihk. êkosi sêmâk âhkosiw. mayaw ê-âhkosiyit, awa nâpêw atoskêmôw, ta-nânapâcihimiht owîkimâkana. êkota ohci kiskêyihtam ê-pakamahomiht owîkimâkana. kakwêcimêw.

(41) Then when that son of theirs, after I know not how many years, was nearly grown, then at one time, when that woman was fetching water, she had converse with another man, and committed adultery. As she went home, someone struck her on the shoulder. Then at once she became ill. As soon as she fell sick, that man called in doctors, that his wife might have treatment. In this way he learned that his wife had been struck. He questioned her.

(42) "nikî-kâh-kitotâw êwako ana oskinîkiw." "êkosi ê-pê-kîwêyân, êkota kâ-pasastêhokawiyân nitihtimanihk; êwako ohci kâ-âhkosiyân."

(42) “I had been having a talk with that young man. Then, as I was coming home, I was struck with a stick or switch on my shoulder; from that I am sick.”

(43) piyisk kêkâc nipiw awa iskwêw mihcêtwayak ê-atoskêmohk. piyisk awa awa oskinîkiw kâ-wîwit ostêsa miyik ospwâkana, kita-pîhtwât.

(43) At last that woman was close to death, though many kinds of doctoring were tried. At last the youth whose wife she was, was given a pipe by his elder brother, that he smoke.

(44) "kakwê-nânapâci nîtim, nisîm." "nama nânitaw âsay kî-tôtawâw."

(44) “Try to treat my sister-in-law, Younger Brother. All kinds of treatment have already been given her.”

(45) "hâw, ôma kâ-sakâk êkota osîhtâk têsipicikan," itwêw awa oskinîkiw.

(45) “Very well, over in that grove set up a scaffold,” said the youth.

(46) êkosi osîhtâwân têsipicikan. êkwa ê-tipiskâyik, êkotê itohtahâw awa iskwêw kâ-âhkosit. ê-kîwêcik, namwâc cêskwa otihtam awa wîkiwâw, awa oskinîkiw, awa mîna ostêsimâw, âsay ita wîtimwa kâ-akociniyit, êkota âsay kâ-matwêwêyik, ê-sâkowêwiht.⁸

(46) Accordingly a scaffold was built for him. Then, at nightfall, the sick woman was taken there. When they went back home, that youth with his elder brother had not yet reached their dwelling-place, when already, from where the latter's sister-in-law lay high on the scaffold, there came the report of a gun, and they heard shouting.

(47) "nikosâk, kîwinaw pê-nâs; âsay pimâtisiw," itâw.

(47) “My fellow-husband, come get our wife; already she is cured,” he was told.

(48) itohtêw kâwi awa oskinîkiw. kahkiyaw pêhtawâw awa pâkahkos tânisi ê-itwêt. pôti wêtihtât owîkimâkana, âsay nîhtakosiyiwa. kîwêhtahêw. ê-takohtêt wîkiwâhk, âsay miyo-ayâw awa iskwêw, mistahi kâ-kî-âhkosit. êkosi êkota ohci kiskêyimâw awa oskinîkiw ê-mamâhtâwisit. êkosi awa ê-pimâtisit awa iskwêw. êkosi êkwa awa oskinîkiw mâhtâhitôwinihkêw. êkosi kostâw êkwa, ê-manitôwit ê-itêyimiht. namôya awiya nôcîhkamâk. êkwa êkota kâ-ohcipayik nêhiyawak ê-mâhtâhitocik.

(48) The youth went back there. Everything was heard which that bony spectre said. When he reached his wife, she was already climbing down. He took her home. When she reached their dwelling, she was already well, sick as she had been. So then from this the youth was known to have magic powers. Thus this woman was restored to life. And then that youth arranged a potlatch ceremony. And then he was feared, because he was thought to have spirit power. And his wife was not wooed by any man. And from this it came that the Cree have the potlatch.

(49) êkoyikohk iskwâw âcimowin.

(49) Here ends the story.

Footnotes

¹LB: “Their son”: father's brother and mother's sister use the terms, “my son” and “my daughter” more often than the specific nikosim, nitôsim; the distinction between these is unknown to me; Lacombe's statement (Dict. 669f.) is confused.

²LB: Literally, “they had wives in the same way”; the interpretation in the text is a surmise.

³LB: Literally, “they have stood in relation to each other, by each other”, but the actual meaning is unknown to me.

⁴LB on nôton: Unknown word.

⁵LB: As the powers of spirit beings seem to us unusual, so ours to them. Cf. the same sentence in Jones' _Fox Texts_, 108, 15.

⁶LB on kiciwâm: Thus it appears that niciwâm: “my brother (man speaking(” has, among its many uses that of “my fellow-husband's brother.”

⁷LB on pêyakotipiskwa: Not to be divided by hyphen; -tipiskwa (particle) and -tipiskwê- (verb) are the non-initial (suffixal) forms corresponding to tipisk and tipiskwâw. Similarly, kîsikâw: “it is day” has the odd non-initial verb-forming suffix -kîsihkwê-.

⁸LB on kâ-matwêwêyit: If correctly recorded, an animate form, my impression is, however, that -wêwê-: “noise” forms only inanimate verbs; if so, we should read matwêwêyik.