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Coyote and Owl, Mescalero Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

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2. Coyote and Owl as told by Charles Smith

2.1.

From there Coyote went on farther along the road.

2.2.

Then he went in that direction.

2.3.

He looked down to the ground.

2.4.

"Come down. Let's sit on the ground. Tell me stories,"

2.5.

"All right, Coyote. I'll tell you stories,"

2.6.

Then Coyote looked at him.

2.7.

"I'll show you the power of what are my ears, if you like them,"

2.8.

"Now then, sit facing the east,"

2.9.

Then he moved toward him from the south also.

2.10.

Then Owl had done so for him four times.

2.11.

"Yes. I am grateful for it, friend. Thank you,"

2.12.

Owl stood before him.

2.13.

2.14.

Then, as he started to leave Owl, he said to him:

2.15.

"Friend, that which I [would] eat right now is buffalo intestines and roasted buffalo ribs,"

2.16.

"I will not eat with you,"

2.17.

"Let's eat. Then we'll go away from each other,"

2.18.

2.19.

Then that which he had named, prepared that way, lay scattered about.

2.20.

2.21.

As Coyote was speaking to him, he had started to move toward him.

2.22.

Then Coyote returned to his home.

2.23.

"Coyote, we are coming to [visit] you,"

2.24.

2.25.

"Wife, spread [a robe] for those people. They will sit here,"

2.26.

Then she spread [a robe] for them.

2.27.

"They come to me here because of something which I shall do for them,"

2.28.

"What do you know that you will do for them? You are crazy. You cannot do anything for them,"

2.29.

"What did you come for? What shall I do for you?"

2.30.

2.31.

2.32.

"Make [my] people for me like your [people]

2.33.

Then Coyote got up.

2.34.

Then the two of them sat down facing the east.

2.35.

2.36.

Then the two went toward the Owl man with them.

2.37.

They moved their hands over them.

2.38.

Then Owl man said:

2.39.

"Are you ready to eat now?"

2.40.

As Old Man Owl was about to say yes, [the other two] said yes and no simultaneously.

2.41.

2.42.

Then Coyote brought to them some hard dry meat that could not be chewed.

2.43.

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

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"Friend, that which I [would] eat right now is buffalo intestines and roasted buffalo ribs,"

(2.15)[15]

"Shóͅóͅdé ndásák'adóo 'iyánéłizhiní bichíí 'áshíͅ bitsáíyił sit'égook'adéhisháͅáͅ'é."

goołndiná'a.

"Friend, that which I [would] eat right now is buffalo intestines and roasted buffalo ribs,"

he said to him.

[_]

(2.15) Linguistic Notes

'iyánéłizhiní 'buffalo'. A compound of 'iyáné 'cattle'; 'łizhiͅ 'it is black' [3rd person imp. neut. with prefixes łi-ni- adj.]; and the relative -í. 'iyáné > 'iyáͅ 'he eats' [3rd person imp. with indef. obj.] plus the archaic relative -é.

It is curious that the Mesc. word for 'buffalo' should have as a base the word for 'cattle' since it is very likely that the Mesc. knew the buffalo long before they encountered cattle. It is probable, however, that 'iyáné originally meant 'buffalo' and was made to include 'cattle' when these animals became important in.Mesc. culture. Then, when the necessity for distinguishing the two animals arose, this compound was devised to designate the buffalo, by then the less important animal to the culture.