Kutenai Tales/Coyote and Locust 2

by Franz Boas, Alexander Francis Chamberlain

3. Coyote and Locust

Coyote went along. He saw Locust. He (Locust) carried his leg. Coyote saw it. Coyote thought: "Let me also break my leg." Then Coyote broke his leg. He carried it. Then Coyote started. Coyote carried his leg. He saw Locust. Locust said: "Is there any one similar to me?" Coyote said: "I am that way, too." Locust said: "We shall be friends." Then Locust said: "Now, go ahead. You go first." Then Coyote started ahead. Behind him was Locust. He went along. He thought: "I shall kill Coyote." Then Coyote ran. He went way around. He caught up with him and went ahead. He went along. He was tired. Locust reached him. He kicked him. Locust killed Coyote. Locust started. He went along. Coyote lay there for several days. Magpie flew along. He saw Coyote lying there. He thought: "Let me eat Coyote’s eyes; he is dead." Then Magpie ate Coyote's eyes. Coyote came back to life. Coyote said: "A manitou passed by here. He carried his leg and killed me." Coyote started and went back. He saw Locust. He slapped himself. Out came his corpses.[1] He said to them: "Tell me, how shall I kill him?" He was told by one of them: "He is always carrying his leg." He was told by the other one: "I shall be a knife. I shall be on the sole of your foot. When you overtake him and he says, 'You shall go ahead,' you shall say, 'You go ahead.'" Locust started. Coyote was behind. Coyote ran. He overtook Locust. He kicked him. Coyote killed Locust. Enough.

Qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽkuk.łako′wumʼs. (Locust.) nałx̣o′ᵤne· (He carried) aₐʽksa′q!e·s. (his leg.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw it) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) qałwi′yne· (He thought) skιn·ku·ts (Coyote:) a′ₐʽke· ("Also) ka′min (I) hułʼumι′tskιn (let me break) kaa′ₐʽksaq!. (my leg.") ta′x̣as (Then) nʼumιtskι′n·e· (he broke) aₐʽksa′q!e·s (his leg) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nałx̣o′ᵤne. (He carried it.) ta′x̣as (Then) ts!ιna′x̣e· (he started) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nałx̣o′ᵤne· (He carried) aₐʽksa′q!e·s (his leg) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽkuk.łako′wumʼs. (Locust.) qake′ᵢne· (He said) aʽₐkuk.łako′wum (Locust:) a′ₐʽke· ("Also) k.łqa′qa (is there) qa′psin (something) huya‵ₐqaqapmι′łke·. (that is like me?") qake′ᵢne· (He said) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote:) a′ₐʽke· ("Also) ka′min (I) huqaqa′ₐne·. (am that way.") qake′ᵢne· (He said) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum (Locust:) huts!ιn·ała′ₐne· ("We shall be) swυ′tᵢmo. (friends.") ta′x̣as (Then) qake′ᵢne· (said) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum (Locust:) ta′x̣a ("Now) łu′n·u (go ahead) nι′nko (you) u′sʼme·k. (first.") ta′x̣as (Then) ts!ιna′x̣e· (started) nʼι′n·e· (he) u′sʼme·ks (first) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) iłna′ha·ks (Behind) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum. (Locust.) qa·na′x̣e·. (He went along.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) hułʼu′pi·ł ("Let me kill) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote!") ta′x̣as (Then) ts!ιna′kᵢne· (he ran) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼιtkιkqła·‵łałqa·′tse·. (He went way around.) ła·łax̣anx̣o′ᵤne· (He caught up with him) qa‵yaqa·na′x̣e·. (he went ahead.) qa·na′x̣e·. (He went along.) nuk.łu′kᵤne·. (He was tired.) ła·x̣a′x̣e· (He reached him) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum. (Locust.) qanaqłι′kx̣ₐne·. (He kicked him.) n′ipι′łne· (He killed him) skι′n·ku·ts· (Coyote (obj.)) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum. (Locust (subj.).) ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum. (Locust.) qa·na′x̣e·. (He went along.) na·qsanmi′yet.s (Several days) qakqa′ₐne· (he lay there) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) qa·na′n·ox̣o′ᵤne· (He flew along) a′nʼan. (Magpie.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw him) sakqa′pse· (lying there) skι′n·ku·ts·. (Coyote.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) hułʼι′kᵢmi·ł ("Let me eat) aₐʽkaqłι′łʼe·s (his eyes) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote's,) pa·ł () ksι′łʼe·p. (he has been dead.") ta′x̣as (Then) nʼι′kᵢne· (he ate) a′nʼan (Magpie) aₐʽkaqłιłʼι′se·s (his eyes) skι′n·ku·ts·. (Coyote's.) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote) ła·ιtq!aʼnx̣a′mʼne·. (came back to life.) qake′ᵢne (He said) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote:) naₐs qaha′x̣e· ("Here passed) nϋpι′k!a. (a manitou.) nałx̣o′ᵤne· (He carried) aₐʽksa′q!e·s (his leg) nʼupła′pᵢne·. (and killed me.") ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote) łax̣a′x̣e·. (and went back.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽkuk.łako′wumʼs. (Locust.) qanła′łte·k· (He slapped himself.) nʼakax̣o′se· (Out came) aₐʽkuq!łayet!ι′nʼe·s. (his corpses (dung).) qakι′łne· (He said to them:) tsx̣anata′pkił ("Tell me,) kaₐs (how) kutsaₐqałʼu′pe·ł. (shall I kill him?") k!o′k!we·ʼs (By one) qak.ła′pse· (he was told:) peι′k!a·ks ("Already) nʼupsła·‵tᵢyi·łqałx̣o′ᵤne· (always he carries) aₐʽksa′q!e·s. (his leg.") k!o′k!we·ʼs (By the other) qak.ta′pse· (he was told:) ka′min ("I) hutsx̣ałʼι′n·e· (shall be) aₐʽktsa′ma·ł. (a knife.) aₐʽk.łι′kᵢne·s (The sole of your foot) hutsqa‵kιłq!a′ₐne·. (I shall hang at it.) hιnʼi·nałax̣a′me·ł (When you overtake him) qa′k.łe·s (if he says,) nι′nko ('You) u′sʼme·k (first) ι′n·enʼ (be,') hιnts!qakι′łne· (you will say to him,) nι′nko ('You) ι′n·enʼ (be) u′sʼme·k· (first.'") ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) aₐʽkuk.łako′wum (Locust,) iłna′ha·ks (behind) nʼι′n·e· (was he) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) ts!ιna·′kᵢne· (He ran) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) łax̣a′x̣e· (He overtook) aₐʽkuk.łako′wumʼs. (Locust.) qa·nak.łι′kx̣ₐne·. (He kicked him.) nʼipι′łne· (He killed him) aₐʽkuk.łako′wumʼs (Locust (obj.)) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote (subj.).) ta′x̣as. (Enough.)

1. Two pieces of dung.