Illustration of the Method of Recording Indian Languages | Page 6

word "hduze" means to take or _hold one's own;_ and is
most commonly applied to a man's taking a wife, or a woman a
husband. Here it may mean either that one who starts in a wicked
course consorts with others "more wicked than himself," or that he
himself grows in the bad and takes hold of the greater forms of
evil--marries himself to the wicked one.
It will be noted from this specimen of Dakota that there are some
particles in the language which cannot be represented in a translation.
The "do" used at the end of phrases or sentences is only for emphasis
and to round up a period. It belongs mainly to the language of young
men. "Wo" and "po" are the signs of the imperative.
TRANSLATION.
There was a dog; and there was an old woman who had a pack of dried
meat laid away. This the dog knew; and, when he supposed the old
woman was asleep, he went there at night. But the old woman was
aware of his coming and so kept watch, and, as the dog thrust his head
under the tent, she struck him across the face and made a great gash,
which swelled greatly.

The next morning a companion dog came and attempted to talk with
him. But the dog was sullen and silent. The visitor said: "Tell me what
makes you so heart-sick." To which he replied: "Be still, an old woman
has treated me badly." "What did she do to you?" He answered: "An
old woman had a pack of dried meat; this I saw and went for it; and
when it was now far in the night, and I supposed she was asleep, I went
there and poked my head under the tent. But she was lying awake and
cried out: 'Shoo! what are you doing here?' and struck me on the head
and wounded me as you see."
Whereupon the other dog said: "Alas! Alas! she has treated you badly,
verily we will eat up her pack of meat. Call an assembly: call
_Water-mist_ (i.e., rain); call _Bite-off-silently_; call _Strong-neck_;
call _Sharp-knife_." So he invited them all. And when they had all
arrived, he said: "Come on! an old woman has treated this friend badly;
bestir yourselves; before the night is past, the pack of dried meat which
she prizes so much, and on account of which she has thus dealt with
our friend, that we will eat all up".
Then the one who is called _Rain-mist_ caused it to rain, and it rained
all the day through until dark; and the tent was all drenched, and the
holes of the tent-pins were thoroughly softened. Then
_Bite-off-silently_ bit off all the lower tent-fastenings, but he did it so
quietly that the old woman knew nothing of it. Then _Strong-neck_
came and seized the pack with his mouth, and carried it far away.
Whereupon _Sharp-knife_ came and ripped the pack through the
middle; and so, while it was yet night, they ate up the old woman's pack
of dried meat.
Moral.--A common thief becomes worse and worse by attaching
himself to more daring companions. This is the myth.
INDEX.
Conjurers' practice 583 Dog's revenge, a Dakota fable 587 Omaha myth
581 Revenge, A dog's; a Dakota fable 587 Sweat lodges 586

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