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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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Then Coyote looked at him.

(2.6)[6]
'Ákoo Shóͅóͅdé gonéł'íͅná'a.
Nzhóͅnóo gonéł'íͅná'a.

"Shóͅóͅdé,"

goołndiná'a, Tsék'eeshchíhé:

"Doodókohéédó ch'ah 'át'éí ghe'nénł'áͅná'a. Ch'ahí beeshíͅsí."

goołndiná'a.

Then Coyote looked at him.
He looked at him closely.

"Friend,"

Coyote said to him,

"That is a wonderful hat you seem to be wearing[2]. Show me the power of that hat,"

he said to him.

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(2.6) Linguistic Notes

1. nzhónóo 'closely' > nzhóné, a relative form of nzhóͅ 'it is good, well' [3rd person imp. neut. intr. with adj. ni-] plus the subord. encl. -go.

2. doodókohéédó 'wonderful'. An unanalyzable intensifying particle.

3. ghe'nénł'áͅná'a 'you seem to be wearing,'. 2nd person of ghe'-ni-...-l-'áͅ 'to wear [a headdress of any sort]' [si- perf. neut.]. ghe'- 'in, inside'; ni- terminative; -l-'áͅ 'to have one's head in position'. Note that -ná'a, in this verb, gives a dubitative connotation. See the Ethnological Note linked to the English Translation of this line.

4. beeshíͅsíͅ 'show me the power of it'. 2nd person imp. with 1st person obj. of 0'ee-|...[hi- perf.]-ł-zíͅ 'to show, give power by means of something' [act. tr.]. ee- 'by means of'.

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Ethnological Note 2
Coyote refers to Owl's ears as a hat. This device of speaking of one thing in terms of something else which it may remotely resemble, is a common one in these tales, and causes great merriment when it is used.