The Girl and the Water Spirit, Chiricahua Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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37. The Girl and the Water Spirit
as told by Duncan Belacho
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| 37.1. |
| 37.2. |
| 37.3. |
| 37.4. |
| 37.5. |
 | The Girl and the Water Spirit, Chiricahua Apache Text |  |
37. The Girl and the Water Spirit as told by Duncan Belacho
A girl went after water.
'It'éeké tó há'óóyáná'a.
Tóee ńyáná'a.
Tózisí tóyeehaideesbiͅná'a.
'Ákoo 'iyáahee tábóótíͅná'a.
She arrived at the water hole.
She had started to fill the water bag with water.
Then something had pulled her into the water.[1]
1. há'óóyáná'a 'she went after it'. há- 'for, in order to [get, find]' plus the 3rd person perf. of 'i- |...[hi- perf.]-yá 'one goes away' [act. intr.]. Though I have recorded this combination of 'i- | and the hi- perf. prefix rather consistently as 'óó-, suspect that it should read 'oó- .
2. tóee 'at the water-hole'. Literally: 'at the water'.
3. tábóótíͅná'a 'it had pulled her into the water'. Perf. pass. of tá-0-...[hi- perf.]-d-tee 'to be pulled into the water'. tá- 'into the water' [?]; cf. tó 'water'. The theme: 'to handle an animate being'.
The springs and water courses are believed by the Chiricahua to be inhabited by supernaturals who control them and are responsible for death by drowning. They are reputed to pull under the water those who anger or insult them. But supernatural power and many benefits can be secured from them also
Then they searched for her in vain.
And her grandmother, weeping, walked about near the water.
Then the girl came out to her from inside the water.
'Ákoo 'it'éekéń tághe'shíͅ goch'iͅiͅhaóyáná'a.
'Ákoo ndéłi' biyeeshxashíͅ sizíͅná'a.
'Ákoo 'it'éekéń 'ágoołndíná'a:
And some man stood next to her.
Then the girl spoke thus to her:
Then, the next day, they came back there.
'Ákoo, hiiskáͅgo, 'áee nájíkaná'a.
'Ákoo, tághe'shíͅ, goch'iͅiͅhanáánóodzáná'a.
'Áshíͅ ndédó biyeeshxashíͅ haóyáná'a.
Then, from inside the water, she came out to them again.
And the man also came out next to her.
Then:
'Ákoo:
chindáhóógháͅgo should you be hungry'. chindá 'hunger' plus the 2nd person opt. of ...[hi- perf.]-gháͅ 'to kill several' [act. tr.].
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
1. há'óóyáná'a 'she went after it'. há- 'for, in order to [get, find]' plus the 3rd person perf. of 'i- |...[hi- perf.]-yá 'one goes away' [act. intr.]. Though I have recorded this combination of 'i- | and the hi- perf. prefix rather consistently as 'óó-, suspect that it should read 'oó- .
2. tóee 'at the water-hole'. Literally: 'at the water'.
3. tábóótíͅná'a 'it had pulled her into the water'. Perf. pass. of tá-0-...[hi- perf.]-d-tee 'to be pulled into the water'. tá- 'into the water' [?]; cf. tó 'water'. The theme: 'to handle an animate being'.
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