(1) kêtahtawê ayîsiyiniwak ê-mihcêtokamikisicik, kihtimiw êkota pêyak oskinîkiw, kâkikê ê-pimisihk. piyis tânitahtw-âskiy, piyis watapiya misiwê ohpikiniyiwa, iyikohk ê-kihtimit.

(1) Once upon a time, where some people dwelt, a certain youth was so lazy that he was always lying down. At last, after I don't know how many years, the fibrous roots of the white pine had grown up all round his body, so lazy was he.

(2) kêtahtawê ê-pa-pimisihk, kâ-pê-kitotiht. ê-itâpit, iskwâhtêmihk kâ-paspâpiyit oskinîkiskwêwa nêwo. mistahi mâh-miyosiyiwa.

(2) Then at one time, as he lay there, someone came and called to him. When he looked, there, peeping in at the door, were four young women. Every one of them was very pretty.

(3) "kîtimosinaw," itik, "kî-pa-pimisin watapîwiyin," itik.

(3) “Our sweetheart,” they said to him, “has lain there long enough, has Pine-Root Man,” they said to him.

(4) êkosi sipwêhtêyiwa. waniskâpahtâw; paspaskipayihêw owatapiyima; nawaswêw oskinîkiskwêwa. kotaka mîna pê-atimik oskinîkiwa; âsay mîna kotaka; nêwiwak nâpêwak, ê-pimitisahwâcik wîcimosiwâwa. wâhyaw êkwa ê-ihtâcik, kêtahtawê nakî-yiwa.

(4) With that they were off. Up he leaped and ran; he ripped through his roots of the pine; he ran after the young women. Another young man came and caught up with him; then still another; four were the men pursuing the sweethearts. Then when they had gone a long ways, presently the women stopped.

(5) "nîtimosê, watapîwiyin, nisîm awa kiwî-wîhtamâtin tânisi êsiyîhkâsot:" "nêma isko kâ-osêhcâk pîwanoskwêw isiyîhkâsôw."

(5) “Sweetheart mine, Pine-Root Man, I shall tell you how my younger sister here is called: Up-to-yon-rise-of-the-Land-Blizzard-Woman she is called.”

(6) êkwa sipwêhtêwak. mistahi misi-pîwaniyiw. taswêkinêw otakohpa; êkota sîpâ pa-pimohtêwak. ôma kâ-osêhcâyik ê-otihtahkik, âstê-kîsikâyiw.

(6) Then they were off again. There was a terrible blizzard. He spread out his blanket-robe; beneath it they walked along. When they reached that rise in the land, the sky grew clear again.

(7) âsay mîna pêhikwak.

(7) Again the others waited for them.

(8) "kotak êkwa nisîm, nîtimosê, watapîwiyin, mistahi kâ-kisihk isiyîhkâsôw," itêw.

(8) “And this other younger sister of mine, Pine-Root, my sweetheart, is called Very-Cold-Weather,” she told him.

(9) êkosi mîna sipwêhtêwak. mitoni kisinâyiw; ositiwâwa mitoni wî-âhkwaciwak. êtataw takohtêwak; kêkâc kawaciwak.

(9) With that they were off again. It was very cold; their feet very nearly froze. They barely got there; they were frozen near to falling.

(10) êkosi êkwa sipwêhtêwak. kêtahtawê êkwa nâpêwak, têpwâtêw iskwêwa.

(10) Then again they set out. Presently, from the men's party, he called out to the women.

(10a) "cêskwa!" itêw; "awa nisîm ka-wîhtamâtin nîsta êsiyîhkâsot: oskâcihko-kimiwan nêma isko kâ-osêhcâk."

(10a) “Wait!” he called to her; “Let me now tell you how this younger brother of mine is called: Rain-of-Awls-up-to-yonder-Rise-in-the-Land.”

(11) êkwa sipwêhtêwak.

(11) Then they were off.

(12) "î, tâpwê miyoyîhkâsôw kîtimosinaw!"

(12) “Goodness me, really a beautiful name has our sweetheart!”

(13) êkwa ê-sipwêhtêyit, misi-kimiwaniyiw. êkwa sipwêhtêwak. âsay mîna têpwâtêw.

(13) Then, when they set out, it rained hard. Again they set out. Again he called to them.

(14) "kotak nisîm ômisi isiyîhkâsôw: kîsopwêw nêma isko kâ-osêhcâk."

(14) “My other younger brother is called like this: Hot-Weather-up-to-yon-Hill.”

(15) mitoni kîsopwêw; êkwa ôki iskwêwak mostâpêkasêwak iskwêwak ispimihk isi.¹

ê-otihtahkik osêhcâw, pôni-kimiwan.

(15) It was very hot; then those women went naked as they went upward. When they reached the hill, it stopped raining.

(16) "hê êy!" itwêwak; "tâpwê âyimaniyiw kîtimosinaw osîma êsiyîhkâsoyit!"

(16) “Oh dear!” they cried; “Really, it is terrible, the way our sweetheart's younger brother is called!”

(17) "êkwa niya, nêma isko kâ-osêhcâk kâ-asê-môhkitohtêw nitisiyîhkâson."

(17) “Now, as for me, [no translation] I am called.”

(17a) tâpwê mistahi asêhtêwak ôki.

(17a) Truly, at a great rate those persons walked backwards.

(17b) "kâ-asê-môhkitohtêw! tâpwê miywâsiniyiw kîtimosinaw owîhôwin!"

(17b) “ [no translation] Truly beautiful is our sweetheart's name!”

(18) êkwa nôtokêsiw âh-asawâpamêw otawâsimisa.

(18) Now, the old woman was on the lookout for her children.

(19) "tânisi ôhi kêkway ê-isi-môhcôwisiyêk?"

(19) “What on earth makes you act this crazy way?”

(20) "awas! nîtimosinân owîhôwin!" itwêwak.²

(20) “Get away! Our sweetheart's name!” they cried.

(21) wîkiwâw ê-otihtahkik, êkoyikohk kwayask pimohtêwak.

(21) When they reached their dwelling, only then did they walk properly.

(22) kotak êkwa wâskahikanis namôya ê-kîsowâyik, êkota asiwasôwak ôki môsâpêwak. nama kêkway kotawânâpisk. mitoni wî-âhkwaciwak. êkwa pêyak pimohtahkwê; pîhcâyihk êkota wâskahikanisihk mâ-môminêwak otêhimina, âta ê-pâh-pâhkaciyit miscikosa.

(22) Into another little house that was not heated the lone men were placed. There was no stove. They were very nearly frozen. Then one shot an arrow; in there in the little hut they were eating strawberries from the bush, even though the little trees were snapping in the cold.

(23) êkwa awa kisêyiniw, "nitawâpam; ta-osâmâskaciwak," itik owîkimâkana.

(23) Then the old man of that place, “Go take a look at them; they will be freezing too stiff,” he was bidden by his wife.

(24) paspâpiw: kî-mâ-môminêyiwa mînisa. kîwêw.

(24) He peeked in; they were eating berries from the bush. He went back.

(25) "nêâh!" itwêw kisêyiniw; "mâh-môminêwak, ita misawâc kî-ôh-pimâtisiwakwê!" itwêw.

(25) “Bosh!” said the old man; “They are eating berries from the bush, they will be living on that, no doubt!” said he.

(26) kîhtwâm ê-tipiskâyik âsay mîna ayiwâkês êkwa kisinâyiw. âsay mîna pimohtahkwêw. âsay mîna môminêwak aya misâskwatômina.

(26) The next night it grew even colder. Again he shot an arrow. Again they ate berries from the bush, saskatoon-berries.

(27) "nitawi-paspâpi!"

(27) “Go peep in!”

(28) nitawi-paspâpiw nôtokêsiw.

(28) The old woman went and peeped in.

(29) "mâ-môminêwak aniki, kisêyiniw." "ninôhtêhkatâh!" "ah, ta-mâh-mâcîwak!"

(29) “Those persons are eating berries from the bush, old man. And here I am going hungry! Come, let them go hunting!”

(30) êkwa mâcîtisahwâwak.³

wâpamêwak kwâskwêpayihôsa, ê-mihkosiyit. nawaswâtêwak. pimwêw; mohtâskikanêhosôw.

(30) Then they were driven off and away. They saw a jumping-deer, a red one. They chased it. One shot at it; he pierced himself through the chest.

(31) kîhtwâm kîskwêhkwasiw nôtokêsiw.

(31) Again the old woman talked in her sleep.

(32) "ê-pawâtamân ninahâhkisîm iska ê-nipahât kwâskwêpayihôsa ê-mihkosiyit, ôta isko ê-pimipahtât, ê-môwak."

(32) “It was that I dreamt that my son-in-law killed the red jumping-deer that ran by here, and that I ate it.”

(33) êkosi êkwa mâcîw; wâpamêw; pimwêw êkwa otâhk isi; nipahêw. kîwêcitâpêw. pîhtokêw wîkiwâhk.

(33) So then he went to hunt; he saw it; he shot it from behind; he killed it. He dragged it back. He entered their dwelling.

(34) "êwakoni kâ-wî-mowât nôtokêsiw!"

(34) “Here is the creature the old woman wanted to eat!”

(35) ê-yôhtênahk nôtokêsiw, "hê êy êy! tâpwê nikakwâhyakihik, nipawâkana!"

(35) When the old woman opened the door, “Dear me! Truly he brings calamity on me! My dream-guardian!”

(36) "misi-wîhkohtok; iyawis pakâsimihk," itwêw.

(36) “Have a big feast; boil it whole,” he said.

(37) iyawis pakâsimêwak; êkwa ê-misi-wîhkohtocik, kitamwêwak. êkosi êkwa sâkôcihêw osikosa.

(37) They boiled it whole; they gave a big feast and consumed it. And thus he overcame his mother-in-law.

(38) êkwa acosisa osîhtâw nêwo. êkwa itohtêw owîcêwâkana ita kâ-kî-nipahamiht.⁴

ispâhkêw.

(38) Then he made four arrows. Then he went to where his companions had been killed. He shot into the air.

(39) "awas, awas, awas! ka-pistahotinâwâw!"

(39) “Away, away, away! I shall be hitting you by accident!”

(40) kâ-cîpipayiyit, âsay mîna kotak ispâhkêw. kêyâpic êkosi itêw, kâ-pasikosipahtâyit. kêyâpit nîso pimisiniyiwa. âsay mîna ispâhkêw; waniskâpahtâyiwa. êwako êsa awa kâ-waniskâpahtât macihkiwis.

(40) They twitched a bit, and again he shot into the air. He repeated his words, and the other rose to his feet and ran. Two still lay there. Again he shot into the air; the other jumped to his feet. Now he who jumped to his feet, it seems was Miatchihkiwis.

(41) "ê-pimâtisiyân cî?"

(41) “Am I alive?”

(42) "êha; êkâ ê-pimâtisiyan, mâka kâ-ôh-pîkiskwêyan, ayiwâk ihkin!" itwêw êsa.⁵

(42) “Yes. If you were not alive, it would be strange that you are talking!” he said.

(43) "tâpwê nimiywêyihtên ê-pimâtisiyân! hay hay hay hay!" itwêw êsa.

(43) “Really, I am glad I am alive! Hurrah, hurrah!” he said.

(44) êkwa awa macihkiwis kî-kîwêhtahiskwêwêw êsa êwako ani.

(44) And so now Matchihkiwis took home a woman for himself.

(45) namôya êkoyikohk kinwâw âtayôhkêwin ê-kîsihtâyân.

(45) Not so very long is the sacred story which I have finished.

Footnotes

¹LB on mostâpêkasêwak: This feature certainly does not belong here; it spoils the climactic point of the next stroke.

²LB: That is, if the old woman discusses their action, she is in danger of unknowingly speaking her son-in-law's name, which, of course, is tabu to her.

³LB: From here on the story is badly shortened.

⁴CHECK -amiht

⁵CHECK ka-/kâ expansion