(1) kîtahtawê wîsahkêcâhk owîkimâkana wîcêwêw, ê-pimipicicik. mâka mîna nôhtêhkatêw. kîtahtawê kâ-wâpahtahk mîkiwâhp. êkota ê-takohtêt, wâpamêw nâpêwa, pêyak iskwêwa owîkimâkaniyiwa.

(1) Once upon a time Wisahketchahk with his wife was moving camp. As usual, he was hungry. Then at one time, he saw a tipi When he walked up to the place, we saw a man and a woman, the man's wife.

(2) "tawâw, tawâw!" itik.

(2) “Come in, come in!” the other said to him.

(3) "hâ, nisîm," itwêw, "ôta êcika ôma ê-ayâyan?"

(3) “Why, Brother,” he cried, “and so this is where you are staying!”

(4) "hêha," itik.

(4) “Yes,” answered the other.

(5) pîhtokêwak.

(5) They went in.

(6) "hêhêhêy! namôya mistahi ihtakon ka-mîciyahk," itwêyiwa.

(6) “Well, well, well! There isn't much for us to eat,” said the man.

(7) êkwa asamik; mîcisôwak. êkota ayâwak. piyis tipiskâw.

(7) Then they gave him food; they ate. They stayed there. At last night came.

(8) "hâw, nôtokêsiw, wêpâhtakahikê," itwêyiwa osîma; "nistês onôhtêhkatâh." "nitomâtânik mostoswak," itwêyiwa.

(8) “Come, Old Woman, sweep out the tent,” said Wisahketchahk's younger brother; “My big brother has been going hungry, you know. Let us call some buffalo,” said he.

(9) tâpwê wêpâhtakahikêw. êkwa oyaskinahêw, ê-pîhtwâcik. ê-kîsi-pîhtwâcik, êkwa otinêyiwa sîsîkwana.

(9) Accordingly, she swept. Then he filled the pipe, and they smoked. When they had smoked, he took a rattle.

(10) "hâ, nistêsê, kîsta kika-nikamon."

(10) “Now, Big Brother, you too are to sing.”

(11) "êha!"

(11) “Yes!”

(12) êkwa nikamoyiwa, sîsîkwana ê-âpacihâyit. â, kahkiyaw nikamôwak, piyisk kinwês; piyisk pôyowak; kawisimôwak; nipâwak. ê-wâpahk kîkisêpâ, ê-wayawît awa kisêyiniw, kisiwâk wâpamêw mostoswa.

(12) Then the other sang, using the rattle. They all sang, for a long time; at last they ceased; they went to bed; they slept. In the morning early, when the old man went outside, he saw the buffalo close by.

(13) ômisi itwêw: "wâ, nistêsê, kisiwâk ayâwak mostoswak!" itwêyiwa, ê-otinâyit sîsîkwana.

(13) He said, “Hullo, Brother, the buffalo are close by!” and as he spoke, he took up his rattle.

(14) "â, nisîm, nîsta êtokê nika-itohtân," itêw.

(14) “Oh, Brother, don't you suppose I could go there, too?” he asked him.

(15) "namôya," itik, ê-wayawiyit, ê-itohtêyit pîhtokahân.

(15) “No,” the other told him, and went out of the tent, to the buffalo-close.

(16) êkotê ê-itohtêyit, âkawâyihk ohci kitâpamêw, kâ-wâpamât iskwâhtêmihk ê-nahapiyit ôhi osîma, ê-nikamoyit.

(16) When the other went there, he watched him from behind something, and there he saw his little brother seat himself and sing.

(17) mayaw ê-pêhtahkik ôki mostoswak, sêmâk pê-sipwêhtêwak, ôhi kisêyiniwa ê-môskîstawâyit.

(17) As soon as those buffalo heard it, at once they started off in that direction, going straight for the old man.

(18) awa kisêyiniw ômisi itwêw: "îtawiyaw pimohtê!" itêw ôhi mostoswa.

(18) Then the old man spoke as follows: “Walk along at both sides!” he said to the buffalo.

(19) tâpwê âyîtaw pimohtêyiwa, ê-pîhtokêyit pîhtokahânihk. êkosi êkwa acicisiniyiwa ôhi kisêyiniwa, ê-kitâpamât awa wîsahkêcâhk osîma, ê-pwêkitoyit. kahkiyaw nipahêyiwa. akâwâtamawêw, ê-wâpamât ê-tôtamiyit osîma. êkosi kîwêw awa wîsahkêcâhk.

(19) And really, they walked past on either side of him, and entered the buffalo-pound. Thereupon that old man got down on all fours with his head to the ground, and, Wisahketchahk all the while watching his younger brother, broke wind. He killed them all. He envied his younger brother for what he saw him do. So the Wisahketchahk went back to the tipi.

(20) ê-apit, kâ-pê-pîhtokêyit osîma, "hâ, nistêsê, mistahi êkwa ka-mîcisonânaw; mihcêt ninipahâwak mostoswak," ê-itikot.

(20) As he sat there, his brother cam in, and, “Ho, Big Brother, now we shall eat a plenty; I have killed many buffalo,” he told him.

(21) "hay hay hay!" itwêw wîsahkêcâhk; "hah, kimôhkomân otina; nitawi-wiyanihtâkêtân," ê-itikot.

(21) “Splendid!” said Wisahketchahk; and the other said to him, “Come, take your knife; let us go do the butchering.”

(22) tâpwê kahkiyaw itohtêwak, ôki mîna iskwêwak. ê-takohtêt, mihcêt mostoswa wâpamêw, ê-pimisiniyit. wa-wiyanihtâkêwak; kahkiyaw wiyanihêwak; êkwa âwatâwak wiyâsa. âpihtaw miyik wiyâsa; êkwa mistahi ayâw mîciwin, êkwa owîkimâkana ê-osîhtâyit kâhkêwakwa. mâka mîna akâwâtamawêw ôma kâ-isi-nipahâyit. nôhtê-sipwêhtêw; êkwa oyaskinahêw otôspwâkana, ê-pasikôt, ê-miyât ôhi osîma.

(22) So they all went there, the women too. When he got there, he saw many buffalo lying there. They cleaned one after the other; they cut them all up; then they carried off the meat. He gave him half the meat; so now he had plenty of food, and his wife set about making dried meat. But still he envied the other his way of killing them. He wanted to go away; so he filled his pipe and rose to his feet, and gave it to his little brother.

(23) mâtôw wîsahkêcâhk; ômisi itwêw: "nisîm, kitimâkêyimin;" "kitakâwâtamâtin kitisi-minahôwin," itwêw wîsahkêcâhk, ê-mâtot.

(23) Wisahketchahk wept; he spoke as follows: “Little Brother, take pity on me; I long for you power of killing game in this way,” said Wisahketchahk, weeping.

(24) piyisk, "ahaq," itik.

(24) At last the other said, “Yes,” to him.

(25) êkosi êkwa ê-nahapit, ômisi itik: "hâw, nistêsê, iyikohk wî-sipwêhtêyini;" "misawâc mêkwâc mistahi kitayânânaw wiyâs," ê-itikot.

(25) When accordingly he had sat down, the other said to him, “Now, Big Brother, wait until you are ready to leave; for the present we have in any case a great deal of meat,” the other told him.

(26) "hâw, nisîm, ôtê pimohtêwak nitawâsimisak," itêw; "anohc kâ-kîsikâk, 'êkotê kika-wâpamitin,' nikî-itikwak."¹

"êkosi anohc ka-sipwêhtêyân," itêw.

(26) “Well, Little Brother, over yonder my children are walking along,” he told him; “With reference to this very day, 'In that place I shall see you,' I told them. So now is when I must leave,” he told him.

(27) "nâh," itik owîkimâkana, "mistahi ôma wiyâs kitayânânaw; mâka kitawâsimisinawak êkota ka-pêhikonawak."

(27) “Nonsense,” his wife said to him, “Here we have all this meat; after all, our children will wait for us over there.”

(28) "misawâc niwî-miyik ominahôwin nisîm." "wâpamâyahkwâwi kitawâsimisinawak, êkotê mihcêt nika-nipahâwak mostoswak," itwêw.

(28) “What matter, since my brother is going to give me his hunting-power? When we see our children, I shall kill plenty of buffalo over there,” said he.

(29) "ahaq," itik owîkimâkana.

(29) “Very well,” his wife answered him.

(30) êkosi ômisi itik osîma: "hâw, nistêsê, kâ-wî-miyitân nitisi-minahôwin!"

(30) Then his younger brother spoke to him as follows: “Now then, Big Brother, I shall give you my power of killing game in this way!”

(31) êkwa wayawîwak, ohpimê ê-itohtêcik.

(31) Then they left the tipi and walked off to one side.

(32) "hâ, nistêsê, ôta nahapi!"

(32) “There, Brother, sid down here!”

(33) nahapiw wîsahkêcâhk.

(33) Wisahketchahk sat down.

(34) "acicisini!"

(34) “Get down on all fours!”

(35) êkosi êkwa isisin; nêtê ôtê osîma êkosi isi acicisiniyiwa, ê-kitâpamikot.

(35) So he crouched down that way; over at this end his brother crouched in the same way, and kept looking at him.

(36) "nistêsê, kitâsiyân wîhkwatin!"

(36) “Big Brother, pull aside your breech-clout!”

(37) wîhkwatinêw.

(37) He pulled it aside.

(38) "ômisi ispita kâskitoya!"

(38) “Pull your buttocks like this!”

(39) êkwa wîsahkêcâhk êkosi ispitam sôhki; sôhki êkosi ê-tôtahk, pwêkitoyiwa. sêmâk wiya wîsahkêcâhk kwâskwêkocin. wâhyaw pahkisin; wîsakisin.

(39) Then Wisahketchahk stretched them hard; when he had done it properly, the other broke wind. At once Wisahketchahk flew up into the air. Far off he fell; he had a bad fall.

(40) pasikôw, ê-itohtêt, "hâw, pêyakwâw, nistêsê!" ê-itikot.

(40) He got up and walked back, and, “Fall, once more!” said the other to him.

(41) êkwa kostam.

(41) Now he was afraid of it.

(42) "ahâw, nistêsê!"

(42) “Come, Big Brother!”

(43) piyis tâpwêhtam. âsay mîna acicisin, âsay mîna ê-pwêkicitikot. wâhyaw mîna pahkisin.

(43) At last he obeyed. Again he crouched down, and again the other broke wind at him. Again he fell far.

(44) êkwa êkota kinwês nipahisin. êkosi êkwa pasikôw, ê-ati-sipwêhtêt.

(44) Then for a long time he lay there as though dead. Then at last he rose to his feet, and went to leave.

(45) "hâ, êkwa, nôtokêsiw, sipwêhtêtân!"

(45) “There, come, Old Woman, let us go.”

(46) sipwêhtêwak.

(46) They departed.

(47) wâhyaw ê-ihtâcik, "hâw, nôtokêsiw, matwân cî tâpwê ê-miyit kaskitêw?" itwêw; "mahci ôma sakâw nika-kotahâskwâtên."

(47) When they were far from there, “Well, Old Woman, can it be that he really has given me the power?” said he; “Suppose I take a trial shot at this grove of trees.”

(48) "êkâ wiya!" itik owîkimâkana; "ka-wiyakihtân." "kika-ôh-mîcisohtânaw!"

(48) “Don't!” his wife said to him; “You will waste it. Didn't you say we were to get our food from it?”

(49) "ô, mâskôc nikakwê-cîsimik." "kiyâm nika-kotahâskwân."

(49) “Well, perhaps he was trying to fool me. Do let me make a trial shot.

(50) âhci piko kotahâskwâtam ôma sakâw. kahkiyaw mistikwa kawiwêpaham.

(50) Undeterred, he made a trial shot with that grove of trees as his target. He knocked over all the trees.

(51) "kâh, tâpwê êsa ani nimiyik ominahôwin nisîm!"

(51) “What do you think of that! So my little brother did really give me his way of killing game!”

(52) êkosi mîna âhci piko sipwêhtêw. namôya wâhyaw ê-ihtât, kâ-wâpamât ê-misikitiyit asiniya.

(52) Then he set out again, as before. He had not gone far, when he saw a big stone.

(53) "êhâ, nôtokêsiw, mahci nika-kotahâskwân," ê-itwêt, "êkâ wiya!" itik owîkimâkana.

(53) “Hey, Old Woman, suppose I do some target-shooting,” he said, and “Do not!” his wife told him.

(54) âhci piko pwêkicitêw asiniya. iyawis kwâskwêwêpahwêw; pîkopayiyiwa asiniya.

(54) Over he protest he broke wind at the stone. He knocked it bodily into the air; the stone flew to pieces.

(55) "nhâ, nôtokêsiw, kapêsitân;" "ninôhtêhkatân," itêw.

(55) “Well, Old Woman, let us pitch camp; I am hungry,” he said to her.

(56) "kîkwayi tê-mîciyahk?" itik.

(56) “What are we to eat?” she asked him.

(57) "ka-osîhtânânaw pîhtokahân; kika-nitomânawak mostoswak," itêw.

(57) “Let us build a buffalo-pound; we shall call some buffalo,” he told her.

(58) "ahaq!"

(58) “Very well!”

(59) kapêsiwak. ê-kîsi-mânokêcik, êkwa ta-osîhtâwak pîhtokahân, êkwa ê-tipiskâyik, ê-nikamocik, ê-nitomâcik mostoswa. ê-wâpahk kîkisêpâ, kâ-wâpamât mostoswa. êkwa sipwêhtêw, iskwâhtêmihk ê-nahapit awa wîsahkêcâhk, êkwa ê-nikamot, "îtawiyaw pimohtêk!" ê-isi-nikamot, mayaw ê-pêhtâkot mostoswa, pê-sipwêpayiyiwa. kisiwâk ê-ayâyit, "tâwâskikan!" ê-itwêt, tâwikipayihik mostoswa. kinwêsk nipahiskâk. êkwa kitâpamik owîkimâkana. ê-kitâpamikot owîkimâkana, ê-ispahtâyit, pîkonamiyiwa ôma opîhtokahân. kahkiyaw wayawiyiwa, ê-tapasîyit. êkoyikohk êkwa waniskâw, ê-âpisisihk. êkwa acicipayihôw, ê-pwêkitot. nama kêkway nipahêw; ayisk kî-mêstinam kâ-kotahâskwêt.

(59) They pitched camp. When they had set up their tipi, they went about building the pound, and them, after dark, they sang to call the buffalo. Early in the morning he saw the buffalo. Then he set out, and sat down in the entrance-way, this Wisahketchahk, and began to sing, “Walk along at either side!” When he sang thus, as soon as the buffalo heard him, they started running toward him. When they were near, he said, “Square in the chest!” and the buffalo ran right into him. For a long time they trampled him out of his senses. Then his wife saw him. When she saw him, she ran there, and broke down his enclosure. All the buffalo ran out. Only then he got up, having returned to his senses. Then he threw himself down on all fours and broke wind. He killed nothing; for he had wasted it in target-shooting.

(60) "atimo-kisêyiniw!" itik owîkimâkana, êkâ kêkway ê-nipahtât, ê-kîhkâmikot.

(60) “Dog of an old man!” his wife said to him, when he killed nothing, and she began to scold him.

(61) "hâ, nôtokêsiw, kiyâm kiya kîwêpahtâ;" "nisîm ispahtâ;" "nitawi-nitotamaw anima kâ-kî-isi-miyit kita-ôh-mîcisoyahk otisi-minahôwin."

(61) “Well, Old Woman, please, do you run back; run to my little brother's; go ask him for some of that game-killing power that he gave me, so that we may use it to get food.”

(62) êkwa tâpwê kîwêw awa nôtokêsiw.

(62) So the old woman went back.

(63) nêtê ê-takohtêt, "hâw, nîtim, mistahi ê-ma-mâyinikêt kistês, ê-mêstinahk kâ-kî-miyat kita-ôh-minahot, ê-kâ-kotahâskwêt." "êkwa mîna kinwêsk nipahik mostoswa, 'tâwâskikan!' ê-itwêt, "ê-wanitonâmoyân," ê-itwêt." "'piko ôma anohc itohtê; nitawi-nitotamaw nisîm otisi-minahôwin,' ê-isit, kâ-pê-sipwêhtêyân."

(63) When she arrived over yonder, “Well, Brother-in-Law, I have come because your brother, who always makes a bad mess of things, has used up in target-shooting that which you gave him for killing game. And, besides, the buffalo knocked him silly for a long time, because he said, ‘Square in the chest!’ and then he said, ‘It was a slip of the tongue.’ ‘Just you now go there; go ask my brother for some of his way of killing game,’ he told me, and that is why I have come here.”

(64) "ahaq, nîtim, ka-miyitin nîswâw kita-ôh-minahoyan," itêw; "â, âstam!"

(64) “Very well, Sister-in-Law, I will give you wherewith twice to kill game,” he told her; “Now, come here!”

(65) wayawîwak.

(65) They went out of the tent.

(66) "nâ, nîtim, ôta acicisini!"

(66) “So then, Sister-in-Law, get down on all fours here!”

(67) êkwa acicisiniyiwa.

(67) Then he too got down on all fours.

(68) "ôhi ômisi ispita kâskitoya!"

(68) “Stretch out your buttocks like this!”

(69) tâpwê êkosi ê-tôtahk, ê-pwêkicitikot, wâhyaw pahkisin. kîhtwâm mîna êkosi ê-tôtâkot, ê-pwêkicitikot, kinwês kinwêsk nipahisin awa nôtokêsiw.²

iyikohk ê-âpisisihk, kîwêw.

(69) And really, when she did that way, and he broke wind at her, far off she fell to the ground. When he did it to here a second time and broke wind at her, for a long, long time the old woman lay senseless. When she came back to life, she went back.

(70) ê-takohtêyit, awa wîsahkêcâhk, "niwîkimâkan, kimiyik cî?"

(70) When she arrived, Wisahketchahk, “Wife, did he give you any?”

(71) "atimo-kisêyiniw, ê-âyimaniyik êcika awa!" itik.

(71) “Dog of an old man, and so it is a difficult thing, as it turns out!” she answered him.

(72) êkwa osîhtâwak ôma kâ-kî-pîkonamiyit pîhtokahân. ê-kîsihtâcik, êkwa ê-tipiskâyik, êkosi kâ-nikamocik, ê-nitomâcik mostoswa. tâpwê ê-nipâcik, ê-wâpahk, kîkisêpâ, kâ-wâpamât mostoswa. êkwa itohtêw awa nôtokêsiw.

(72) Then they build up the buffalo-pound which she had pulled down. When they had got it in shape, and night came, they sang to call the buffalo. And really, when they had slept, early the next morning, there he saw the buffalo. Then the old woman went over there.

(73) êkwa êwako ê-nikamot.

(73) Then she sang.

(74) "îtawiyaw pimohtê!" itwêw.

(74) “Walk along at either side!” were her words.

(75) tâpwê pîhtokêyiwa. êkwa acicisin ôwa nôtokêsiw, ê-pwêkitot. kahkiyaw nipahêw mostoswa. mistahi miywêyihtam wîsahkêcâhk.

(75) Thereupon they went into the pound. Then the old woman got down on all fours and broke wind. She killed all the buffalo. Wisahketchahk was very glad.

(76) êkwa ê-awatâcik wiyâs, "hâw, nôtokêsiw, pakâhtâkohkê." "kî-mîcisoyahko, kâhkêwakwa ka-osîhtânânaw," itêw owîkimâkana.

(76) Then, when they carried in the meat, “Well, Old Woman, boil it in the kettle. When we have eaten, we shall prepare jerked meat,” he told his wife.

(77) "êha," itwêw awa nôtokêsiw.

(77) “Yes,” said the old woman.

(78) tâpwê ê-kî-mîcisocik, êkwa osîhtâwak kâhkêwakwa. akâwâtamawêw ôma kâ-nipahâyit mostoswa owîkimâkana. êkwa isîhtâw kâhkêwakwa awa wîsahkêcâhk, ê-ati-akotât mistikohk.

(78) And so, when they had eaten, they made jerked meat. He envied his wife the way she had killed the buffalo. And so Wisahketchahk prepared dried meat, hanging it on a tree.

(79) piyisk ê-tipiskâyik, "hahâw, êkâya nipâ, nôtokêsiw; kakwê-kîsihtâ kiwiyâsima," itêw.

(79) When at last it grew dark, “Now, Old Woman, do not go to sleep; try to finish preparing your meats,” he told her.

(80) tâpwê kapê-tipisk pânisâwêw awa nôtokêsiw. piyisk nôhtêhkwasiw.

(80) And so that old woman spent the whole night curing meat. At last she was sleepy.

(81) "êkâya nipâ, niwîkimâkan!" itêw.

(81) “Don't go to sleep, Wife!” he told her.

(82) piyisk nipâw awa nôtokêsiw. "waniskâ, niwîkimâkan! kipânisâwâh!" iyâta-itâci, namôya pêkopayiyiwa; nipâyiwa.

(82) Finally the old woman fell asleep. Even when he said to her “Get up, Wife! Don't forget your meat-curing!” she did not wake up; she was asleep.

(83) "nika-kimotamawâw," itêyihtam, ôma kâ-ôh-nipahâyit mostoswa.

(83) “I will steal it from her,” he thought, meaning that with which she had killed the buffalo.

(84) piyisk oskotâkâsiyiw owîkimâkana ohpinamwêw, ita kâ-ôh-pwêkitoyit êkota ê-itâpit. kâ-wâpahtahk ôma kâ-ôh-pwêkitoyit, êkwa miscikos otinam, ê-wî-otâskwahamawât, ê-wî-kimotamawât. mayaw ê-waskawiwêpahahk, kâ-pêkopayiyit, ê-pwêkitoyit. mêtoni wâhyaw itakocin awa wîsahkêcâhk, ê-pistahokot owîkimâkana.³

itê ê-pahkisihk, kinwês nipahisin.

(84) Finally he lifted up his wife's petticoat, and looked at whence she broke wind. When he had caught sight of that from which she broke wind, he took a little stick, meaning to take it from her by means of the stick and to steal it from her. Just as he began to twitch the stick, she woke up and broke wind. Off and away, to a great distance, Wisahketchahk went flying, when his wife thus accidentally shot him. There he fell to the ground, for a long time he lay as if dead.

(85) "atimo-kisêyiniw kâ-môhcôwit, kâ-wiyakihtât!" itwêw awa nôtokêsiw.

(85) “Dog of an old man, crazy fool, to waste it like that!” cried the old woman.

(86) êkwa wîsahkêcâhk ômisi itwêw: "'ê-ati-pasikôt kiwîkimâkan, kotahâskwâtâhkan,' ê-kî-itisk cî nisîm?"

(86) Then Wisahketchahk said, “‘When your husband is in the act of getting up, use him as a target for your shots,’ is that what my brother told you to do?”

(87) "namôya; ayisk kimôhcôwin," itik owîkimâkana.

(87) “No, you are crazy, that is all,” his wife answered him.

(88) aya êsa ôhi sikâkwa ôhi kâ-mâh-miyikocik ta-minahocik.

(88) It appears that he was the Skunk, he who gave them the power of killing game.

(89) êkosi êkwa êkoyikohk êwako âtayôhkêwin.

(89) And so this is the end of this sacred story.

Footnotes

¹nikîh-itikwak: Bloomfield's error.

²CHECK kinwêsê

³LB on ihtakocin: Error, for itakocin?