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

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

(6.3)[3]

"Díídíí'aͅaͅ tł'óół bitahńt'ií beegóͅzhónégo shikéé' naanách'azhosh."

Dáłdánéí goołndíná'a.

nDídó dá'ághá'íͅlá, Naałdlooshéí."

biłch'indíná'a.

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

said Quail to him.

"You do so too, Coyote."

she said to him.

[_]

(6.3) Linguistic Notes

The literal translation of the first line of this passage is as follows: "'This / rope / that which is strung between them / it being well by means of it / after me / they are going about here and there,' / Quail / she said to him, it is said."