(1) êkwa kotak.

(1) Now another story.

(2) kîtahtawê êsa nôtokêsiw otânisa wîkimêw. êkonik ôyâ nêhiyawak.¹

êkwa nôhtêhkatêwak, okiniya piko ê-mâwacihâyit otânisa, nipîhk ê-pakâsimâyit, êwakoni piko ê-môwâcik; wî-nipahâhkatosôwak.

(2) Once upon a time an old woman dwelt with her daughter. They were Cree. They suffered hunger, for the woman's daughter merely gathered thornberries, which she boiled, and that was all they had to eat; they were almost dead of hunger.

(3) kîtahtawê sipwêhtêw oskinîkiskwêw, okiniya ê-papâ-mâwacihât, kâ-wâpamât ê-minahoyit. itohtêw. namôya ahpô wî-kitâpamik. sôskwâc kahkiyaw wiyâsa osihtâyiwa. sipwêhtêyiwa êkwa. wiya kotak môsahkinêw watôwa, ê-wî-mowât. kîwêw. êkwa êwakoni okinîsa mîcimâpôhkêw, mîcimâpoy êwako ê-mîcicik, êwako piko.

(3) Then at one time the young woman went off to go about gathering thornberries, when she saw someone who had killed game. She went near. That person would not even look at her. Quickly he prepared all the meat. Then he went away. But she, the other, picked up the clots of blood to eat. She went home. Then she made a broth of the poor thornberries, and this broth they ate, only this.

(4) êkwa ê-wâpahk sipwêhtêw; mîna sipwêhtêw. âsay mîna mostoswa nipahêw nâpêw. mitoni kisinâw. oskinîkiskwêw ê-papâmohtêt, okiniya ê-papâ-môsahkinât, itohtêw ôhi nâpêwa.

(4) On the next day she went out again. Again that man killed a buffalo. It was very cold. The young woman, as she went about, picking thornberries here and there, went to where that man was.

(5) "kimêkwâskamân ê-minahohk," itêw nâpêw awa; "manisâwê piko iyikohk."

(5) “You have come just in time to where game has been killed,” the man said to her; “Cut off for yourself as much as you please.”

(6) êkwa oskinîkiskwêw miywêyihtam.

(6) The young woman was pleased.

(7) "êkwa nikâwiy ta-mîciw mistahi wiyâs!" itêyihtam.

(7) “Now my mother will eat much meat!” she thought.

(8) sôskwâc pêyak mostoswa miyik. kîwêw; iyawis wiyâs kîwêhtatâw. êkwa ê-takosihk wîkiwâhk, mistahi mîcisôwak. miywêyihtam nôtokêsiw.

(8) At once he gave her one buffalo. She went home; she took home the meat entire. When she arrived at her home, they had a big meal. The old woman was glad.

(9) "mîna sipwêhtêhkan;" "mâskôc mîna ka-wâpamâw ta-nipahât."

(9) “Go out again; perhaps you will see him again making a killing.”

(10) sipwêhtêw. wâpamêw ê-nipahâyit mostoswa. âsay mîna iyawis miyik. miywêyihtam.

(10) She went. She saw him killing a buffalo. Again he gave her the entire carcass. She was pleased.

(11) êkwa êkota, "kônâpêmin cî?"

(11) And then, “Are you married?”

(12) "namôya," itêw.

(12) “No,” she answered him.

(13) "êkosi mâka ka-wîkimitin."

(13) “Then let me marry you.”

(14) "cêskwa pita," itêw; "nikâwiy pita nika-wîhtamawâw." "têpêyimoci, ka-wîkimitin." "wâpahki ka-wîhtamâtin."

(14) “Only wait,” she told him; “Let me first tell my mother. If she is content, I will marry you. Tomorrow I will tell you.”

(15) "êha," itwêw nâpêw; "nimiywêyihtên."

(15) “Very well,” said the man; “I am very glad.”

(16) êkosi sipwêhtêw. êkwa ê-wâpahk, nôtokêsiw otânisa kakwêcimik.

(16) Then she departed. On the next day the old woman's daughter asked her.

(17) "nika-wîkimâw êwako nâpêw," itik.

(17) “Let me marry this man,” she asked her.

(18) "êha," itwêw nôtokêsiw.

(18) “Yes,” said the old woman.

(19) êkwa sipwêhtêw oskinîkiskwêw; wâpamêw nâpêwa.

(19) Then the young woman went; she saw the man.

(20) "êkwa kiwî-wîhtamâtin: 'êha,' itwêw nikâwiy ta-wîkimitân."

(20) “Now I shall tell you: ‘Yes,’ says my mother; I may marry you.”

(21) kîwêhtahêw nâpêwa. takohtêwak wîkiwâhk. onâpêmiw. tahto-kîsikâw minahoyiwa. êkwa ê-kâh-kîsopwêyik, kâmwâtisiw oskinîkiskwêw.

(21) She brought the man home with her. They arrived at the lodge. She had him as her husband. Every day he killed game. But when the weather was hot, the young woman became listless.

(22) "tânisi ôma ê-kâmwâtisiyan?" itêw owîkimâkana.

(22) “Why are you so listless?” he asked his wife.

(23) "kêkâc êkwa mâna kâ-takohtêt niwîkimâkan," itwêw oskinîkiskwêw.

(23) “Because this it the time, always, when my husband is about to come,” said the young woman.

(24) "êkwa nâpêw awa ê-onâpêmiyan êcika ani!" itêw; "kî-kiskêyihtamân, namôya kâh-wîkimitin." "tânisi êsinâkwahk kîsik, wâh-takosihki kiwîkimâkan!" itêw oskinîkiskwêwa.

(24) “And so you mean to say you have a husband, this man!” he said to her; “If I had known that, I should not have married you. How looks the sky when your husband is about to come?” he asked the young woman.

(25) "kîspin wâh-takosihki, wâpaskwâw; osâwipêskwâw." "êwako niwîkimâkan, kisiwâk pê-ayâci." "kisiwâk êkwa, kisiwâk pê-ayâw." "tapasî; ka-nipahik"

(25) “When he is about to come, there is white sky; and yellow clouds are in the sky. That is when my husband has come near on his hither way. And close now, close has he come. Flee; he will kill you.”

(26) êkwa nâpêw, "namôya; ôta nika-ayân."

(26) Then the man, “No; here I shall stay.”

(27) kêtahtawê kâsôw pîhcâyihk nâpêw. pê-misi-kitôwak.

(27) Presently the man hid indoors. There came a great thunderstorm.

(28) "êwako niwîkimâkan," itwêw oskinîkiskwêw.

(28) “That is my husband,” said the young woman.

(29) kisiwâk pê-pônisiniyiwa; pê-pîhtokêyiwa.

(29) Close by the other came to earth; he came into the lodge.

(30) "waniskâ, nikosâk!" itik nâpêw awa.

(30) “Get up, my fellow-husband!” he said to that man.

(31) êkwa waniskâw.

(31) Then he got up.

(32) "ka-mêtawânânaw," itik.

(32) “We shall have a contest,” the other said to him.

(33) "êha; kiya nîkân." "tânisi ta-isi-mêtawêyahk? kiya nîkân," itâw awa piyêsiw.

(33) “Very well; you first. What sort of contest shall we have? You first,” the Thunderer was told.

(34) êkwa ani kâh-kitôw. misi-kimiwan; miskwamiy pahkisin. êkwa awa nâpêw kwêskimow. asâm ay-apiw, ê-ati-misi-kimiwaniyik, miskwamiy mîna ê-pahkisihk. kêtahtawê pôyôw; pê-pîhtokêw.

(34) Then he roared. There came a great rainstorm; it hailed. Then that man changed his form. A snowshoe lay there during the great storm of rain and hail. Presently he ceased; he came inside the lodge.

(35) "kiyaskoc êkwa, nikosâk; pimota," itêw okosâka.

(35) “Your turn now, my fellow-husband; shoot your arrow,” he told his fellow-husband.

(36) "êha," itwêw; "êkwa ta-misi-kisinâw!" itwêw; "mitoni ta-wâsêskwan; ta-wâsêskwani-kisin!"

(36) “Very well,” said he; “Now let there be intense cold!” he spoke; “Let there be very clear sky; let there be a clear cold sky!”

(37) mistahi kisinâw. êkwa misi-pîwan; mitoni yôtin, miscikosak ê-pâh-pakacicik.²

mitoni wî-kawaciyiwa okosâka asâm.

(37) It grew very cold. And there was a great flurry of snow; there was a strong wind, until the branches snapped and crackled in the cold. The Snowshoe's rival husband froze almost to death.

(38) "êkoyikohk. nikosâk! kîwinaw wîwi kiyâm," itêw.

(38) “Enough, my fellow-husband! Keep you our wife, as you please,” he told him.

(39) êkosi kîsopwêw kâwi mitoni.

(39) Thereupon the weather again grew very hot.

(40) "kiyâm kîwinaw wîwi; kisâkôcihin," itwêw.

(40) “Keep you our wife, as you please; you have defeated me,” he said.

(41) êkosi wiya êwako pêyak mîna nikîsihtân âtayôhkêwin.

(41) and so now I have finished this story too.

Footnotes

¹LB on oyah: For wiya?

²gender mismatch in miscikosak?