Then he picked up the bark.
(1.22)[22]
'Ákoo 'ikásht'óójí náinjaaná'a.
'Áńdeeda níidnzhishgo sidáná'a.
Shóͅóͅdéń níidóͅóͅzhiijnágon, bi'isdzáńń 'izis
yéyóͅóͅkeená'a.
'Áí níidóͅóͅzhiijí Shóͅóͅdé 'izis gheyóͅóͅjaaná'ago, izis
yénááyóͅóͅkeená'a.
Bi'isdzáńń 'izisí baayíńłtsoodzná'a.
'Ákoo izisí baayíńłtsoodzí díͅíͅn 'iłch'iͅiͅyiindiná'a.
'Ákoo dá'ághát'égo,
doo'iyáabighe'ási'iͅiͅdaná'ahá.
Dá'ághát'égo, 'indaa'izháshee
bidáa bánch'íń'iͅiͅná'a.
Then he picked up the bark.
Now he sat pounding it.
Just as Coyote had pulverized it, he asked his wife for a sack.
Coyote put that which he had pulverized into the sack and asked for another
sack.
His wife gave him the sack.
Then he pressed the sacks that she had given him together four times.
But, in spite of this, there was absolutely nothing in them[4].
However, he put it down before Blue Bunting.
[_]
(1.22) Linguistic Notes
1. níidnzhishgo 'pounding it'. This is apparently the 3rd
person imp. with 3rd person object of ní-di-...[hi-
perf.]-zhish 'to pound, pulverize' [act. tr.]. See note 1.21, §4. níi- > ní- plus the 3rd person object
yi-. I cannot understand the prefix dn-, however.
2. níidóͅóͅzhiijnágon 'just as he had pounded it'. For
níidóͅóͅzhiij, see note 1 above and note 1.24, §4.
-ná 'just'; -go subord. encl.; -n past tense
enclitic.
3. doo'iyáabighe'ási'iͅiͅdaná'ahá 'there was absolutely
nothing in them, it is said'. 'doo-... -da negative; 'iyáa
'anything'; bighe' 'in them'; -á, a reduced form of the
pp. -yá; si'iͅiͅ; 'an
unknown object lies' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.]; -ná'a narrative encl.; -há exclamatory
enclitic.
[_]
Ethnological Note 4
In many episodes of the cycle Coyote makes himself
ridiculous by imitating others without having the requisite power to accomplish
what they have done.
