Turtle, Buffalo, and Coyote by Bertha Provost.

The transcript on this page contains the Wichita lines, the free translations, and mp3 sound clips corresponding to each line in the transcript.
You can press on the sound bars to hear the sound clip for any given line.

Note 1: The original written transcript has been slightly modified so that the back returns are located in a way
that correlates better with the natural pauses in the stream of speech.

Note 2: The self-repairs that the speaker makes in the process of telling the story will be heard in the sound file but
are not indicated in the written transcript.

00.	a.	ka:ʔa:ʔa:kó:kha:rʔa	kíkʔi:s	khiʔas	kiyakihiteʔecaki
	b.	Once upon a time	turtle	poor thing	he was sitting at the edge, they say.
01.	a.	pause
	b.	pause
02.	a.	kiya:kiʔi:khíyaʔa	hakihiʔiyaskwah.
	b.	he was wishing, they say	to go across the water.
03.	a.	"ka:kiyaʔ	isí:ʔa!	iskirhiʔiyaskwa!"
	b.	Somebody	come!	Take me across the water!
04.	a.	ka:ʔa:ʔa:kíhi:ʔiké:sʔa	né:rhirʔa
	b.	then along down in came	buffalo
05.	a.	a:ko:kʔa	"a::h	neʔewá:r!
	b.	He said,	"Hey,	friend!
	a.	é:kiriʔ	ha:waʔ	nasí:wakharakʔas ?"
	b.	"What	then	are you talking about?"
06.	a.	"tatí:ʔikhiyaʔa	hakihiʔiyaskwah,"
	b.	"I am wishing	to cross the water,"
07.	a.	a:ko:kʔa.
	b.	he said.
08.	a.	"tiʔrih	híriʔ	iskiteʔe:ki
	b.	"Here	then	sit on top
09.	a.	nackwi:rʔicʔírih ,"
	b.	Where my shoulder is,"
10.	a.	a:ko:kʔa	né:rhirʔa.
	b.	said	Buffalo.
11.	a.	a:ko:kʔa	kíkʔi:s	"kíriʔ!
	b.	said	turtle,	"No!
12.	a.	keʔesawi:rʔictakwi;	keʔeskiha:hanniwihi."
	b.	You will shake your shoulder;	You will throw me into the water."
13.	a.	"háʔwi:ʔ	híriʔ	natí:ʔarihkiteʔerʔí:ʔarikírih
	b.	"Okay,	then	Where my horns stick out on top
	a.	harah	isteʔerhí:kawa."
	b.	There	go into the brush.
14.	a.	a:ko:kʔa,	"kíriʔ !	á::h,	kíriʔ!
	b.	He replied,	"No!	Oh,	No!
15.	a.	keʔesé:cʔiriyari	hinníʔ	keʔeskiha:hanniwihi."
	b.	You will shake your head	and	You will throw me into the water
16.	a.	"á::h,	ti:ctawi::ʔi!
	b.	"Oh,	it's hard!
17.	a.	háʔwi:ʔ,	híriʔ,	iskawa,
	b.	Ok,	then,	go in
18.	a.	natíriʔiskirikʔírih."
	b.	where my anus is."
19.	a.	hiriwaʔ	na:hissah	harah	a:kikawa.
	b.	Then	going,	there	he went into it.
20.	a.	hiriwaʔ nakhissah	harah	waʔ	naka:ʔicakih
	b.	then going in,	there	now	sitting inside
21.	a.	a:kihiʔiyaskwa.
	b.	he went across the water.
22.	a.	hiriwaʔ	nahité:tiskih	nahiʔiyassissah,
	b.	Then	when he was getting onto the bank	after crossing the water
23.	a.	"haʔawí:ro:ʔ	é:ka:ʔ	hiriwaʔ
	b.	"Okay, then	now where (is it)	then
	a.	kiyakí:ctawi::ʔi	hiriwaʔ	hako:citih.
	b.	It was hard for him	then	to get out.
24.	a.	a:kiʔírakhann	kíkʔi:s	á:kiwicka:ʔa,
	b.	Suddenly,	turtle	thought,
25.	a.	"tiʔi	híriʔ	ickaʔac!"
	b.	"this	then	let me eat it!"
	a.	ka:kiriʔáre:rʔi	nakaʔacskih	nako:ke:hárih.
	b.	He didn't know what it was	that he was eating	deep inside him.
26.	a.	chiʔá:kiʔi:rakhárisʔí:ʔ
	b.	All at once
27.	a.	né:rhirʔa	a:ki:weʔehi,
	b.	Buffalo	fell over,
28.	a.	a:ki:weʔehi.
	b.	fell over.
29.	a.	hiriwaʔ	kíkʔi:s	wéraʔ
	b.	then	turtle	maybe
	a.	nakaʔacskih	harah	a:kó:citi.
	b.	while he was eating	there	he went out.
30.	a.	nawacitiskih,	kiyaki:cíwa:cé:rhirʔasʔirhawi.
	b.	After he went out,	there was the big buffalo lying there.
31.	a.	hiriwaʔ	no:kʔáskih	á:kihirʔa:hi.
	b.	then	saying	he stopped
32.	a.	"á::ʔ	ka:kiye	isa:cta:haraʔa !
	b.	"Hey!	Somebody	bring your knife!
33.	a.	ka:kiye	a:cí:ré:ta:haraʔa
	b.	somebody	bring your knife
34.	a.	a:cí:ré:rhirʔastariyari	tariyari!
	b.	Butcher the buffalo!	butcher!
35.	a.	tariyari!"
	b.	butcher!
36.	a.	a:kiʔí:rakhann
	b.	Suddenly
37.	a.	kʔíta:ks
	b.	Coyote
38.	a.	ka:ʔa:ʔa:kiriya:sʔa.	"é:si:ʔ	há:waʔ	neʔewá:rʔ"
	b.	along came the old one.	"What is (the matter)	then	friend?"
39.	a.	"e:h!	tata:cta:rhaskis;
	b.	"Oh!	I have killed me a buffalo;
40.	a.	ka:kiriʔ	ʔatí:ʔi	hiriwaʔ	hakitariyarih."
	b.	nothing	I have it	with it	to butcher him
41.	a.	a:ko:kʔa	kʔíta:ks	"haʔwi:ʔ.
	b.	said	Coyote	"OK.
	a.	ita:ceʔí:riye:sʔakhi:wa,	hinniʔ
	b.	Let me go after my children first,	and
42.	a.	hinni::ʔ
	b.	and ...
43.	a.	kiʔictariyari."
	b.	afterwards, let me butcher."
44.	a.	"haʔwi:ʔ"
	b.	"OK."
45.	a.	hiriwa:ʔ	na:hissah
	b.	then	he was going
46.	a.	(hinniʔ)	í:kaʔakire:ʔí:tariyari
	b.	(and)	they two had butchered first.
47.	a.	kʔíta:ks	wéraʔ	hasʔa:ʔákicita:heʔeh.	a:kiriwá:::::cʔarasʔí:rʔari:k
	b.	coyote	must	he had his knife with him.	He piled up a great big amount of meat.
48.	a.	hiro:ʔ	kʔíta:ks	á:ko:kʔa	"haʔwi:ʔ ;
	b.	then	Coyote	said,	"OK;
	a.	ití:ceʔé:rhi:wa	nati:ʔakʔih	hinniʔ	niye:s	natí:kih."
	b.	Let me first go after her	my wife	and	child	my plural."
49.	a.	ka:ʔ	híriwaʔ	niʔírhissah	kʔíta:ks
	b.	So	then	going off	Coyote
	a.	na:hissah	é::h,	ka:kiyáki:his.
	b.	going along	Oh,	he was going along, far away.
50.	a.	a:kiʔí:rakhánn	híriwaʔ	ha:waʔ
	b.	Suddenly	then	too
	a.	wéraʔ	na:ciriye:sʔakhirʔí:raskih.
	b.	I guess	he found his children.
51.	a.	ti:ʔ	a:ʔákire:wa:r
	b.	At once	he set to work
52.	a.	kíkʔi:s.	hinniʔ	wá:cʔarʔa
	b.	turtle.	and	Squirrel
53.	a.	a:ko:kʔa,
	b.	said
54.	a.	"é:kiriʔ	há:waʔ,	neʔewá:rʔ"	kiyakiriwa:cá:hkwi
	b.	"What (is it)	then,	friend?"	There was a big tree
	a.	hassiya:rhiʔí:rika:wih
	b.	with a branch hanging down over
55.	a.	nare:he:hárih.
	b.	where the creek is.
56.	a.	"tatí:ʔi:khíyaʔa	tiʔi	ʔaras	hatakiccare:hih."
	b.	"I want	this	meat	for me to put mine up on top."
	a.	a:ko:kʔa	ko-
	b.	said
57.	a.	wa:cʔarʔa,	"haʔwiʔ.	itactate:ti."	wa:cʔarʔa
	b.	Squirrel	"OK.	Let me help you."	Squirrel
	a.	kiya:kiriwa:c-ʔarasarikitaʔahí:riks	niya:hkwírih.
	b.	He brought the big quantity of meat up to the top, repeatedly	where the tree is.
58.	a.	pause
	b.	pause
59.	a.	hí::raka:h	a:kiriwa:cʔárascare:hi.
	b.	Far off	he put the big quantity of meat on top.
	a.	híriwa:ʔ	kʔíta:ks	na:ʔaskih
	b.	then	Coyote	coming
60.	a.	niye:s	kiyako:khátataʔariki	hinniʔ	naré:ʔakʔih.
	b.	child	they were following	and	his wife
61.	a.	nachissʔaskih
	b.	when they arrived
	a.	í:ya:h!	ká:kiriʔ	kiyaki:ʔi.	"é:h!
	b.	Oh! My!	nothing	there was.	"Oh!
	a.	ká:kiriʔ	wati:ʔi	é:ka:ʔ wéraʔ
	b.	nothing	there is left	I wonder where he is?
	a.	té:riya:h	icihirʔí:rasih!
	b.	He better watch out	if I find him!
62.	a.	néʔaʔ kiyaki:cha:ris	kʔíta:ks.
	b.	he was growing angry	Coyote
63.	a.	khiʔas
	b.	poor
64.	a.	niye:s	nire:rʔih	khiʔaski:kihanteʔerʔas
	b.	child	the plural	poor ones were licking the ground
	a.	wa:cka:riksʔa	na:ckitawa:hah.
	b.	blood clots	those scattered around.
65.	a.	a:kiʔí:rakhann	a:kiʔickhité:s	nare:he:hárih
	b.	Suddenly	he peeked over the edge	of the creek
66.	a.	niya:rhiʔi:rika:wírih.	wéraʔ	chiyaré:sirih
	b.	Where the branch hung down over it.	It seemed	in plain sight
67.	a.	kirikiyakirhare:sʔi,	hinniʔ
	b.	They were deep in the water,	and
	a.	hi:ríka:ʔ	i:ye:h	akwithaʔ.
	b.	way off	all the time they were	above.
68.	a.	"há:riʔ	iskiriheʔecaki!	hí:raka:h
	b.	"He	is sitting in water!	way off
	a.	iskirihí:keʔecaki!"	niye:s	nire:rʔih.
	b.	he is sitting down in!"	child	[it was] the plural.
69.	a.	"té:riya:h!"
	b.	"He better watch out;"
	a.	a:ʔákiciye:sʔakwa:ri,	"háʔwi:ʔ
	b.	He told his children,	"OK.
	a.	ika:ʔ	tiʔi	hiʔiski:cikiwiki
	b.	rock	this	you all tie it around my neck
	a.	hinniʔ	hiʔiskiha:hanniwihi.
	b.	and	throw me in the water.
	a.	ha:rí:h	hárah	keʔeckwisskwa	naheʔecakírih."
	b.	where he is	there	I will go + arrive	where he is sitting in the water."
70.	a.	(háʔwi:ʔ)	í:ʔí:h!	ikaʔaki:cíwa:cʔika:rikiwiki.
	b.	(OK)	Oh! Alas!	They put a big rock around his neck.
71.	a.	a:ʔákiciye:sʔakwa:ri,
	b.	He told his children,
72.	a.	"ha:s	ʔata:cʔa	wahácshiceʔerʔáskih
	b.	"if	manure	when they come to the surface
	a.	wahí:cshiceʔeriya:skih
	b.	When they are floating around
	a.	keʔesa:kʔi:kha:rʔ
	b.	You will know
73.	a.	né:rhirʔaská:hkaks
	b.	the buffalo intestine
74.	a.	waʔaracackaʔaskih	hinniʔ	issiriʔ
	b.	They have been cut open	and	that kind
	a.	ke:ʔiki	né:rhirʔasʔata:cʔa."
	b.	they will be	buffalo manure."
75.	a.	haʔwi:ʔ
	b.	OK.
76.	a.	híriwa:ʔ	hiri:cʔika:ríkiwiskih	hinni,	hiraha:hanniwiskih
	b.	then	They, tying a rock around his neck	and	throwing him in the water
77.	a.	khiʔas	wéraʔ	a:kihí:ko:teʔes
	b.	poor thing	I guess	he drowned
78.	a.	kíkʔi:s
	b.	Turtle
79.	a.	hinniʔ	wá:cʔarʔa,
	b.	and	Squirrel
80.	a.	"hí:ró:h!	ariya:cʔiʔássi:sha:hanniwih!	ariya:ciʔiʔassi:ssiyakʔaw."
	b.	"Ha! Ha!	They threw their father in the water!	They killed their father!"
81.	a.	pause
	b.	pause
82.	a.	ka:kí:kiciwa:cʔiriki	niye:s	hinniʔ	(ka:hi:kʔa)
	b.	Then they cried greatly	child	and	(woman)
83.	a.	wiʔiyacʔasa:sko:raraʔe:ya:k	ka:khiʔáskiyakiʔicíʔiriki.	hinniʔ	niye:s
	b.	Mrs. Coyote	poor thing was crying	and	child
84.	a.	a:ki:cé:ʔero:ckwa	ni:ckwakhárissah	ni:ri:há:skih.
	b.	They left	going along	mourning
85.	a.	ísaʔ	tikitawisʔi.	ka:ʔa:wakhárʔas
	b.	thus	it is that way.	There are times
86.	a.	kʔíta:ks	í:ri:ha:ss
	b.	coyote	they mourn
87.	a.	híriwa:ʔ	hi:wasʔa	ní:ʔi	keʔiyákicʔíʔassi:shí:ko:teʔesíkih.
	b.	Then	the very ones	they are	who drowned their father, they say.