Coyote and Quail, Mescalero Apache Text :: :: University of Virginia Library

Coyote and Quail, Mescalero Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

6. Coyote and Quail as told by Horace Torres

6.1.

Coyote, trotting along a road saw Quail and her children walking along the road.

6.2.

Then Coyote spoke thus to her:

6.3.

"They follow me around so well because of this rope which is stretched between them."

6.4.

"All right, I too will do so."

6.5.

Then, pushing a yucca [rope] through the throats of his children, he strung that yucca between their throats.

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

Then Coyote spoke thus to her:

(6.2)[2]
'Ákoo Nałdlooshéí 'ágoołndíná'a:

"Ha'yágohee nizháańne góͅzhónégo 'iłkéé'ńt'igo nikéé' naanách'azhoshgo 'áńsiͅ?"

Naałdlooshéí goołndíná'a.

Then Coyote spoke thus to her:

"How do you keep your children going along after you in such straight line?"

Coyote said to her.

[_]

(6.2) Linguistic Notes

1. naałdlooshéí [this form appears in the text as naałdlooshéí--MEC] 'Coyote'. Another of the many nicknames for Coyote. [cf. note 1.1, §1]. naałdlooshé is a relative in -é of, the 3rd person imp. of naa-|...[si- perf.]-dloosh 'to trot about here and there' [act. intr.].

2. The literal translation of the second line of this passage is as follows: " 'In what way / your children / being so well / being strung along after one another / after you / they going about here and there / you keep it so,' / Coyote / he said to her, it is said."