Mrs. Bennett: "Screech Owl and Coyote" (1903)

Note: The first paragraph of this story is repeated three or four times, because the events it describes are repeated in the story.

Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components

[1]	ipasnáhvaanich	káan	ú-krii
	owl.sp.	there	3s(>3)-live

Pygmy Owl lived there.

[2]	kúkuum	imáan	t-u-'ákunvar
	again	tomorrow	PERF-3s(>3)-go.hunting

Again in the morning [the next day] he went hunting.

[3]	kári	xás	púufich	t-óo	ykar
	then	then	deer	PERF-3s(>3)	beat

Then he killed a deer.

[4]	xás	sáruk	t-óo	thyúru-fak	ástiip
	then	downhill	PERF-3s(>3)	drag-from.uphill	shore

Then he dragged it downhill to the riverbank.

[5]	xás	mu-vêeshur-ak	t-u-p-ikniiv-ták-ishnih-ach
	then	3sPOSS-horn-Locative	PERF-3s(>3)-ITER-live-on.top.of-down-DIM.(verbs)

Then he just sat back down on top of its horns.

[6]	xás	pa-púufich	t-óo	kpúuhvarak
	then	the-deer	PERF-3s(>3)	swim.down.from.upriver

Then he swam the deer downriver.

[7]	xás	t-óo	thyúruripaa
	then	PERF-3s(>3)	pull.out

Then he dragged it ashore.

[8]	xás	t-óo	sfir
	then	PERF-3s(>3)	skin

Then he skinned it.

[9]	kári	xás	káan	áraar	t-óo	kmárihivrik
	then	then	there	human	PERF-3s(>3)	meet

Then he met a man coming there.

[10]	áraar	pa-mu-'áav	ápap	u-'ávas-hunihva
	human	the-3sPOSS-face	one.side	3s(>3)-be.spring.flowing.down

One side of the man's face was a spring (flowing) down.

[11]	xás	ápap	u-pírishhunihva
	then	one.side	3s(>3)-be.plants.hanging

One side was plants (hanging) down.

[12]	kári	xás	pa-púufich	t-u-'êetheep
	then	then	the-deer	PERF-3s(>3)-take.away.from

Then he (the man) took the deer away from him.

[13]	xás	pa-'únuhich	kich	t-u-páthih
	then	the-kidney	only	PERF-3s(>3)-throw.to

Then he threw only the kidney to him.

[14]	xás	t-óo	pvâaram
	then	PERF-3s(>3)	go.back

Then he (Pygmy Owl) went home.

[15]	xás	t-óo	mnish	pa-'únuhich
	then	PERF-3s(>3)	cook	the-kidney

Then he cooked the kidney.

[16]	xás	t-u-'áv
	then	PERF-3s(>3)-eat

Then he ate it.

[17]	kúkuum	imáan	t-u-p-ákunvar
	again	tomorrow	PERF-3s(>3)-ITER-go.hunting

The next day, he went hunting again. [The same episode is repeated several times.]

[18]	kári	xás	káan	u-'úum
	then	then	there	3s(>3)-arrive

Then he (Coyote) arrived there.

[19]	ee	ishávaas	ôok	tá	ni-'áhoo
	oh!	child.of.deceased.sibling	here	PERF	1s(>3)-go

"Ee, nephew, I have come.

[20]	nu-ykár-eesh	pa-'îin	púufich	i-'êethiipvu-tih-at
	1pl(>3)-beat-FUT	NOMZ-TOPIC	deer	2s(>3)-take.away.from-DUR-PAST

We will kill the one who has been taking the deer from you."

[21]	kári	xás	pihnêefich	akôor	ú-kyav	imshaxvuh-'ákoor
	then	then	coyote	axe	3s(>3)-make	gum-axe

Then Coyote made an axe, a (pine) gum axe.

[22]	kári	xás	chími	i-'ákunvar
	then	then	soon	2s(>3)-go.hunting

Then (Coyote said), "Go hunting!"

[23]	kári	xás	u-ykár	pa-púufich
	then	then	3s(>3)-beat	the-deer

Then he (Pygmy Owl) killed a deer.

[24]	xás	u-kpúuhvarak	kúkuum
	then	3s(>3)-swim.down.from.upriver	again

Then he swam it down from upriver again.

[25]	kári	xás	u-thyúruripaa
	then	then	3s(>3)-pull.out

Then he pulled it toward land.

[26]	xás	kun-íshfir
	then	3pl(>3s)-skin

Then they skinned it.

[27]	xás	pihnêefich	u-'áam-va	p-aathkúrit
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-eat-PL.ACT	the-fat

Then Coyote ate the fat.

[28]	kári	xás	kúkuum	pa-'áraar	káan	u-'úum
	then	then	again	the-human	there	3s(>3)-arrive

Then the man came there again.

[29]	xás	kúkuum	pa-púufich	kin-páthih	pa-'únuhich
	then	again	the-deer	3pl>3pl-throw.to	the-kidney

Then again he threw the deer's kidney to them.

[30]	xás	u-píip	kanee-yfúutsip
	then	3s(>3)-say	2pl>1s-push.up

Then he said, "Load me up!"

[31]	kári	xás	pihnêefich	axvâa-k	u-'áaka	pa-'akôora	mûuk
	then	then	coyote	head-LOC	3s(>3)-hit.(with.implement)	the-axe	with.(by.means.of)

Then Coyote struck him on the head with the axe.

[32]	xás	kun-íykar
	then	3pl(>3s)-beat

Then they killed him.

[33]	xás	pihnêefich	u-píip	púya	pay	uum	váah
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-say	and.so	this	3.SG	so

Then Coyote said, "So this is all right!"

[34]	xás	kun-imníshkirihva
	then	3pl(>3s)-cook.meat

Then they cooked it.

[35]	kupánakanakana
	the.end

Kupánakanakana.

[36]	ipasnáhvaanich	u-kúphaa-nik
	owl.sp.	3s(>3)-do-ANC

Pygmy Owl did it.