How Coyote and Skunk Killed Elk

	How Coyote and Skunk Killed Elk
	Cahto Language
	from Bill Ray (via Goddard 1909)

Cahto ¹		English Translation ²

Ch'siitcing beesyaa-hit yiichow uulai', noo'tghintaal'-it, jeeschow ghiltcaah yaa'nii		When coyote had climbed up and stood on top of the dance-house, he called elk, they say.
	tc'.s"Ü.tcu^n)---bes.ya.hu^t---y"Ü.tco#---o#.lai^E---no#.t.gu^n.ta.lu^tges.tco#---gu^ltca---ya^E.n"Ü
	Coyote / climbed up when / dance-house / its top, / he stood up when / elk / he called / they say.
Jeeschow niinaa yaa'nii.		Elk came, they say.
	ges.tco#---n"Ü.na---ya^E.n"Ü
	Elk / came / they say.
Lhaan jeeschow yeehniinaa yaa'nii, yiichow-bii'.		Many elk came in, they say, into the dance-house.
	;an)---ges.tco#---ye.n"Ü.na---ya^E.n"Ü---y"Ü.tco#.b"Ü^E
	Many / elk / came in / they say, / dance-house in.
Yiichow deeming' yaa'nii.		The dance-house was full, they say.
	y"Ü.tco#---de#.mu^n)^E---ya^E.n"Ü
	Dance- house / was full / they say.
Slee'lhk'ishtc ninkowilhtiing yaa'nii.		He picked up Skunk, they say.
	sle^E.;.k'u^cts---nu^n.ku#.wu^;.t"Ün)---ya^E.n"Ü
	Skunk / he took up / they say.
Yeehdaa-din nookowilhtiing yaa'nii.		He put him down by the door, they say.
	ye.da.du^n---no#.ku#.wu^;.t"Ün)---ya^E.n"Ü
	By the door / he put him / they say.
Bilhghityiing' kwslee', bit', bilhghityiing' yaa'nii, Slee'lhk'ishtc.		He doctored Skunk's anus, he doctored his belly, they say.
	bu^;.gu^t.yin)---kw.sle^E---bu^t'---bu^;.gu^t.yin)---ya^E.n"Ü---sle^E.;.k'u^cts
	He doctored / his anus, / his belly, / he doctored /they say / skunk.
Daahtaitc s'isdaa yaa'nii.		Grey Squirrel sat there, they say.
	da.taitc---s'u^s.da---ya^E.n"Ü
	Grey squirrel / sat / they say.
Saahchow s'isdaa yaa'nii.		Fisher sat there, they say.
	sa^c.tco#---s'u^s.da---ya^E.n"Ü
	Fisher / sat / they say.
Tc'ghinsii' yaa'nii, Slee'lhk'ishtc.		Skunk farted, they say.
	tc'.gu^n.s"Ü^E---yaa^E.n"Ü---sle^E.;.k'u^cts
	He emitted flatus / they say, / skunk.
Lheenee'haa' tc'nteeghan yaa'nii.		He killed all of them, they say.
	;e.ne^E.ha^E---tc'n.te.ga7n---ya^E.n"Ü
	All / he killed / they say.
Tc'eeghan yaa'nii.		He killed them, they say.
	tc'e.ga7n---ya^E.n"Ü
	He killed / they say.
Tc'ghinsii'd-it tc'nteeghaan yaa'nii.		He killed them when he farted, they say.
	tc'.gu^n.s"Ü^E.du^t---tc'n.te.gan---ya^E.n"Ü
	He emitted flatus when / he killed them / they say.
Ch'siitcing intc'ee'- baang bit'-bilh'aa tc'ghinyaan yaa'nii.		Coyote ate a female deer, entrails and all, they say.
	tc'.s"Ü.tcu^n)---in.tce^E.ban)---bu^t'.bu^;.a---tc'.gu^n.yan---ya^E.n"Ü
	Coyote / deer female / entrails and all / he ate / they say.
Ch'siitcing, "Kwaa'aadiishin- yee," tc'in yaa'nii.		Coyote said, "I called that one," they say.
	tc'.s"Ü.tcu^n)---kwa.a.dic.cin.ye---tc'in---ya^E.n"Ü
	Coyote, / "I called that," / he said / they say.
Jeeschow taist'aats' yaa'nii.		He butchered the elk, they say.
	ges.tco#---tais.t'ats---ya^E.n"Ü
	Elk / they cut up / they say.
"Danshaang'-haa' naa'oonee sht'eeshii'?"		"Who will marry my younger sister?"
	---------------da7n.can).ha^E---na.o#.ne---st'e#.ci^E
	"Who / married / my sister?"
Lheenee'haa' tcaan' uulaa' sliin'.		Each of their hands had become filthy.
	;e.ne^E.ha^E---tca^En---o#.la^E---sl"Ün^E
	All / faeces / his hands / became.
Ch'siitcing teeh-ing teelh'its yaa'nii.		Coyote ran to the creek, they say.
	tc'.s"Ü.tcu^n)---te.hu^n)---te;.^Eu^ts---ya^E.n"Ü
	Coyote / creek to / he ran / they say.
Kwlaa' tc'teetcii yaa'nii.		He washed his hands, they say.
	kw.la^E---tc'.te.tc"Ü---ya^E.n"Ü
	His hands / he washed / they say.
Seelin kwlaa' tc'teetcii yaa'nii.		He washed the blood off his hands, they say.
	se#.lin---kw.la^E---tc'.te.tc"Ü---ya^E.n"Ü
	Blood / his hand / he washed / they say.
Kwsii'ghaa'chow kwsii' tc'istcin yaa'nii.		He made a long-haired wig for his head, they say.
	kw.s"Ü^E.ga^E.tco#---kw.s"Ü^E---tc'is.tcin---ya^E.n"Ü
	His hair long / his head / he made / they say.
Kwsii' wantghilk'ash yaa'nii.		She threw away his wig, they say.
	kw.s"Ü^E---wa7n.t.gu^l.k'a7c---ya^E.n"Ü
	His hair / she threw away / they say.
Kwanlhang.		That is all.
	---------------kwu^n.;a7n)
	All.

₁. Click on highlighted words to search for them in the Dictionary/Lexical database. The top line is in the practical orthography. The middle line is in Goddard's transcription except that "underhook"/"Polish hook" is represented by "subscript left half-ring" ("underhook" is not present in the SIL IPA fonts). The bottom line is Goddard's word-by-word translation, with [occasional additions or emendations by me in square brackets].
₂. Line-by-line translation by me, largely informed by Goddard's translation, but attempting to translate every sentence, and to do so more literally (within the limits of English readability).

Goddard's Translation

Coyote, when he had climbed to the roof of the dance-house, stood and called elk. They came in great numbers and entered the dance-house. The dance-house was full. Coyote placed Skunk by the doorway and began to doctor his belly and anus. Grey-squirrel and Fisher were sitting there. Skunk emitted flatus and killed all the elk. Coyote ate a female deer, entrails and all. "That was the one I called, "he said. They butchered the elk.
"Who of you will marry my sister?" one asked. All were covered with filth. Coyote ran down to the creek and washed the blood from his hands. He made a wig to cover his head. The girl pulled the wig off and threw it away.
That is all.

8/30/99 Sally Anderson using perl version 5.034000