(1) kîtahtawê sipwêhtêw wîsahkêcâhk. kîtahtawê wâpamêw osk-âyîsisa wacistwanihk pihêsisa.

(1) Once upon a time Wisahketchahk set out. Presently he saw some young partridges in a nest.

(2) "nisîmitik, pihêtik, tânisi êsiyîhkâsoyêk?"

(2) “My little brothers, partridges, what is your name?”

(3) "âta kiwîhinân, 'pihêwak' kâ-itwêyan; êkosi piko ê-isiyîhkâsoyâhk."

(3) “But you just did name us, when you said, ‘partridges’; that is the only name we have.”

(4) "namôya!" itwêw wîsahkêcâhk; "kahkiyaw kêkway nîswayak isiyîhkâtêw."

(4) “No!” said Wisahketchahk; “Everything has two names.”

(5) "namôya," itik; "êkosi piko, 'pihêwak,' ê-isiyîhkâsoyâhk."

(5) “No,” they told him, “For we have only this name, ‘partridges’.”

(6) "namôya, nisîmitik! mâ-mitonêyihtamok;" "kotak mîna wîhôwin kitayânâwâw."

(6) “No, little brother! Take thought upon it; you have some other name besides.”

(7) êkosi awa ostêsimâs ômisi itêw: "âta wiya mâna nikâwiy nôhtâwiy, 'okoskohiwêsîsak' kitisiyîhkâsonânaw, êkwa"pihêwak";" "kinîsoyîhkâsonânaw, nititikonân mâna."

(7) Thereupon the oldest of them said to him, “To be sure, my mother and father do say to us, ‘Little Startlers,’ we are called; and ‘Partridges’; we have two names.”

(8) "isay! nitakis ôki koskohiwêcik!" itêw, ê-mîsît ostikwâniyihk, ê-pîwêyimât; "nama ta-kî-koskohiwêyêk!" itêw; "nama awiyak ka-kî-sêkihâwâw!" itêw.

(8) “Bosh! Fine ones these are to startle anyone!” he said to them, [shitting on their heads] to show his contempt; “You couldn't startle anybody!” he told them; “You will never scare anybody!” he told them.

(9) êkosi nakatêw. êkwa ôki pihêwak ê-kîwêcik, awîna ôhi otawâsimisiwâwa! kî-mêyiwiyiwa ostikwâniyihk.

(9) With that he left them. Then, when those partridges came home, what had happened to their children! [no translation]

(10) "tânêhki ôma, nitawâsimisitik, kâ-ôh-isinâkosiyêk, ê-wîhcêkisiyêk?" itikwak okâwiyiwâwa ôhtâwiyiwâwa mîna.

(10) “Why is this, children, that you look like this [no translation]?” their mother and their father asked them.

(11) "wiya ana wîsahkêcâhk ê-kakwêcimikoyâhk, 'tânisi êsiyîhkâsoyêk, nisîmitik, pihêtik?' ê-itikoyâhk, êkâ ê-wîhtamawâyâhk, "âta kosa kiwîhinân," ê-itâyâhk, "namôya; kahkiyaw kêkway nîsoyîhkâtêw," nititikonân." "piyisk niwîhtamawâw, 'okoskohiwêsîsak nitisiyîhkâsonân,' ê-itak, "nitakis ôki koskohiwêcik," kâ-itikoyâhk, ê-mîsît nistikwâninâhk." "êkosi aspin kâ-sipwêhtêt, ê-pâhpit."

(11) “Why, when that person Wisahketchahk asked us, ‘What is your name, little brothers, partridges?’ and we did not tell him, but said to him ‘but you have just spoken our name,’ then he said to us, ‘No; everything has two names.’ At last I told him, saying to him, ‘Little Startlers we are called,’ whereupon he said of us, ‘Fine ones these are to startle anyone,’ [no translation] With that he was off and away, laughing.”

(12) "hâw, niwîkimâkan, sipwêhtê." "mâka mîna sîpîsis otihtahki, êkota ka-wawiyasihânaw, 'nitakis ôki sêkihiwêcik,' kâ-itât kitawâsimisinawa; kanôhkawâtân."

(12) “Well, wife, come away. When he comes to the creek again, we shall make him a laughing-stock for saying to our children, ‘Fine ones these, to startle anyone.’ Let us attack him.”

(13) tâpwê pihêwa mawîhkâtêwak, ê-mâwacihitocik. êkwa kîtahtawê kâ-wâpahtahk sîpîsis ê-sakâyik. êkwa âyîtaw âyîtawakâm pihêwak apiwak êkota, ê-kâsocik.

(13) Accordingly they appealed to the other partridges, and all assembled. Then presently he came to the creek in the woods. And there on both sides, on both banks sat the partridges in concealment.

(14) êkwa wîsahkêcâhk otihtam sîpîsis. wâsêkamiyiw. êkosi ê-wâpahtahk, mostoswayâna akwanahôw; êkwa pahkêkin oskotâkay; êkwa pahkêkin otâsa.

(14) Then Wisahketchahk reached the creek. The water was bright and clear. When he came to it there, he had on a buffalo robe; and leather was his coat; of leather were his breeches.

(15) êkwa ômisi itwêw: "mahti"- sôhki pîkiskwêw- "iskêkâni osk-âyi astotin astwâtohk, osk-âya ayiwinisa, 'awiyak âsowakamêyohpîci, kita-ayâw ôhi,' itwêhk." "nistwâw nika-nômiskên; êkota nêwâw mwêhci nika-ohpîn," itwêw.

(15) Then he spoke as follows: “Come” and loudly he spoke - “I have a feeling that a new hat has been put up as a prize, and new clothes, and it has been announced, ‘If anyone jumps to the far shore, he shall have these.’ Three times I shall stop short; then, the fourth time, I shall jump,” he said.

(16) nitohtâk ôhi pihêwa; mâka namôya wâpamêw. êkwa kospohtêw.

(16) The partridges listened to him; but he did not see them. Then he walked back up the bank.

(17) "aciyaw nika-wêpikâtân," itwêw; âcimostawêw tânisi ê-wî-tôtahk.

(17) “For a short while I shall exercise my legs,” he said; he simply told them what he meant to do.

(18) êkwa wâhyaw nîpawiw; otakohpa ôta ahêw; tâpiskawêw. êkwa pê-wayacîwîw; sisonê sîpîsisihk naki-kwâskohtiw.¹

(18) Then he stood a ways off; he put his blanket-robe here, like this; he put it round his neck. Then he came on a running start; at the bank of the creek he stopped with a jump.

(18a) "yôhah, nahpihcis nika-sâpopahâw, nôhtêpayiyâni," itwêw; "akâmihk nita-isiwêpinâw."

(18a) “Tut tut, I shall get my tobacco-pouch all wet, if I don't make it,” he said; “I'll throw it across.”

(19) otinêw wahpihcisa; namôya kanawâpamêw, ômisi ê-isiwêpinât; akâmihk pahkisiniyiwa. ê-wêpinât, pêyak pihêwa kâ-ohpahoyit.

(19) He took his tobacco-pouch; he did not keep his eye on it as he flung it; like this it fell somewhere on the other bank. When he threw it, one of the partridges flew up.

(20) "yôho, mâna tâpwê nika-koskowihikoh!" itwêw.

(20) “Tut tut, really, he came very near startling me!” he said.

(21) "êkwa piko nistwâw!"

(21) “Now only three times more!”

(22) mîna âsay nôhcimihk itohtêw. namôya kiskêyihtam itê wahpihcisa kâ-isiwêpinât. êkwa pê-wayacîwîw; nakîw.

(22) Again he went away from the water. He did not know the exact spot to which he had tossed his tobacco-pouch. Then he came with a running start; he stopped.

(23) "nîso! êkwa piko nîswâw," itwêw.

(23) “Two! Now only twice more!” he said.

(24) êkwa nîso ohpihâyiwa.

(24) Then two of them flew up.

(25) "yôho, mâna nika-sêkihikohtayik ôki pihêwak okoskohiwêsîsak!"

(25) “Tut tut, they came mighty near scaring me, these partridges, these little startlers!”

(26) âsay mîna sipwêhtêw. âsay mîna pê-môskîstam ôma sîpîsis.

(26) Again he went off. Again he came running at that creek.

(27) "nisto! êkwa anohc êkwa nika-ohpîn." "iskêkâniya osk-âya astwâtohk astotin ayiwinisa, 'awiyak âsowakamêyohpîci nika-miyâw,' itwêhk." "êkwa mâka niwî-ohpîn," itwêw.

(27) “Three! Now this time I shall jump. Without doubt a new hat has been put up as a prize, and new clothes, with the statement, ‘If anyone jumps across the water, I shall give him these.’ But now I shall jump,” he said.

(28) êkwa sipwêhtêw; êkwa êkotê sâkowêw: "êkwa niwî-ohpîn;" "niwî-otinên osk-âya;" "niya nika-ayân;" "niwî-ohpîn!" "namôya êkwa niwî-nakîn!" itwêw; âcimostawêw ôhi kâ-kâsôhtâkot.

(28) Then he was off; and then he shouted: “Now I am going to jump; I am going to take the new clothes; I, I shall have them; I am going to jump! This time I shan't stop!” he cried; he gave it all away to them who were hiding from him.

(29) êkwa pê-wayacîwîw, ê-pê-sâkowêt. mitoni kisiwâsiw pisisik. timîw ôma sîpîsis. ôma ê-ohpît âyîtawakâm pihêwa kâ-ohpîyit, ê-pitihkoyit. sêkisiw; tâwakâm pahkisin. ôhi kâ-manâcihtât omaskisina, otâsa kâ-tâpiskahk, kahkiyaw sâpopatâw, otakohpa. "cê! macastimwak kâ-koskowihicik, kâ-sâpopatâwak nitayiwinisa!" itwêw.

(29) Then he came with a running start; he came a-shouting. He kept himself in a high state of excitement. [no translation] When he jumped, up went the partridges from both banks with a whirr. He was scared; he fell into the middle of the water. Those moccasins of his, which he treated with such care, his breeches, which he had round his neck, he got them all drenched, and his blanket-robe. “Bah! Those dirty dogs startled me and made me get my clothes all wet!” he cried.

(30) êkwa pâsam.

(30) Then he dried them.

(31) "hah, nika-pîhtwân!" "kî-pîhtwâyâni, êkoyikohk ta-pâstêwa ôhi nitayiwinisa," itwêw.

(31) “Ha, I shall have a smoke! When I have smoked, these clothes of mine will be dry,” he said.

(32) êkwa ê-nitonawât wahpihcisa, nama miskawêw.

(32) Then, when he looked for his tobacco-pouch, he could not find it.

(33) "tânitê ôma, nahpihcis êsi-wanihak?"

(33) “Where can it be that I lost my tobacco-pouch?”

(34) nitonawêw nipîhk, êkwa êkâ ê-miskawât. kîtahtawê kâ-wâpamât ê-akociniyit.

(34) He looked for it in the water, but he did not find it. Then all at once he saw it lying in the water.

(35) "cêyê! maci-ahpihcis awa kâ-kâsôhtawit!" "nikaskêyihtêh ê-wî-pîhtwâyân!"

(35) “Bah! This nasty tobacco-pouch has been hiding from me! I was getting sad for want of a smoke!”

(36) akohciniyiwa; otinêw; nama kêkway. piyisk ômayikohk; nama kêkway.

(36) It lay there in the water; he reached to take it; there was nothing. At last as far as this; nothing.

(37) "â, ê-tapasît awa nahpihcis!" itêyihtam; "nicawâc kinwês kîmîw."

(37) “Oho, and so this tobacco-pouch of mine is running away!” he thought; “It has been away a long time, for all I could do.”

(38) êkwa ômisi ê-tôtahk, piyisk nahapiw. nêtê mohcihk kâskatâwahkinikêw; nama kêkway.

(38) Then, when he reached like this, at last he was in a sitting position. Way out he was scratching up gravel from the bed of the stream; nothing.

(39) itâpiw; "êwako awa nahpihcis!" itwêw, "mahti êkwa nika-otinâw," ê-itêyihtahk.

(39) He looked there; “There is my tobacco-pouch!” he cried; “Now do let me take it,” he thought.

(40) kisiwâsiw âsay.

(40) He was angry by this time.

(41) êkwa ômisi ê-tôtahk, ôta ê-akohcihk ôta, "nika-ati-ômisi-itiskwêyin," ê-itêyihtahk, pôti ôhi ispimihk ôta mistikohk kî-akociniyiwa.

(41) Then, when he did like this, there where, by this time, he lay in the water, thinking, “I will turn my head like this when I reach,” why, there, up aloft in a tree there, hung that thing.

(42) "cê! maci-ahpihcis awa kâ-wâh-wanihak, kâ-kaskêyihtamihit!" "niwî-pîhtwâwâh!" "êcika awa ita ê-akocihk!" itwêw; "nicawâc namôya awiyak," itwêw, ê-otinât, "nicawâc kika-nahihon, êkâ kita-âpatisiyan."

(42) “Bah! There is that nasty tobacco-pouch I kept losing till it made me miserable! As if I hadn't been longing for a smoke! And so, there it hangs!” he cried; “Since you won't have it otherwise, be absent,” he said, taking it; “Since you won't have it otherwise, I'll teach you how to be of no use.”

(43) wêpinêw. nama kêkwaya ôhi otôspwâkana wahpihcisa mîna. wêpinêw.

(43) He gave it a fling. Gone was his tobacco-pouch, and his pipe as well. He threw them away.

(44) kîsopwêyiw. nama iskwa pâstêyiwa otayiwinisa. nicawâc sipwêhtêw. kîtahtawê sâpopêyiwa otakohpa; kosikwatiyiwa. osâm ê-kîsopwêyik, ê-pimohtêt, pôti osâm ê-pwâwihât ôhi otakohpa, ê-kisâstêyik, pôti kâ-wâpamât asiniya ê-misikitiyit. itohtêw.

(44) It was hot weather. His garments were not yet dry. So he needs went off without. Now his blanket was drenched through; it was heavy. And as the weather was very hot, as he walked along, he could hardly carry that blanket-robe of his, in the hot sun, when there he saw a big stone. He walked over there.

(45) ê-otihtât, "hâw, nisîm," itêw ôhi asiniya, "kimiyitin awa nitakohp," itêw.

(45) When he came up to it, “Now, brother,” he said to that stone, “I give you this blanket of mine,” he said to it.

(46) akwanahêw. kâ-akwanahât, ati-sipwêhtêw; mosêskatêw. êkwa namôya wâhyaw ê-ihtât, kâ-pê-nôkwaniyik ê-wî-kimiwaniyik, ê-pê-kâh-kitoyit piyêsiwa.

(46) He put the robe on the stone. When he had covered it, he went away; he went naked. Then, when he had not gone far, there came signs of rain; as the Thunderers sounded their approach.

(47) "yôhô, nika-sâpopân!" "nicawâc kâwi nika-nâtâw kâ-kî-mêkiyân," itêyihtam, "nitakohp."

(47) “Tut tut, I shall be drenched! I shall have to get back the thing I gave away,” he thought, “my blanket.”

(48) kîwêpahtâw; takohtêw; otinêw.

(48) He ran back; he came to the place; he took it.

(49) "nipê-nâtâw awa nitakohp," itwêw.

(49) “I have come to get my blanket here;” he said.

(50) "yahah, mâka mîna nika-wî-pimitisahok awa kâ-kî-miyak nitakohpa!" itwêw, ê-itât ôhi asiniya.

(50) “Dear me, but now this fellow to whom I had given my blanket will come and chase me!” he said, speaking of that stone.

(51) ay-âpasâpiw. êkosi kîtahtawê kâ-waskawîyit ôhi asiniya, piyê-tihtipîyit. môskîstâk, tâpiskôc ôma ê-tihtipipayiyit.

(51) He kept looking behind him. And soon, there, that stone began to move and roll toward him. It went for him, rolling along, like this.

(52) "yahah, omîhkawikîh awa!" itêw; "isi cîkâhtaw!"

(52) “Dear me, he runs fast, this fellow!” he said of it; “It's a close shave, this!”

(53) piyisk kisiwâk; wayacîwîw. kîsopwêyiw; kîpa nayawapiw. âmaciwêw ispatinâhk.

(53) At last it was near; he ran hard. It was hot weather; soon he was tired. He ran up a hill.

(54) "mahti êkâ ê-kî-pê-âmaciwêt awa kâ-watakamisit, nitakohpa ê-kî-awihak!"

(54) “Let's hope that he won't be able to come up the hill, this dangerous person to whom I lent my blanket!”

(55) êkwa tâpwê mîhkawikiyiwa. nicawâc tapasîw.

(55) Truly, it went fast. There was nothing to do but flee.

(56) itê ê-sakâyik itâmôw. "mahti kita-âtisin awa kâ-watakamisit!" ê-itwêt.

(56) He fled to a wooded place, “Let's hope that dangerous character will be blocked!” he said.

(57) êkwa sakâw ê-otihtahk awa asiniy, kâ-kawiskawêw ôhi mistikwa. âsay wîsahkêcâhk sêkisiw; êkwa wayacîwîw.

(57) But when that stone reached the wooded place, it knocked over one tree after another. By this time Wisahketchahk was thoroughly frightened; he ran with all his might.

(58) "osâm êkâ awiyak ta-kî-itâmoyân, kayâs nôhtâwiy ê-kî-nipit," itwêw; "ta-kî-nâtamawit nama awiyak," itwêw.

(58) “And there is no one I can flee to, for my father died long ago,” he said; “There isn't anyone could help me,” he said.

(59) paskwâhk itâmôw. mitoni nayawapiw.

(59) He fled into the open country. He was very tired.

(60) "nicawâc kiyâm nika-nipahik," ê-itêyihtahk, kawipayihôw.

(60) “There is no escape; he will kill me, that's all,” he thought, and flung himself down.

(61) ositihk mâhtakoskâk ôhi asiniya.

(61) The stone came down on his foot and held him fast.

(62) "âstamita nawac, nisîm!" itêw.

(62) “Farther up this way, brother!” he said to it.

(63) pê-âhtapiyiwa oskâtihk; êkwa mâhtakoskâk.

(63) It moved farther up, onto his leg; it held him fast with its weight.

(64) "âstamita nawac, nisîm!"

(64) “Farther up this way, brother!”

(65) "namôya!" itik; "kîspin itahk êpiyâni, nama wîhkâc nitâhtapin," itik.

(65) “No!” it answered him; “If I sit down anywhere, I never change my seat,” it answered him.

(66) êkosi êkwa nama kî-pihkohow, kahkiyaw kêkway pêmohtêyici êkota, manicôsa, "kakwê-pihkohin, nisîm!" ê-itât, "namôya! nikostâw!" ê-itikot.

(66) So now he could not get himself free, and whenever any creature, even a worm or a beetle, went by, “Try and get me free, little brother!” he would say to it, but “No! I am afraid of him!” it would answer him.

(67) "nisîm, kiyâm kitimâkêyimin!"

(67) “Little brother, please take pity on me!”

(68) "namôya! nikostâw osâm!" kî-itâw; "pêyakwanohk kita-apit, ita êpici," itik nanâtohk ôhi kêkway.

(68) “No! I fear him too much!” he was told; “Let him stay where he is, when he takes his seat anywhere,” those different creatures said to him.

(69) kîtahtawê pîskwa kinwês kâ-kitoyit; ê-kitoyit, kâ-cîpipayiyit.

(69) Then at one time the mosquito hawk gave a long, repeated cry; when it cried, the stone moved with a jerk.

(70) "yôhôn, pakâhkam awa asiniy kostêw êwakoni," itêyihtam; "nisîm, âstam!"

(70) “Hoho, plainly this stone fears this one creature,” he thought; “Little brother, come here!”

(71) "hâh, nistêsê, êyâh, mâka mîna wâ-tôtawiyan!"

(71) “Hah, big brother, I wonder what you will be doing to me this time!”

(72) "nama wiya, nisîm! kakwê-pihkohin;" "nitiskiskâk awa asiniy." "kika-isi-miyosiyan kika-isîhitin, kîspin pahkwatinaci awa asiniy."

(72) “No, truly, little brother! Try to get me free; this stone is killing me with its weight. I will make you beautiful, if you move this stone away.”

(73) "hêha, êkâya mâka kiyâski;" "nitaka ninôhtê-miyosin, nistêsê," itik pîskwa.

(73) “Very well; but do not lie; I surely much want to be beautiful, big brother,” the mosquito hawk answered him.

(74) êkwa ispâhkêpayihow awa pîskwa; êkotê ohci pê-môskîstawêw ôhi asiniya; pwêkicitêw. pâscipayiw awa asiniy. kêyâpic nama kî-pihkohôw awa wîsahkêcâhk.

(74) Then the mosquito hawk soared up into the air; from there it came attacking that stone; [no translation]. The stone split. Even yet Wisahketchahk could not get himself free.

(75) "nisîm, âhkamêyimo!" "kakwê-pihkohin!" "kita-isi-miyosiyan kika-isîhitin; ka-wawêsîhitin."

(75) “Little brother, keep at it! Do try to get me free! I will make you handsome; I will deck you out.”

(76) "êha, nistêsê, mitoni ninôhtê-miyosin;" "osâm niwiyîpisin," itik.

(76) “Very well, big brother; I am very eager to be beautiful; I am too drab of colour,” it answered him.

(77) âsay mîna ispâhkêpayihoyiwa; âsay mîna pê-môskîstawêw asiniya; mitoni kisiwâk pwêkicitêw ôhi asiniya. mitoni pîkopayiyiwa; nanânis apiyiwa. pihkohôw awa wîsahkêcâhk.

(77) Again it rose soaring into the air; again it came and attacked the stone; [no translation] The stone burst into many pieces; it lay here and there. Wisahketchahk was free.

(78) êkwa, "âstam, nisîm; mistahi kitatamihin!"

(78) Then, “Come here, little brother; you have greatly obliged me!”

(79) âkwa wâpatoniska, asiskiy ê-wâpiskâyik otinam wîsahkêcâhk; êkwa awa pîskwa wâ-wâpamisôw, pâh-pahki ê-wâpiskisit.

(79) Then Wisahketchahk took up some white clay, white earth; then that mosquito-hawk looked at itself, and saw that it was streaked with white.

(80) êkwa ômisi itêyihtam: "tâpwê nimiyosin!" itêyihtam.

(80) Then this it thought: “Surely I am beautiful!” it thought.

(81) "âstam, nisîm." "mahti kihkwâkanihk mîna êkota ki-ka-osîhitin;" "osâm kinwâw kiskiwan."

(81) “Come here, little brother. Let me arrange your face as well; too long is your beak.

(82) "âstam! iyikohk kita-ispîhcâw."

(82) “Come here! It ought to be only as long as this.”

(83) "êha," itik.

(83) “Very well,” it answered him.

(84) êkwa ômisi tôtawêw; asânaskatinamawêw. êkwa sisikoc otihtinêw, ôma otôniyiw ômisi ê-ispitamawât. êkwa pakwâtam awa pîskwa ê-misâyik otôn.

(84) Then he did like this to it; he bent the thing crooked for it. And then suddenly he grabbed it and stretched out its mouth for it, like this. The mosquito-hawk hated having a big mouth.

(85) êkoyikohk kahkiyaw.

(85) That is all.

Footnotes

¹NEW PARAGRAPH