(1) kayâs êsa nêhiyawak, misâw ôtênaw; wîkiwâwa întaw-mîkiwâhpa. mihcêtiwak awâsisak.

(1) Among the people of old there was a large town; their houses were ordinary lodges of skin. There were many children.

(2) kîtahtawê ê-pipohk mihcêt awâsisak mâ-mêtawêwak mistikwa; sôsimêwak, mitâtaht nîsosâp.¹

êkwa sôsimâna êkoni mitihtêwak. awiyak itê poyoyici osôsimâna, êkotê ta-ôh-pê-kîwêcik.

(2) At one time, in winter, many children were playing with sticks; they were throwing snow-darts, twelve of them. They followed the snow-darts. From wherever anyone's snow-dart stopped in its course they would go home.

(3) êkosi sipwêhtêwak. piyis nîso piko ayisiyiniwak.²

piyisk nêwâw na-nipâwak; ê-otâkosihk êkwêyâk otihtêwak osôsimâna, êwako ê-apisîsisit osîmimâw, êwako nâpêsis osôsimâna. êkosi êwako iskwêyâc otihtêwak nêwâw mwêhci ê-nipâcik. êkosi osîhtâwak mistikwa ohci wîkiwâw. êkota ayâwak.

(3) So they set out. At last only two were left. Four nights they slept on the way; not till the next morning did they reach the snow-dart of the smallest one, the youngest brother, that boy's snow-dart. This one they reached last, after four nights. Thereupon they built a tent for themselves out of sticks. There they stayed.

(4) mwêhci mitâtaht ê-tipiskâk, êkwa mistahi mâyi-kîsikâw. nêwo-tipiskâw êkoyikohk mispon. êkosi nôhtêhkatêwak.

(4) On the tenth night came a great storm. For four nights it snowed. So they began to be hungry.

(5) kîtahtawê osôsimâna otinêw; wayawîw; pakamisimêw: "mâcîk!" itêw.

(5) Then at one time, he took his snow-darts; he went outside; he threw them on the ground: “Hunt!” he told them.

(6) êkosi âsay ê-wâpahk, kayâhtê apiyiwa pîhcâyihk osôsimâna. êkwa wayawîw: wiyâs mistahi wayawîtimihk astêw. êkosi êkwa pîhtokatâw. êkosi êkwa awâsisak mîcisôwak.

(6) Thereupon, when daylight had come, there suddenly within the lodge lay his snow-darts. Then he went outside: a great store of meat lay outside the lodge. Accordingly he brought it in. So the children ate.

(7) tahtwâw ê-tipiskâk mispon. êkwa wanihâwak; wîkiwâhk wanihâwak. kapê-pipon êkotê ayâwak.

(7) Every night it snowed. They were lost; at home they were given up as lost. All winter they stayed there.

(8) kîtahtawê êkwa, "kîwêtân!" tâpwê sipwêhtêwak. kîwêwak êkwa. êkosi ê-tipiskâk takohtêwak.

(8) Then at one time, “Let us go home!” So they set out. They went home. At nightfall they arrived.

(9) êkosi, "tânitê ê-kî-ayâyan?"

(9) then, “Where have you been?”

(10) "ê-kî-papâ-mêtawêyân."

(10) “Playing about here and there.”

(11) êkosi kitahamâk ôhtâwiya. "kâ-kî-wîcêwacik namôya cî awiyak kimisi-wanâcihâw?"

(11) His father forbade him to do that. “You have not brought to grief any of those who went with you?”

(12) "namôya awiyak; kahkiyaw nipêsiwâwak."

(12) “Not one; I have brought them all home.”

(13) "êkosi kiyâm kanawêyimik," itwêw pêyak kisêyiniw.

(13) “Then you may as well take care of them,” said an old man.

(14) êkosi nôhtêhkatêwân. êkosi wîhtamwak mîciwin wiyâs mistahi ê-ayâcik itê kâ-kî-itohtêcik. êkosi kotakihk têpwêw kisêyiniw, ta-nâtahkik ayîsiyiniwak mîciwin, itê kâ-kî-itohtêcik awâsisak. êkosi tâpwê sipwêhtêwak. tâpwê mistahi pêtâwak.

(14) For his people there were starving. So they told that they had much food over at the place where they had gone. Then the old man called out at the other lodges that the people were to fetch food from the place where the children had been. So they set out. They really brought a great deal.

(15) ê-takohtêcik, "tânita, tânisi êsi-kaskihtâyêk mîciwin mistahi kâ-ayâyêk?"

(15) When they arrived, “But how did you manage to have so much food?”

(16) "nisôsimân ê-mâh-minahot."

(16) “Because my snow-dart killed game.”

(17) "hâw, nitawâc kâ-osôsimânisit kika-isiyîhkâson."

(17) “Very well, then your name shall be Little-Snow-Dart.”

(18) kîtahtawê ê-nîsicik awâsisak mâka mîna sôsimêwak. ma-mitihtêwak. êkoni.³

nikotwâsik ê-nipâcik otihtêwak osôsimâniwâwa. kotaka mîkiwâhpa êkotê kiyôtêwak. tâpwê pêhtâkwan ê-takohtêcik.

(18) Then again, at another time the two children threw snow-darts and followed them. After six nights on the way they reached their snow-darts. There they visited some other lodges. The report went round that they had come.

(19) kisêyiniw pêyak: "takosin kâ-osôsimânisit." "mistahi manitôwiw;" "êkâ wiya mawinêhohk;" "nama wiya ka-kî-sâkôcihâwâw."

(19) One old man said, “Little-Snow-Dart has come here. He has great spirit-power. Do not attack him; you will not be able to defeat him.”

(20) êkosi ê-nîpiniyik, "êkwa ayîsiyiniw wî-ohpikihitôw." "nîkân ôtê kika-âpacihikowâw êwako ana kî-ohpikit." "êkosi kaskihtâw kî-ohpikit ana." "kika-âpacihikowâw êwako." "nama wiya miywâsin kita-môtoyêk."

(20) Then, when summer had come, “Now mortal man is to come into the generations of his life. In the time ahead he will make use of you, that one who is now to come into life. In this way he will be able to live. He will make use of you. It is not good that any longer you should eat one another.”

(21) âtiht wâkayôsak, âtiht mostoswak êwako ôtênaw mîkiwâhpa, kêhciwâk ê-nipahitocik.

(21) Some were bears and some were buffalo who lived there in the same village of tents but killed each other.

(22) "êkosi nanânisk sakâhk ki-otaskînâwâw," itêw wâkayôsa. "êkwa kiyawâw paskwâhk kika-otaskînâwâw." "maskosiya ka-mîcinâwâw." "êkosi mâka niwî-kîwân."

(22) “And so in different places of the woods you shall have your place of abiding,” he said to the bears. And you others shall dwell on the prairie. You shall eat grass and herbs. And now I shall return to my home.”

(23) êkosi kîwêwak. takohtêwak wîkiwâhk.

(23) so they went back home. They arrived at their camp.

(24) "tânitê ê-kî-itohtêyan mâka mîna?"

(24) “And where did you go this time?”

(25) "â, ê-kî-papâ-mêtawêyân."

(25) “Oh, I have been playing here and there.”

(26) "â, pônihtâ; êkâya kîhtwâm papâ-mêtawê." "osâm ka-misi-wanâcihâw awâsis, konita kâ-papâmâcihoyan;" "nama wiya tahki ka-sâkôcihâw ayîsiyiniw."

(26) “Now, stop it; never again go about to play. For you will bring the children to grief wandering about in this needless way; not always will you defeat people.”

(27) "namôya." "kâkikê kahkiyaw êkwa nisâkôcihâwak, ê-mâ-mitonêyimakik aniki kâ-wî-ohpikicik." "osâm namôya ta-kî-miyo-ohpikiwak ayîsiyiniwak, tâpitawi maci-nôcihitoyêko." "êkosi kiyawâw ispimihk kika-otaskînâwâw." "êkwa niya asinîwacîhk nika-otaskîn." "kâkikê nika-pamihâw ayîsiyiniw ana kâ-ohpikit." "êkosi piko ta-isi-ohpikihitôw ayîsiyiniw." "osâm nikitimâkêyimâw, êkâ wîhkâc ê-nahi-papâmâcihot ayîsiyiniw, tahki ê-astâhâyêk ta-ma-misi-wanâcihâyêk." "êwako piko ê-wâpahtamân, ta-miyopayik ôma askiy."

(27) “No. For all time now I have defeated them all, with the thought of those who are to come into life. For mortal men will not be able to live properly, if you continue like this in your evil pursuit of one another. Therefore, you shall have your abode up aloft. And I shall dwell in the Rocky mountains. For all time I shall take care of mortal man, that one who is to come into life. Only so will the generations of man be able to live. For I have taken pity on mortal man, who can never roam about since you afright him with the fear that you will bring him to destruction. Only in this way do I see a good future course for this earth.”

(28) êkosi nanânisi-sipwêhtêwak. wîsta sipwêhtêw; kiwâpamâw asinîwacîhk ê-cimasot; wîhkimâkosiwak; sîhtapihkwanak isiyîhkâsôwak. êwako yâhki kahkiyaw kâ-kî-paskiyawât tahto kâ-macihtwâyit.

(28) Accordingly they departed in various directions. He too departed; you can see him standing in the Rocky mountains; pleasant is their scent; fir-cones they are called. That is he who of yore overcame all the beings of evil power.

(29) êkosi kahkiyaw.

(29) That is all.

Footnotes

¹LB on sôsimêwak: Throwing the snow-dart, sôsimân, animate gender. A Cree friend later made me a pair: the dart consists of a cigar-shaped piece of light wood, about 5 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter, ornamented with a burnt pattern, and fixed on a slender reed. These are thrown so as to speed along the ice or hard snow. The sport has gone out of use.

²LB on ayêsinwak: Probably an error.

³Merged three sentences