Geese Carry off Raven

	Geese Carry off Raven
	Cahto Language
	from Bill Ray (via Goddard 1909)

Cahto ¹		English Translation ²

---- Silsintc skiitcyaash s'isloos yaa'nii.		---- Chipmunk took care of a small child, they say.
	-------su^l.su^ntc---s.k"Üts.yac---s'u^s.lo#s---ya^E.n"Ü
	---- Chipmunk / child small / he kept / they say.
Chinsits' kwbit' naineelhk'its'-kwang yaa'nii.		He had stuck a piece of bark in his belly (injuring himself), they say.
	tcu^n.su^ts---kw.bu^t'---nai.ne;.k'u^ts.kwa7n)---ya^E.n"Ü
	Bark / his belly / had stuck in / they say.
S'ilhtiin yaa'nii.		He lay down, they say.
	s'u^;.t"Ün---ya^E.n"Ü
	He lay down / they say.
Tc'eek, Daatcang', chinsits' tc'oonghilaang yaa'nii.		The wife, Raven, went to get bark, they say.
	tc'ek---da.tca7n)^E---tcu^n.su^ts---tco#n.gu^l.lan)---ya^E.n"Ü
	Woman / raven / bark / went after / they say.
Kaah diidaa'ang naakaa' tc'nindeel'-kwang yaa'nii.		Two geese had come from the north, they say.
	ka^c---d"Ü.da^E.u^n)---na.ka^E---tc'n.nu^n.del'.kwa7n)---ya^E.n"Ü
	Geese / from north / two / had come / they say.
Chin uunaasyaa yaa'nii.		She went around a tree, they say.
	tcu^n---u#.nas.ya---ya^E.n"Ü
	Tree / she went around / they say.
Chinwo' bilh ghishaah yaa'nii, k'ai'tbilh.		They caught the burden-basket with a wooden hook, they say.
	tcu^n.wo#^E---bu^;---gu^s.ca^c---ya^E.n"Ü---k'ai.t.bu^;
	Hook / with / they caught / they say, / burden-basket.
Nins'isghiin yaa'nii.		She lifted it up to her back, they say.
	nu^n.s'u^s.gin)---ya^E.n"Ü
	She lifted up / they say.
Chooyii-haa' ghishaah yaa'nii.		Again, they hooked it, they say.
	tco#.y"Ü.ha^E---gu^s.ca^c---ya^E.n"Ü
	Again / they caught it / they say.
"Ndaas-ii dii," tc'in yaa'nii.		"This is a heavy one!" she said, they say.
	n.das.s"Ü---d"Ü---tc'in---ya^E.n"Ü
	"Heavy / this," / she said / they say.
Tc'eenaamiil' yaa'nii.		She emptied it out, they say.
	tc'e.na.m"Ül'---ya^E.n"Ü
	She emptied out / they say.
Nins'isghiing yaa'nii.		She lifted it up to her back, they say.
	nu^n.s'u^s.gin)---ya^E.n"Ü
	She lifted up / they say.
Chooyii-haa' ghishaah yaa'nii, k'ai'tbilh.		Again, they hooked the burden basket, they say.
	tco#.y"Ü.ha^E---gu^s.ca^c---ya^E.n"Ü---k'ai.t.bu^;
	Again / they caught it / they say / burden-basket.
Nakaa' noolhtinaa' yaa'nii.		Two (pieces of bark) were left, they say.
	na7k.ka^E---no#;.tin.na^E---ya^E.n"Ü
	Two / were left / they say.
Ghishaah yaa'nii.		They hooked it, they say.
	gu^c.ca^c---ya^E.n"Ü
	They caught it / they say.
Nins'isghiing yaa'nii.		She lifted it up, they say.
	nu^n.s'u^s.gin)---ya^E.n"Ü
	She lifted up / they say.
Ghishaah yaa'nii, k'ai'tbilh.		They hooked the burden basket, they say.
	gu^c.ca^c---ya^E.n"Ü---k'ai.t.bu^;
	They caught it / they say / burden-basket.
Kowilchit yaa'nii, naakaa'-haa' kaah.		Both geese caught her, they say.
	ko#.wu^l.tcu^t---ya^E.n"Ü---na.ka^E.ha^E---ka^c
	Caught her / they say / both / geese.
Kwteeghiiloos yaa'nii, diidee'.		They took her along to the north, they say.
	kw.te.g"Ü.lo#s---ya^E.n"Ü---d"Ü.de^E
	They took her along / they say / north.
"Daa'yaa'nteeliichow aayaa'shiilaagh," tc'in yaa'nii.		"'Flat mouths' (geese) took me up!" she said, they say.
	---------------da^E.ya^E.n.tel."Ü.tco#---a.ya.c"Ü.laG---tc'in---ya^E.n"Ü
	"Flat mouths / took me up" / she said / they say.
Yiichow-bii' yeehkwilyoos yaa'nii, Nee'uuchii'-ding.		They took her into the dance-house, they say, at River-Mouth-of-the-World village (Nee'uuchii'din).
	y"Ü.tco#.b"Ü^E---ye.kwil.yo#s---ya^E.n"Ü---ne^E.u#.tc"Ü^E.du^n)
	Dance-house / they took her in / they say, / world-its-tail-place.
Ghilhgheel'-it tc'nghindaash yaa'nii.		When it was evening there was a dance, they say.
	gu^;.gel.lu^t---tc'n.gu^n.das---ya^E.n"Ü
	Evening when / was a dance / they say.
Tc'eenaa'nt'aah yaa'nii.		She flew out, they say.
	tc'e.na^En.t'a---ya^E.n"Ü
	She flew out / they say.
Yiichow-bii' ts'eek'ee-bii' tc'eenaa'nt'aah yaa'nii.		She flew out the door of the dance-house, they say.
	y"Ü.tco#.b"Ü^E---ts'e.k'e.b"Ü^E---tc'e.na^En.t'a---ya^E.n"Ü
	Dance-house / door / she flew out / they say.
Naantyaa yaa'nii.		She came home, they say.
	nan.t.ya---ya^E.n"Ü
	She came home / they say.
Skiitcyaash Silsintc s'isloos-kwan yaa'nii.		Chipmunk had taken care of the baby, they say.
	s.k"Üts.yac---su^l.su^ntc---s'u^s.lo#s.kwan---ya^E.n"Ü
	Child small / chipmunk / he had kept / they say.
Silsintc intc'ee' tc'eelht'oot' tc'ilhtcii-kwan yaa'nii.		Chipmunk had made the baby suck on venison, they say.
	su^l.su^nts---intce^E---tc'e;.t'o#t---tc'u^;.tc"Ü.kwan---ya^E.n"Ü
	Chipmunk / venison / it suck / he had made / they say.
Skiitc beenaadin yaa'nii.		The baby died, they say.
	s.k"Üts---be.na.du^n---ya^E.n"Ü
	Child / died / they say.
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).

Goddard's Translation

The husband, Chipmunk, stayed at home and took care of the baby. He had stuck a piece of bark in his belly and had hurt himself so badly that he was obliged to lie down. The wife, Raven, went after bark. Two Geese had come from the north. When Raven was about to take the loaded basket upon her back the Geese reached out from behind a tree and caught the basket with a hook. "It's heavy," she said, and threw out some pieces. As she lifted it they caught it again. She threw out more of the bark. Finally there were only two pieces left. This time when they caught the basket they seized her and led her away to the North.
"Flat mouths are taking me north," she said. They took her into the dance-house at the northern end of the world. At night they danced. She flew out the upper opening of the dance-house and returned. Chipmunk had tried to care for the baby, giving it pieces of venison to suck. The child died.
That is all.

8/30/99 Sally Anderson using perl version 5.030000