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Boas]
Kutenai Tales
5

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.

4. Coyote and Grizzly Bear

Coyote went along. He saw Grizzly Bear's dung, unchewed wild rhubarb. Coyote laughed. Coyote took Grizzly Bear's dung. Coyote hung Grizzly Bear's dung on a pole in a line. He laughed. Coyote started. Grizzly Bear was staying there. He thought: "Let


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) ι′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.)

4. Coyote and Grizzly Bear

Qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (his dung) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's,) qaa′qtsx̣ₐne· (not chewed) wu′mʼa·łs. (wild rhubarb.) nʼuma′tsᵢne· (He laughed) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) tsukᵘa′te· (He took) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (his dung) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) ne‵łiłqa·hιtsx̣omu′n·e (He hung it on a pole in a line) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (dung) skι′n·ku·ts·. (Coyote.) nʼuma′tsᵢne·. (He laughed.) ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) sk/i′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) qaosaqa′ₐne· (There staid) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:)


  1. Two pieces of dung.