Coyote and Blue Bunting, Mescalero Apache Text :: :: University of Virginia Library

Coyote and Blue Bunting, Mescalero Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

1. Coyote and Blue Bunting as told by Charles Smith

1.1.

From there Coyote had gone farther on.

1.2.

"Coyote, why do you come?"

1.3.

"Well, friend, I'm coming [to see] you.

1.4.

"Nothing but that of which I know would I do for you.

1.5.

"There is no tobacco here [that] I can give you."

1.6.

"Well anyhow, sit down on the ground.

1.7.

"Here it is,"

1.8.

"Give it to me."

1.9.

She put it down for him.

1.10.

And then the Blue Bunting man picked it up.

1.11.

"Now smoke,"

1.12.

"Yes, I'll smoke,"

1.13.

Then, rolling a cigarette, he sat down facing him.

1.14.

Now they had [finished] smoking.

1.15.

"Yes, I will come to you,"

1.16.

Then Coyote started to leave him.

1.17.

Then, when exactly four days had passed, [Blue Bunting and his family] came to his home.

1.18.

"Friend, why do you come?"

1.19.

"I am here now because you told me to come, Coyote."

1.20.

"Wife, bring some of that bark,"

1.21.

His wife took out a dish.

1.22.

Then he picked up the bark.

1.23.

"You will smoke,"

1.24.

Then [Blue Bunting] just looked at it.

1.25.

Then, without smoking, he went away.

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

[Ethnological Notes]

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"Well anyhow, sit down on the ground.

(1.6)[6]

"Dá'ághát'éndah, ndiishíͅ ńdaa. K'adi, sáͅń, 'áshíͅ 'aaí tsiͅbikáyí łi' ńkaa."

"Well anyhow, sit down on the ground. Now, wife, bring some of the bark from over there."

[_]

(1.6) Linguistic Notes

1. sáͅń 'wife'. Literally, 'old woman.' sáͅ 'old age' plus the relative enclitic -ń. See Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text 21.1, §§1 and 2.

2. tsiͅbikáyí 'bark'. tsiͅ 'tree', bikáyí 'its skin, cover'.