Coyote Competes with Grey-squirrels

	Coyote Competes with Grey-squirrels
	Cahto Language
	from Bill Ray (via Goddard 1909)

Cahto ¹		English Translation ²

---- Daahtaitc s'isk'aan yaa'nii.		---- Grey squirrels built a fire, they say.
	-------da.taitc---s'u^s.k'an---ya^E.n"Ü
	---- Grey-squirrel / built fire / they say.
Chin uuyeeh s'isk'aan.		They built the fire under a tree.
	tcu^n---u#.ye---su^s.k'an
	Tree / under / he built fire.
Yiibaanlhaa'haa' naaninlhaah yaa'nii.		Six of them were jumping across, they say.
	y"Ü.ban.lha^E.ha^E---na.nu^n.;a---ya^E.n"Ü
	Six / jumped across / they say.
Ch'siitcing tc'ninyaa yaa'nii.		Coyote arrived, they say.
	tc'.s"Ü.tcu^n)---tc'n.nu^n.ya---ya^E.n"Ü
	Coyote / came there / they say.
"Tee-hee-hee-ii!		"Hah-hah-hah!
	---------------te.he.he."Ü
	"Hah-hah-hah!
Dook'ang, shtcootcing naaloos-it kwasht'iing.		I did that sort of thing a long time ago when my grandmother took care of me.
	do#.k'a7n)---stco#.tcin)---nas.lo#.sit---kwa7c.t'"Ün)
	Long ago / my grandmother / led me around when / I did that.
Beeshoohloos, shindiitc.		Help me up, my friend."
	be.co#^c.lo#s---cu^n.d"Üts
	Lead me up, / my friend.
"Heeuu'."		"Yes." (squirrels said)
	---------------he.u#^E
	"Yes."
"Beeshoohloos, shindiitc."		"Help me up, my friend."
	---------------be.co#^c.lo#s---cu^n.d"Üts
	"lead me up, / my friend."
"Beekoohloos," tc'in yaa'nii.		"Help him up," he said, they say.
	---------------be.ko#^c.lo#s---tc'in---ya^E.n"Ü
	"Lead him up," / he said / they say.
Hootaa naaninlhaah yaa'nii.		Then he jumped across, they say.
	ho#.ta---na.nu^n.;a---ya^E.n"Ü
	Then / he jumped across / they say.
Hootaa naaninlhaagh-it tc'teelhsit yaa'nii.		Then, when he jumped across, he fell, they say.
	ho#.ta---na.nu^n.;a.gu^t---tc'.te;.su^t---ya^E.n"Ü
	Then / he jumped across when / he fell / they say.
Hootaa kwong' bii' noolsit, ooslit yaa'nii.		Then he fell into the fire and burned up, they say.
	ho#.ta---kwo#n)^E---b"Ü^E---no#l.su^t---o#s.lu^t---ya^E.n"Ü
	Then / fire / in / he fell. / He burned up / they say.
Hootaa t'eesh tanaasdjool yaa'nii.		Then the coals ³ rolled out of the fire, they say.
	ho#.ta---t'ec---ta7n.nas.djo#l---ya^E.n"Ü
	Then / coal / rolled out / they say.
Hootaa, "Shghaa', sheenantbilh."		Then, "Come back to me, my hair!"
	---------------ho#.ta---cga^E---ce.nu^n.t.bu^;
	Then, / "My hair, / come back to me."
---- Kwanlhang.		---- That is all.
	-------kwu^n.;a7n)
	---- All.

₁. Click on highlighted words to search for them in the Dictionary/Lexical database. The top line is in the practical orthography. The middle line is in Goddard's transcription except that "underhook"/"Polish hook" is represented by "subscript left half-ring" ("underhook" is not present in the SIL IPA fonts). The bottom line is Goddard's word-by-word translation, with [occasional additions or emendations by me in square brackets].
₂. Line-by-line translation by me, largely informed by Goddard's translation, but attempting to translate every sentence, and to do so more literally (within the limits of English readability).
₃. All that was left of poor Coyote.

Goddard's Translation

Some grey squirrels built a fire between two trees. There were six of them amusing themselves by jumping from one tree to another over the fire. Coyote came along.
"Ha, ha, ha," he cried. "I used to do that when my grandmother was still leading me around. Take me up, my friends."
"Yes," they said.
" Take me up, my friends, " Coyote insisted.
"Well, bring him up," one said. They brought him up, and he tried to jump across, but failing, fell into the fire. He burned up. The coals which remained of him rolled out of the fire.
"Come back, my hair," he called.

8/30/99 Sally Anderson using perl version 5.030000