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Stories of the Foolish People, Chiricahua Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

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31. Stories of the Foolish People as told by Duncan Belacho
  
Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

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31. Stories of the Foolish People[1] as told by Duncan Belacho

[These are] stories of the Foolish People.

(31.1)[1]
Tsiͅłkizhéne bigondide.
[These are] stories of the Foolish People.
 
[_]
(31.1) Linguistic Notes

bigondide 'their story'. bigondide 'story, news'.

Many of them were travelling.

(31.2)[2]
Łáͅgo 'ookaná'a.
'Ákoo łaa'ń bítáyá hanshchai dahneesjíͅná'a.
'Ákoo
"'Ádíí hinałt'o."
ndíná'a.
'Ákoo bítázhiͅ diłkiná'a.
Many of them were travelling.
Then a grasshopper flew onto the forehead of one of them.
Then
"Shoot this."
he said.
And he pointed to his forehead.
 
[_]
(31.2) Linguistic Notes

1. bítáyá 'to his forehead'. -tá 'forehead' requires a high tone on its prefixes.

2. hanshchai 'grasshoppers'. Cf. the theme -chá 'to hop' [act. intr.].

3. dahneesjíͅná'a 'he flew onto'. Literally 'he alighted, it is said'. See linguistic notes to Chiricahua texts 4.19, §3.

Then another one shot at his forehead.

(31.3)
'Ákoo łaa'ń bítázhiͅ yíńłt'oná'a.
'Ákoo 'ádíń ítázhiͅ 'isdeest'oń 'áí ńziͅná'a.
Dáhanshchaiíná jiiłhé ńziͅná'a.
'Áí'a bídó jiyeesxíͅná'a.
Then another one shot at his forehead.
And the one who shot at his forehead thought thus.
He thought [that] he'd kill only the grasshopper.
But he had killed [the man] also.

Then, at another time, they were sitting about.

(31.4)
'Áshíͅ, ła'ndó, naaheestáͅná'a.
'Ákoo hééł baa'isda'óómáázná'a.
Ch'éhádaayintáná'a.
Dá'ákaa 'isda'óómááz.
'Ákaa, dáhot'íͅyá, si'áͅná'a.
Ndah ch'éhádaayintáná'a.
Then, at another time, they were sitting about.
And a pack rolled away from them.
They looked for it in vain.
It had rolled down there.
There, where it could [plainly] be seen, it lay.
But they looked for it in vain.

Then they went back home.

(31.5)[5]
'Áshíͅ kooghaͅzhiͅ nóookaná'a.
'Ákoo 'ádaandíná'a:
"Nánkago, dánahík'eh, 'iká'siikágo, gaadé dábí'nłndídaał. 'Ákooná kégóziͅ. Dánahík'eh 'iká'siikáí bégóziͅ."

Then they went back home.
And they spoke thus:
"When we return, all of us, when we have intercourse, will make a noise like a crow. Then it is known. It is known that all of us are having intercourse."

 
[_]
(31.5) Linguistic Notes

'iká'siikágo 'when we have intercourse'. Should probably read: 'iká'siikégo; 'iká'- bound form of -ká 'on top' with indef. pronoun; siiké 'we sit' [1st person dual `si- perf. neut. intr.]. See linguistic notes to Chiricahua text 25.2, §2.

Then:

(31.6)
'Áshíͅ
"Łíͅí bikeeí tsé 'át'é."
daandiná'a.
"'Iyáashiͅ yiyáͅshiͅ? Łíní 'iyáada báhałt'ees."

Then:
"The foot of a horse is a rock."
they say.
"What does he eat? Cook something for him."

Then they cooked meat for him.

(31.7)[7]
'Ákoo 'itsiͅiͅ yáyiist'éná'a.
'Ákoo łíní yaanái'iͅiͅná'a.
'Ákoo łíní tł'ohí yiiłchozhná'a.
'Ákoo 'ándeeyégosiͅiͅná'a, tł'oh yiyáͅí.
Then they cooked meat for him.
And they gave it to him repeatedly.
But the horse chewed grass.
So they learned for the first time that [a horse] eats grass.
 
[_]
(31.7) Linguistic Notes

'ándeeyégosiͅiͅná'a 'they learned it for the first time'. 'ándee 'it is new, recent' [see linguistic notes to Chiricahua text 1.18, §3] plus yégosiͅiͅ 'they learned about it' [see note 19.8, §4].

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

[_]
(31.1) Linguistic Notes

bigondide 'their story'. bigondide 'story, news'.

[_]
(31.2) Linguistic Notes

1. bítáyá 'to his forehead'. -tá 'forehead' requires a high tone on its prefixes.

2. hanshchai 'grasshoppers'. Cf. the theme -chá 'to hop' [act. intr.].

3. dahneesjíͅná'a 'he flew onto'. Literally 'he alighted, it is said'. See linguistic notes to Chiricahua texts 4.19, §3.

[_]
(31.5) Linguistic Notes

'iká'siikágo 'when we have intercourse'. Should probably read: 'iká'siikégo; 'iká'- bound form of -ká 'on top' with indef. pronoun; siiké 'we sit' [1st person dual `si- perf. neut. intr.]. See linguistic notes to Chiricahua text 25.2, §2.

[_]
(31.7) Linguistic Notes

'ándeeyégosiͅiͅná'a 'they learned it for the first time'. 'ándee 'it is new, recent' [see linguistic notes to Chiricahua text 1.18, §3] plus yégosiͅiͅ 'they learned about it' [see note 19.8, §4].

 
[_]
Ethnological Note 1
These incidents were told by another informant and are therefore included here in spite of the fact that some of them occur in other texts. [See Chiricahua texts 24, 25, and 26.].
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