(1) kîtahtawê wîsahkêcâhk, "hah, mahti nika-osîhtân; osâm kîtahtawê nikâ-mâkohikon kêkway," itêyihtam.

(1) Once upon a time Wisahketchahk thought, “Well, suppose I make some arrows; sometime something or other will drive me to close quarters.”

(2) osîhtâw misâskwat; osîhtâw acosisa.

(2) He prepared a saskatoon willow; he made some arrows.

(3) "kêkway kê-kînikâk êkota kita-astâyân," itêyihtam.

(3) “I ought to put something sharp on here,” he thought.

(4) kîtahtawê miskam mistik, mihta ôma tâpiskôc. napakihtak osîhtâw; tâpihtitâw mihcêt.

(4) Presently he found a stick of wood, like this faggot here. He made flat slivers of wood; he put them as tips on many arrows.

(5) "êkosi!" itêyihtam; "nika-ôh-minahon kita-mîcisoyân," itêyihtam; "â, kîsâc mîna câpihcikanis nika-osîhtân;" "êwako mîna nika-osîhtân," itwêw.

(5) “There!” he thought; “With these I shall kill game and have something to eat,” he thought; “Why, to be the better prepared, I shall make also a spear; this too I shall make,” he said.

(6) ê-kîsihtât, "â, mîna napakihkomân nika-osîhtân;" "osâm miywâsin awa mistik kita-ôh-osîhtâyân," itêyihtam.

(6) When he had finished it, “Why, I shall make a broad-bladed knife, too; for this piece of wood is very good to make it of,” he thought.

(7) osîhtâw môhkomân, napakihkomân.

(7) He made a knife, a broad-bladed knife.

(8) êkwa ê-wâpahtahk onîmâskwâkana, "pitanê môskîstawit, môskîstâkawiyân!" itêyihtam;¹

"osâm miywâsinwa ninîmâskwâkana;" "nama kêkway nika-kostên," itêyihtam.

(8) Then, when he looked upon his weapons, “I just wish he I just wish someone would attack me!” he thought; “For my weapons are very good; I shan't be afraid of anything,” he thought.

(9) ê-kî-kîsihtât, sipwêhtêw. pasahcâhk akâmihk êkotê wâpamêw wâkayôsa. hâ, kiskêyihtam ê-macihtwâyit.

(9) When he had finished them, he started out. At the other side of a ravine he saw a bear. Ha, he knew him for an ugly customer.

(10) "â, nika-kisîmâw, têpwâtak; êkosi nika-nipahâw; nika-mowâw," itêyihtam.

(10) “Ho, I shall make him angry by calling to him; then I shall kill him; I shall eat him,” he thought.

(11) êkwa ômisi itêw: "awêna nâha?" têpwêw, "kâ-wâpikiskicêt!"

(11) Then he called to him: “Who is that creature over there?” he shouted, “That white-rumped one!”

(12) ê-pêhtahk awa wâkayôs, kisîmâw.

(12) When the bear heard that, he was angered.

(13) "mahti tânitê kâ-têpwêhk!" itêyihtam.

(13) “Let me see from where this shouting comes!” he thought.

(14) nama awiya wâpamêw. kâsôw wîsahkêcâhk. kîhtwâm ê-mônahikêyit, "mahti nika-kakwê-wâpamâw awa kâ-isit," itêyihtam.²

êkwa sîpâ ômisi tôtam, ê-wâtihkêt; ôtê osâpiw. pôti kâ-pimi-sâkiskwêt. wâpamik âsay.

(14) He saw no one. Wisahketchahk was hiding. When the other was back at his digging, he thought, “Let me try and see him who is saying this to me.” Then down underneath there, he did like this, as he dug his pit; from here he looked forth. Sure enough, there he was, sticking out his head. Already the other saw him.

(15) "awîna nâha kâ-wâpikiskicêt!" itêw.

(15) “Who is that white-rump over there? Pshaw!” he called to him.

(16) hâw, wâpamêw ayîsiyiniwa; môskîstawêw. êkwa awa wîsahkêcâhk pîmakâmêpitêw opîhtatwâna. kisiwâk ôta ê-pê-nakiyit, pimwêw. nâtwâhtin ôma mistik. wîpisisa piyisk mêstinam.

(16) Well, he saw a man; he made for him. Then that Wisahketchahk pulled round his quiver by the strap. When the other came to a halt close by, he shot an arrow at him. That stick of wood fell broken as it struck. Soon he used up all his arrows.

(17) "êha, kâ-pa-pêyakonîmâskwêwinêhk kî-ayîhtiyân, ka-kî-wawânihih!" itêw.

(17) “Yes, yes, if I were the kind of person who carries only one weapon, you would be the finish of me!” he called to him.

(18) otinam câpihcikanis; tahkamêw.

(18) He took his spear; he jabbed at him.

(19) ê-tahkamiht awa wâkayôs, "mam!" itwêw.

(19) When the bear was hit with the spear, “Mum!” he went.

(20) nâtwâhtitâw.

(20) It broke as he pushed it home.

(21) "kâ-pa-pêyakonîmâskwêwinêhk kî-ayîhtiyân, ka-kî-wawânihih!" itêw.

(21) “If I were the kind of person who carries only one weapon, you would be the finish of me!” he told him.

(22) tahkamêw ôma ohci napakihkomân mistik kâ-kî-osihtât; nâtwâhtiniyiw.

(22) He made a stab at him with that flat knife which he had made out of a piece of wood; it broke lengthwise under the impact.

(23) êkosi êkwa sêkihik, "manitôwiw!" ê-itêyihtahk. "nika-nipahik!" itêyihtam; "nicawâc nika-tapasîn," ê-nâtâmototahk ita ê-sakâyik.

(23) At this, he grew afraid of the other, thinking, “He is supernatural!” “He will kill me!” he thought; “I had better run away,” and he headed in panic for the woods.

(24) mitoni kisiwâk askôk, ê-tâwatiyit. iyâpasâpici, kisiwâk askôk. nîpisiya ê-asaskitêyiki, êkota itâmôw. êkwa kâsispôkocin awa wâkayôs. têtipêwêpayihôw wîsahkêcâhk. kapê-kîsik êkota wâsakâmêtisahok. kîtahtawê nêyawapitwâwi, âyîtaw nîpawîstâtôwak. kîtahtawê kâ-wâpamât êskana, ita kâ-pâh-pimipahtât êkota ê-môskatâwahkiskawât. nakîw. mâna awa wâkayôs wîmâskawêw, mâna konita ê-wâkastêyit awa wâkayôs.

(24) The other was close at his heels, with gaping jaws. Whenever he glanced back, the other was close upon him. He fled to where some willows stood in a clump. The bear just missed as he jumped. Wisahketchahk dashed round the trees. All day long the other chased him round and round. Presently whenever the were out of breath, they would stand facing each other, at either side. Then at one time, he saw a horm from over which he had kicked loose the ground as he ran by. He stopped. The bear always made a detour round it, taking a crooked course for no evident reason.

(25) "pakahkam awa wâkayôs kostêw," itêyihtam awa wîsahkêcâhk.

(25) “Plainly this bear is afraid of it,” thought Wisahketchahk.

(26) mistahi nayawapiw. awa mîna wâkayôs nayawapiw. nicawâc tahkiskawêw wîsahkêcâhk ôhi kâ-kostimiht êskana. piyisk pahkwaciwêpiskawêw.

(26) He was badly out of breath. The bear, too, was out of breath. Wisahketchahk tried kicking that horm, which was an object of fear. At last he knocked it lose with his foot, as he passed.

(27) nicawâc ê-wîmâskawâyit, "kostêw!" itêyihtam awa wîsahkêcâhk.

(27) When the other with plain intent made a circuit round it, “He is afraid of it!” thought Wisahketchahk.

(28) otinêw ôhi êskana.

(28) He seized that horn.

(29) "pakahkam awa kostêw!" itêyihtam.

(29) “Plainly he fears it!” he thought.

(30) nicawâc ostikwânihk akonêw, ômisi ê-itât ôhi wâkayôsa: "hwhw!" ê-itât, kâ-wâki-kwâskohtiyit.³

(30) He tried holding it on his head and saying “Hwoo!” to the bear, and there, the latter jumped off at an angle.

(31) "mahti nika-môskîstawâw! nayawapiw!" ê-itêyimât. môskîstawêw; tapasîyiwa.

(31) “When he thought of the other, “Suppose I go for him! He is tired!” he attacked him; the other ran away.

(32) iyâpasâpiyici ôhi wâkayôsa, kisiwâk askôwêw, "hwhw!" ê-itât.

(32) Whenever the bear glanced back, he was close upon him, saying, “Hwoo!”

(33) êkosi mâna wî-kakwê-mîhkawikiw. piyisk wâpamêw wîsahkêcâhk ôhi wâkayôsa, pîstêw otôniyihk ê-ohcikawiyik.

(33) So he tried to run faster and faster. At last Wisahketchahk saw the foam dripping from the bear's mouth.

(34) piyisk awa wâkayôs, "kiyâm nika-wêpahok!" itêyihtam.

(34) At last the bear thought, “Well, he might as well toss me on his horn!”

(35) kawipayihôw êkwa awa wîsahkêcâhk.⁴

ohtiskawapîstawêw ômisi ê-itinât êskana, ê-wî-nipahatâhtamiyit, mayaw kâ-itâpamikoci, "whw!" ê-nimisîwihât.

(35) And the bear threw himself flat on the ground. He sat down facing him, holding out the horn at him, like this, while the other was almost dead, puffing for want of breath, and every time the other looked at him, he threatened him, going “Hwoo!”

(36) "pakahkam kostêw!" itêyihtam; "namôya awa wîhkâc ta-waniskâw, nakatimaki ôhi nitêskana," itêyihtam.

(36) “Plainly he is afraid of it!” he thought; “He will never get up, if I leave this horn of mine here,” he thought.

(37) "hâw, wâkayôs! mistahi kititêyimison, ayîsiyiniw miyâkohaci." "nîsta nitayân kêkway kita-ôh-nipahitân."

(37) “Now then, bear! You think a great deal of yourself, when you drive a man to close quarters. But I, too, have something with which I can kill you.”

(38) tâwatiw wâkayôs, ispî ê-pê-itisinimiht ôhi êskana, wîpita ê-sâmahamoht.⁵

(38) The bear had his mouth gaping, and the horn was stuck out at him till it touched his teeth.

(39) "cacêmâsinwa ôhi kîpita!" itêw wîsahkêcâhk.

(39) “Those teeth of yours are very short!” Wisahketchahk told him.

(40) "hâw, nitêskan, wêpahwâhkan awa cacêmapicîs wâkayôs!" "wêpahwâhkan, mayaw waskawîci ôta ohci." "kanawêyim ta-waskawît." "konita nôtamihik;" "nikiyôtêwâh!" "mêyâkwâm, nitêskan;" "kinisitohtên ôma!" "wêpahwâhkan!"

(40) “Now, my Horn, be ready to toss this stubby-tooth bear! Toss him as soon as he stirs from this spot. Watch his slightest move. He has delayed me for no reason; I was going visiting! Look sharp, my Horn; you understand what I say! Be ready to toss him!”

(41) êkosi cimahêw ôhi êskana êtiskwêsiniyit.

(41) With that, he stuck the horn upright in the ground toward the bear's head, as he was lying.

(42) "wêpahwâhkan, nitêskan!" "niwî-sipwêhtân." "wâpam awa wâkayôs!" "misawâc kika-wêpahok." "êkosi kika-nipahik, mayaw waskawîyani!"

(42) “Be ready to toss him, my Horn! I am going away from here. Watch this bear! - You cannot avoid his tossing you. So then, he will kill you, as soon as you budge!”

(43) êkosi cimahêw êkota. nakatêw; sipwêhtêw.

(43) So he stuck it upright there. He left it; he went away.

(44) ê-kî-piponiyik, kîhtwâm ê-nîpiniyik, "mahti nika-nitawâpamâw nisîm," itêyihtam.

(44) When winter had passed and summer had come again, “Suppose I go have a look at my little brother,” he thought.

(45) itohtêw: awîna ôhi! kî-sîkwâhkatosoyiwa ôhi wâkayôsa.

(45) He went there; what had become of him! That bear had starved to death.

(46) "heh! êkosi kâ-kî-ititân:" "misawâc kî-waskawîyan, sêmâk ka-kî-nipahikoh awa nitêskan!"

(46) “Heh! That is what I told you: certainly, if you had budged, at once this Horn of mine would have killed you!”

(47) êkosi êkoyikohk êskwâk âtayôhkêwin.

(47) That is the end of this sacred story.

Footnotes

¹LB on môskîstawit: A slip of the tongue; the dictator corrects himself in the next word.

²LB: I.e., the bear; the next sentences are obscure because third person and obviative are not kept apart.

³LB on hwhw: Undulating velar or palatal spirant, with rounded lips; said to be the noise a buffalo makes when angry.

⁴LB: Slip of the informant's tongue, or of my hand, for wâkayôs: “the bear,” and so translated.

⁵CHECK Last verb may be a relational instead. HCW: Indefinite agent relational.