Kutenai Tales/Coyote and Grizzly Bear

by Franz Boas, Alexander Francis Chamberlain

4. Coyote and Grizzly Bear

Coyote went along. He saw Grizzly Bear's dung, unchewed wild rhubarb. Coyote laughed. Coyote took Grizzly Bear's dung. Coyote hung Grizzly Bear's dung on a pole in a line. He laughed. Coyote started. Grizzly Bear was staying there. He thought: "Let

Qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (his dung) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's,) qaa′qtsx̣ₐne· (not chewed) wu′mʼa·łs. (wild rhubarb.) nʼuma′tsᵢne· (He laughed) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) tsukᵘa′te· (He took) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (his dung) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) ne‵łiłqa·hιtsx̣omu′n·e (He hung it on a pole in a line) k.ła′włas (Grizzly Bear's) aₐʽq!ułʼι′se·s (dung) skι′n·ku·ts·. (Coyote.) nʼuma′tsᵢne·. (He laughed.) ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) sk/i′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) qaosaqa′ₐne· (There staid) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:)

me go (and see) why Coyote is always laughing." Grizzly Bear went there. He saw his dung hanging there. Grizzly Bear became angry. He thought: "Let me go and kill Coyote." Grizzly Bear started. He saw Coyote coming. He thought: "What does Coyote like?" Grizzly Bear thought: "Let me make sisketoon[1] berries." He made sisketoon berries. He staid there. He thought: "I shall bite him right here." Coyote went along. He saw many sisketoon berries. He went there; he ate and spit them out again. Coyote said: "If Grizzly Bear had seen this, what an amount of dung there would be!" Coyote started. Grizzly Bear was angry. He thought: "If I don't bite you!" Coyote went along ahead. Grizzly Bear made choke cherries just at that place. Coyote went there. He ate and spit them out again. Then Coyote started. Then (Grizzly Bear thought): "I shall bite you." Coyote went along ahead. Just there Grizzly Bear made large rose hips. Coyote went there. He saw many rose hips. Then

hułts!ιna′meᵢł ("Let me go) qa′psins (what) sła‵qała‵tᵢyiłʼu′mats (long time laughs) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.") qaox̣a′x̣e· (He went there) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) aₐʽq!u′łʼe·s (his dung) sakiłq!a′nse·. (hanging.) sa·nιłwi′yne· (He became angry) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) hułts!ιna′meᵢł ("Let me go) hułʼu′peᵢł (let me kill) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.") ts!ιna′x̣e· (He started) k.ławła. (Grizzly Bear.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) ska′se· (coming) skι′n·ku·ts·. (Coyote.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) qa′psins ("What) nʼι′nʼe·ns (does he) ktsła′keᵢł (like) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote?") qałwi·′yne· (He thought) k.ła′wła (Grizzly Bear:) hułʼe′ᵢtkιn ("Let me make) sq!υ′m·o. (sisketoon berries.") nʼιtkι′ne· (He made) sq!υ′m·os. (sisketoon berries.) qaosaqa′ₐne·. (He staid there.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) naₐsts ("Here) kutsqaₐkiłʼi′t!x̣a. (I shall bite him.") qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skι′nku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw) yu·naqa′pse·s (many) sq!υ′m·oʼs. (sisketoon berries.) qaox̣a′x̣e· (He went there;) nʼι′kᵢne·ts (he ate and) ła‵matqłax̣wa′ₐte·. (he spit them out again.) qake′ᵢne· (He said) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote:) ła.ιsnakatni′kte·t ("If he had seen this) k.ła′wła (Grizzly Bear,) x̣ma () ła‵akasqantsłaq!ux̣ne′ᵢłe·k. (how big he would have defecated.") ts!ιna′x̣e (He started) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) sa·nιłwi′yne· (He was angry) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qałwi′yne· (He thought:) hułιntsx̣ałqa‵ιt!x̣ₐnι′sᵢne·. ("If I do not bite you.") qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote) u′sʼme·ks. (first.) qaox̣ałʼitkι′ne· (Just there he made) aₐʽke·′łma·k!s (choke cherries) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qaox̣a′x̣e· (He went there) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼι′kᵢne· (He ate) łamatqłax̣wa′ₐte·. (he spit it out again.) ta′x̣as (Then) ts!ιna′x̣e· (he started) skιn·ku·ts. (Coyote.) ta′x̣as (Then) hutsʼιt!x̣anι′sᵢne·. ("I shall bite you.") qa·na′x̣e· (He went along) skι′n·ku·ts (Coyote) u′sʼme·ks. (first.) qaox̣ałʼιtkι′n·e· (There he made) wuq!o·′pe·s[2] (large rose hips (?)) k.ła′wła. (Grizzly Bear.) qaox̣a′x̣e· (He went there) skι′n·ku·ts. (Coyote.) nʼu′px̣ₐne· (He saw)

1. Service berries.
2. Similar to rose hips (q!u′łwa), but larger.