Ve'ho'e and the Coyote
told by Mrs. Charles Whitedirt
PARAGRAPH STYLE
(Note: This interlinear format only aligns sentences; it attempts to align
Cheyenne words with their English translation, but does not do so perfectly,
where naturalness of the English translation would be sacrified. For such
strict alignment, see the numbered clauses format following this paragraph
style. As usual, in the current time period, the Cheyenne word ve'ho'e is
translated as 'whiteman,' rather than with its previous meaning, of 'trickster,'
before encounters with the whiteman.)
Naa vé'ho'e nátâhósémo. Móhna'tónêhéhe. Váotseváhne móhna'hohevóhe.
I'll tell about a whiteman. He killed game. He killed a deer.
Naa nêhe'še mó'ée'oenôhevóhe. Móstâhpé'o'âsénâhnêhéhe ma'táá'e.
And then he skinned it. He built a big fire in the timber.
Móhma'xêhonóhtôhéhe honoo'o.
He made a big roast.
Naa nêhe'še tséhnêšenávâhonónêse móxho'êháa'hahanéhe.
And then the wind came up while he was roasting.
Tséohkêhešenéstónévá'xévôse ôhtotóeveóe'tovâhtsévosêstse (hoóhtseto)
The way they made a noise whenever (the trees) rub(bed?) against each other
móhnêhešenéstoneva'xêhevóhe.
that's the way they sounded.
"Náxaepéosemää'e tséhetósêhešê-hotoo-," móxhetôhevóhe néhe hoóhtseto.
"They bug me," he referred to the trees.
Naa móstae'evonêhnêhéhe. Nêhéóhe móstó'hovêhe'oná'ôhéhe óohtséheta
And then he climbed up. He stuck his hand right there where
hénêhéóhe tséhnéstoneva'xetsêse.
(those trees) were rubbing together making noise.
Móstâhe'konêhotôxáotsêhevóhe, móxho'nóevêho'háeoesta'hatse.
They got stuck where they were crossed, the wind had ceased blowing.
Naa tsé'tóhe ó'kôhóme mónêhmé'ho'eohtsêhéhe. Héne móxhého'êhóhtôhéhe
And then the coyote showed up. He came up to
tséhonóhetse.
where the roast was.
Naa nêhe'še móstatsêhehéhe vé'ho'e, "héne tšêhešêhéstó'e
And then the whiteman said, "That one on the side
onónôtse, mesêstse," móxhetôhevóhe.
take it out of the fire, eat it," he told him.
Héne móstaonónôhéhe. Nonó'hónó'e
He (coyote) took that out. He kept
móstamá'seonónôhetsêhéhe.
taking (the roast) out until he got all of it out of the fire.
"Hápó'e héne náto'semese," mó'ôhtaohkêhetôhevóhe.
"I'm going to eat that piece," he tried to tell him.
Oóxésta móxheše'hanâhéhe. Tséstaéšemá'semâhéestotsêse
(The coyote) kept eating. After he ate it all
móstanótseévavó'hoveotsêhevóhe tsé'tóhe mé'êškemáhne/(hoóhtseto).
the trees came apart.
Móhne'anôhevonêhnêhéhe. (E)hma'xenéhovósesto. Naa
He (whiteman) then climbed down. He chased him all over. And
tósa'e hešééše hó'hamose móššéešenâhéhe šéenëva.
somewhere in the sun on the hillside he (coyote) was lying on the sandrocks.
Móhma'xetâhpé'âsévo'enôhehéhe.
He had a big belly from eating so much.
Móxho'êhótôhevóhe.
He (whiteman) came up to him.
"Nóxa'e /(táaxa'e), naa náme'tatónêše'tóvosêstse? Hó'taoömo
"Wait, well, what shall I do with him? If I hit him
naa mato hó'tâháemo náme'taonâháxêhestsenaëho," móxhehéhe.
or if I startle/scare him I might cause him to be bloodshot/bruised," he said.
Naa nêhe'še mó'éxo'âsénâhnêhéhe, (mós)tâhpé'o'âsénâhnêhéhe.
And then he started a fire, he made a big bonfire.
Móxxaetšêšêhe'kenéše'hahtánôhevóhe. Móstaméhaasé'a'hamôhevóhe ho'êstáva.
He quietly grabbed both of his legs. He tried to throw him into the fire.
Móstao'omeká'a'xêhéhe néhe ó'kôhóme. Móxôhtaévâhósenéhovôhevóhe.
The coyote jumped over the fire. He (whiteman) tried to chase him again.
Móhvoné'ôxévaenaehevóhe tséohkêhešêhoháohtsétsévévôse ó'kôhoméheo'o.
(The coyote) eluded him as coyotes are very cunning/sly.
Hena'háanéhe.
That's it/the end.
-----
Notes: This text was transcribed from tape, with the help of a native speaker,
on August 7, 1984. The helper was very familiar with this story, and her
interpolations or alternate wordings are found within parentheses.
Paragraphing is based on Wayne Leman's guesses.
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Title: Ve'ho'e and the Coyote
Told by: Mrs. Charles Whitedirt
(diacritics are omitted.)
NUMBERED CLAUSES FORMAT
\Cheyenne:Ve'ho'e and the Coyote
\English
1 Naa ve'ho'e natahosemo.
and whiteman I'll tell about him.
2 Mohna'tonehehe.
He killed game.
3 Vaotsevahne mohna'hohevohe.
A deer (obv) he killed.
4 Naa nehe'še mo'ee'oenohevohe.
And then he skinned it.
5 Mostahpe'o'asenahnehehe ma'taa'e.
He built a big fire in the woods.
6 Mohma'xehonohtohehe honoo'o.
He roasted a roast.
7 Naa nehe'še tsehnešenavahononese moxho'ehaa'hahanehe.
And then while he was roasting the wind arrived.
8 Tseohkehešenestoneva'xevose ohtotoeveoe'tovahtsevosestse
The way the make a noise whenever they rub together
(hoohtseto) mohnehešenestoneva'xehevohe.
(trees) that's how they sounded.
9 "Naxaepeosemaa'e tsehetoseheše-hotoo-,"
They bug me as (?) thusly continually-HESITATION
moxhetohevohe nehe hoohtseto.
he said about them those trees (obv)
10 Naa mostae'evonehnehehe.
And he climbed down.
11 Neheohe mosto'hovehe'ona'ohehe oohtseheta heneheohe
There he stuck his hand between right there ? there
tsehnestoneva'xetsese.
where they were making noise.
12 Mostahe'konehotoxaotsehevohe,
They got stuck where they were crossed,
moxho'noeveho'haeoesta'hatse.
the wind had ceased blowing.
13 Naa tse'tohe o'kohome monehme'ho'eohtsehehe.
And this coyote showed up.
14 Hene moxheho'ehohtohehe tsehonohetse.
That (roast) he came to it what was roasted.
15 Naa nehe'še mostatsehehehe ve'ho'e, "hene
and then he said whiteman, "That one
tšehešehesto'e ononotse,
which is on on the side (?) take it out (of the fire),
mesestse," moxhetohevohe.
eat it," he told him (obv).
16 Hene mostaononohehe.
That (INAN) he took it out.
17 Nono'hono'e mostama'seononohetsehehe.
More and more he completely took it out.
18 "Hapo'e hene nato'semese," mo'ohtaohkehetohevohe.
"Likewise that I'm going to eat it," he tried to tell him.
19 Ooxesta moxheše'hanahehe.
Kept on he thusly ate.
20 Tsestaešema'semaheestotsese mostanotseevavo'hoveotsehevohe
After he finished swallowing it all they came apart
tse'tohe me'eškemahne/(hoohtseto).
these box elders/(trees).
21 Mohne'anohevonehnehehe.
He (whiteman) climbed down.
22 (E)hma'xenehovosesto.
He chased him (obv) all over.
23 Naa tosa'e hešeeše ho'hamose
And somewhere in the sun on the hillside
moššeešenahehe šeeneva.
he (coyote) was lying on the sandrocks.
24 Mohma'xetahpe'asevo'enohehehe.
He had a big belly from eating so much.
25 Moxho'ehotohevohe.
He (whiteman) came up to him.
26 "Noxa'e, /(taaxa'e), naa name'tatoneše'tovosestse?
"Wait, (let's see), and what should I do with him?
27 Ho'taoomo naa mato ho'tahaemo
If I hit him and also if I startle him
name'taonahaxehestsenaeho," moxhehehe.
I might cause him to be bloodshot," he said.
28 Naa nehe'še mo'exo'asenahnehehe, (mos)tahpe'o'asenahnehehe.
And then he started a fire, he made a big fire.
29 Moxxaetšešehe'keneše'hahtanohevohe.
He quietly grabbed both of his (obv) legs.
30 Mostamehaase'a'hamohevohe ho'estava.
He tried to throw him (obv) into the fire
31 Mostao'omeka'a'xehehe nehe o'kohome.
He jumped over (the fire) this coyote.
32 Moxohtaevahosenehovohevohe.
He (whiteman) tried to chase him (obv) again.
33 Mohvone'oxevaenaehevohe tseohkehešehohaohtsetsevevose
He (obv) eluded him the way they are very cunning
o'kohomeheo'o.
coyotes.
34 Hena'haanehe.
That's it (=the end).
Copyright 1997
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