Nahx-k'iq'os-na:diwul (Two-neck)
told by Oscar Brown
June, 1902
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 162
- minilohts
- Owl
- ts'isday
- lived there.
- ['ehs-ch'ina:wh]
- swimming deer
- dahya:na'wing'ay
- sitting.
Owl used to kill deer by driving them into the river and then sitting between their horns until they landed.
- na:na[']k'ide:lo:s
- he made ready the pack
- mił
- then
- nahx-k'iq'os-na:diwul
- Two-neck
- ch'ite'ina:wh
- used to come along.
- xong
- he
- ye:
- instead
- ya[']k'iwiwh-e:
- used to carry it away.
When he had the meat dressed and packed up ready to carry home, Two-neck used to come along and carry it off for himself.
- mine:jixomił
- after a time
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'iningyay
- came along
- 'a'de:ne'
- said,
- k'iłixun
- venison
- do:-xole:n
- all gone?"
One day Coyote came to Owl's house and said, "Why have you no venison?"
- xoł me:ne:me:n
- with him he landed.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'inehsday
- was sitting
- ming-xw 'a:na:xowilaw
- for him ready for a fight.
The next morning when Owl landed with his deer, Coyote was sitting in the brush ready to fight.
- na:na[']k'ide:lo:s
- he had fixed the load
- mił
- then
- ch'iningyay
- came
- nahx-k'iq'os-na:diwul
- Two-neck.
As soon as the load was ready Two-neck came along as usual.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ya[']wing'a:
- sitting
- hay
- That
- ch'e[']ningya:-te:-ne'in
- was going to come out
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote,
- do:-heh ch'e[']ningyay
- he did not come out.
Coyote, from his place in the brush, saw what sort he was and decided not to come out.
- k'e[']niłchwit
- he had pushed it
- mił
- then
- ninch'ing'
- toward the ground
- me:na[']niłchwit
- he pushed it back.
- xong
- He
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a'de:ne'
- said
- xa'a[']xo:leh-ne'
- he should do that.
As Owl was lifting it up he suddenly pushed it back toward the ground.
- minilohts
- Owl
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- na:'awht'ing
- am I doing?"
"Well, what am I doing?" said Owl.
*Owl pretends he is absent minded.
- ya[']k'ingwe:n-e:
- he had carried it off
- mił
- then
- minilohts
- Owl
- ch'iningyay
- came to
- hay
- the
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ya[']wing'a:-ne'in-ding
- had been sitting place.
When Two-neck had carried it off, Owl came to the place where Coyote had been lying in wait.
- xa:na:'usdiyay
- he went back up.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'ungya'
- (Owl) saw
- xong'
- fire
- mina:na:k'ide:lq'ay'
- sitting with one leg each side.
When Owl got back to his house he found Coyote sitting with his legs stretched each side of the fire.
- minilohts
- Owl
- 'a'de:ne'
- said,
- ning
- "You,
- 'uniłde:ne'
- I told you,
- me:tsah 'un ch'ixosin
- he is a terrible fellow."
"Don't you remember? I told you he was a terrible fellow," said Owl.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- yisxun-de'
- "Tomorrow
- xose:sehłwin-te:
- I will kill him."
"Well, I will kill him to-morrow," said Coyote.
- xoł
- with him
- minilohts
- Owl
- ['ehs-ch'ina:wh]
- a deer
- me:ne:me:n
- landed.
The following morning Owl brought another deer to land.
- na:na[']k'ide:lo:s
- he had made the load
- mił
- then
- nahx-k'iq'os-na:diwul
- Two-neck
- ch'e[']ningyay
- came out.
When the load was ready, Two-neck came along.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ya[']wing'a:
- was sitting
- ming-xw 'a:na:xowilaw
- for him ready to fight.
Coyote was watching ready to fight.
- nahx-k'iq'os-na:diwul
- Two-neck
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- xa'
- "Come,
- k'iłchwit
- push it."
"Come lift the load on my back," said Two-neck.
- minilohts
- Owl
- k'e[']niłchwit
- lifted it up
- mił
- then
- ninch'ing'
- toward the ground
- me:na[']niłchwit
- pushed it back
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'e:ch'ilto'n
- jumped out.
- ła'ay-xw
- really
- na[']nehłwa:tł'
- he struck
- hay
- the
As Owl was lifting it up he jerked it back. Coyote jumped out and struck the monster where his neck was crotched.
- ła'ay-xw
- Really
- ya:lto'n-e:
- jumped off.
- łe:na:k'ildiwhot'
- it grew back on.
The heads fell off but jumped back again.
- tł'ohtse'
- A sedge
- mixa:
- after
- dahch'idiwilła:t
- he ran,
- hay
- it
- mił
- with
- ya'xohsme:tł'
- he whipped him.
Then he ran to the river and got a sedge and whipped him with that.
- ya:ya[']k'inge:n
- they packed up
- xa:ya[']k'iswe:n
- they carried it.
Owl and Coyote carried the meat home.
- hijit
- Then
- ya[']k'iwingya'n
- they ate.
- haya:ł
- And
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- keh
- "Well
- na:wha:
- I will walk."
When they had eaten, Coyote said, "Well, I am going to walk down the river a way."
- ch'itehsyay
- he went
- ch'iqa:l
- walking
- yide'
- down river.
- ye:w
- In the distance
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- yida:ch'ing
- from down river
- ch'iqa:l-e:
- walking along
- tsumehstł'o:n
- a woman.
As Coyote was walking along he saw a woman coming towards him.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'inehł'e'n
- looked.
- hay
- That
- xokya'
- her dress
- sa:k'iding-'ungya'
- he saw with surprise
- k'iq'ah
- deer-fat
- xokya'
- her dress.
On looking closer he was surprised to see that her dress was of deer fat.
- sa:k'iding-'ungya'
- He saw with surprise
- xixe:x*
- boys
- dunłungwho'
- several
- sida:
- sitting.
Several boys were sitting there.
*A plural.
**Compare p. 149 [Near the end of Text II, Xaxo:wilwatL, Dug-from-the-ground].
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- xolung sahwinde'n-e:
- are all gone?"
"Where are they all gone?" asked Coyote.
- 'a:ya[']diwe:ne'
- they said,
- xutł'e'-dung'
- "This morning
- yinuq
- up
- ch'itehsyay
- went
- hay
- that
- k'iwingxoya:n
- old man.
- do: 'ungya' na:'indiyay-e:
- he has not come back yet.
"This morning the old man went up the valley and has not come back yet.
- 'a:yayxołdiwe:ne'
- they said,
- nide:sina:wh 'ung
- "Didn't you meet her?"
Didn't you meet her?" they said.
- ła'ay-xw
- really
- xoq'it
- on him
- dahxo:ng'a:n
- they jumped.
- hayah
- There
- k'iłch'ixa:nyay
- they fought.
Then they attacked him and there was a fight.
- xoh
- in vain
- de[']de'imil
- he pushed them in the fire.
- tahna:xo:'awh
- They jumped out.
Over and over again he pushed them into the fire only to see them jump out again.
- yiwiding-hit-'ung'
- Finally
- ch'ite:ch'it
- he was worn out.
- 'a:ya:ydiwe:ne'
- they said,
- do:-xoling
- you can't
- nohsiłwe:
- kill."
- nohkyung-sa'a:n
- hearts
- ye:w
- way up
- min'-tsida'
- smoke hole
- k'iwidchwoq'-e
- are strung on a line."
When he was nearly dead with the exertion, they said, "You can't kill us, our hearts hang in a row there in the smoke-hole."
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ya[']wilto'n
- jumped up
- mixa:
- after
- hay ya:-
- their
- mikyunsa'a:n
- hearts.
- de[']diwime:tł'
- he threw in the fire
- hay ya:-
- their
- mikyunsa'a:n
- hearts.
Then Coyote jumped up, got their hearts, and threw them in the fire.
- hayah
- there
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- k'iwinya'n
- ate.
- ła'ay-xw
- Really
- k'iłixun
- venison.
- hayah
- there
- ch'iwinda'
- he stayed.
- ch'inehłya:n
- He ate up
- 'aht'ing
- all
A great quantity of venison was stored in the house and Coyote stayed until he had eaten it all.
- na[']tehsdiyay
- he went home
- na:yinuq
- back up
- minilohts
- Owl
- xoch'ing'
- toward,
- xwa:xun[']
- for whom
- łe[']diwiliw
- he had killed several.
Then he went back to see Owl for whom he had killed so many.
- na:'ndiyay
- he got
- hay
- where
- minilohts
- Owl
- sa:k'iding-'ungya'
- He saw with surprise
- xontah
- house
- miq'it
- on top
- xa:na:k'ixo:lda'a'
- grown over with grass.
When he got to the house he was surprised to see grass growing all over the roof.
- 'ungya'
- he heard
- ming'-king[']-xw
- back of the house
- na[']k'ixusdinah-ts'iw
- someone moving.
After a little he heard a noise outside.
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- xa'uleh
- "Do that."
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'ite:'e'n
- looked
- no:na:witse:-ch'ing'
- toward the doorway.
"That is right," said Coyote, looking toward the door through which he fancied someone was about to come in.
- yiwiding-hit
- finally
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ch'e[']ningyay
- went out.
- xoh
- In vain
- ch'ite:te:'e'n
- he looked around.
Finally he went out and looked around.
- milay'
- on top
- xa[']k'iswe:n
- he had carried it
- hijit
- then
- hayah
- there
- k'iłixun
- venison
- k'iwilme:ch
- he boiled.
When he got up with it, his wife began to boil some venison.
- xoch'ing'
- Toward him
- ya'awh-e:
- he held it out
- mił
- then
- 'a:ya[']xołch'ide:ne'*
- they said,
- jo'
- "Take it,
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote,
- de:t
- this
- k'ingyung
- eat,
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote."
Holding out a piece Owl said," Take it. Coyote, eat it."
*The change in number brings Mrs. Owl into the story.
- haya:ł
- And
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- xoh
- in vain
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,"
- na:nahdił
- Come down."
"Come down," said Coyote, but they would not.
- yiwiding-hit
- Finally
- xoh
- in vain
- ya[']xong'its
- he shot.
- do:-heh ya:xoch'in' te'ixis
- It did not to them reach.
Then Coyote tried to shoot them, but he could not hit them.
- haya:ł
- And
- minilohts
- Owls
- 'a:ya[']de:ne'
- said,
- jo'
- "Take
- de:t
- this,
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote,
- k'ingyung
- eat it."
All the time the Owls kept saying, "Here, Coyote, take this, eat it."
- łah-xw ya[']xono:'aw
- They fooled him.
They were only fooling him.
- yiwiding-hit-'ung'
- Finally
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- minilohts
- "Owls
- 'a:whohlah
- you have treated me."
Finally Coyote said, "Owls you may become since you have treated me so badly."
- de:di-de:
- The truth was
- xontehł-taw
- Coyote
- ła'
- one
- me:nundiyay
- year
- hay
- that
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought
- ła'
- one
- xwe:lwe:tł'
- night he had stayed.
It happened this way: Coyote thought he had been away only one night but he had really stayed away a whole year.