(1) "nisîm!" ê-wâpahtahk pâwistik; "nisîm!"

(1) “Little brother!” when he saw the rapids; “Little brother!”

(2) "wêy!" itik.

(2) “Yes, what is it?” it answered him.

(3) "'tâpwê nisîpwêwêmon!' kitêyihtên." "kimawinêhotin, awîna kiyipa kê-kihtimit," itêw.

(3) “Truly, I keep long at my noise!” you think. I challenge you to see which of us will weary first,” he told it.

(4) "â, namôya! iyikohk ta-pôni-askîwik, êkoyikohk nikî-itik kôhtâwînaw ta-kîskowêyân," itik.¹

(4) “Oh, no! When the green earth ceases to be, only then did Our Father tell me to cease from my noise,” it told him.

(5) "â, mâka kiwî-mawinêhotin!"

(5) “Oh, but I mean to challenge you!”

(6) ômisi itêyihtam: "pipohki ta-kîskowêw," ê-itêyimât.

(6) He thought, “In winter it will stop”; that was what he thought of it.

(7) êkota nahapiw êkwa wîsahkêcâhk, ôma ê-pêhtâkwaniyik. êkwa ômisi itwêw wîsahkêcâhk: "blblblbl!"²

(7) Then Wisahketchahk sat down there where its sound was heard. And Wisahketchahk said, “Blblblbl!”

(9) apiw êkota. piyisk piponiyiw. âhci piko êkota apiw, pisisik êkosi ê-itwêt, "blblblbl!"

(9) He sat there. At last winter came. Still he sat there, all the while saying, “Blblblbl!”

(10) piyis nîpin. miyoskamiw. êkwa kôna kahkiyaw nama kêkway. êkwa mistahi nipiy ôta pê-ayâyiw, ita ê-apit. piyisk ômayikohk iskopêw nipiy.³

êkoyikohk pasikôw, pêyak askiy, "blblblbl!" ê-itwêt.

(10) At last it was spring. The thawing weather came. Then all the snow disappeared. Then much water came and was where he sat. At last he was up to here in the water. Only then he arose to his feet, having said, “Blblblbl!” for a whole year.

(11) ômisi itwêw: "wâcistakâ nama kî-ayiwâkitonâmâw nisîm!" itwêw.

(11) He said, “Incredible, how my little brother cannot be out-talked!”

(12) êkosi ê-sipwêhtêt.

(12) With that he went away from there.

(13) êkosi êkoyikohk êwako.

(13) That is the end of this.

Footnotes

¹LB on ta-pôn-âskîwik: As askiy means not only “earth,” but also “summer” and “year,” double meaning and misunderstanding are probably essential to the story.

²LB on blblblbl: Sound made by pulling tongue back and forth between rounded lips, with voicing.

³LB on omayikohk: Gesture to chest.