15_eagles

Wohei, listen carefully.

Wohei nonotee

This is a story that was told...that the old men told us.

heetP ceesey nihP nih'oo3itootP nih'oo3itoonei'ee3i' beh'eihoho'.

I remember, it was my father who told this story.

3oowo' neneenit neisonoo nih'oo3iteet.

The Arapaho were staying here

nih'eeneitoo3i' nuhu' nono'eino';

they used to move camp all about.

nuhu' niiniihi3i'.

They were staying in a big camp.

heeneitP heeneitohP heenentoo3i' bohooyeitee'.

All those who know, the young men, they went hunting,

heniiP hoonoo3oo'o' nuhu' nei'inou'u hecexonoh'oe he'ih'iinoo'eino';

And the old men, the old women, the children, they stayed behind.

noh beh'eihoho' betebihoho' tei'yoonoh'o' nih'iineesiintoo3i'.

Wohei, this one boy went pretty far, way over there to the mountains.

wohei nehe' niiseihit honoh'oe he'ih'iico'onno'o'usee beebei'on hoh'eni'.

That’s when he would bring home eagles - the ones with the white rump, black eagles.

he'ne'nii'iini ce'no'xohoot nii'P nii'eihiiho nooko3onii'eihii wo'teenii'eihii.

“Wohei, “they said to him, “we’re going to warn you.

wohei nih'ii3eihok heetotoubeen.

Don’t...don’t do it anymore.

ciibehP ciibeh'oo3iini.

Just one or two times, that’s okay.

bi'ceesey wo'ei3 niis nii'iini.

Four...four times, once you’re to that point, I don’t know how things will turn out.

yeneiP yeneini'owooteeniini 3ebiini beeto'owunehk noh neihoowee'in cih'iisoho'.

But this young man isn’t listening to them, isn’t listening.

noh nuhu' hecexonoh'oe hiihoowceh'e3tiino' hoowceh'e3tiino'.

He thinks differently.

cei'sooni' heesi3ecoot.

Well, he’s going back to the nest where he can find the eagles.

oei'ee ce'no'useet heeneetohbii'inoot nohuuxone'.

And you see, it’s very steep.

hiikoot henee3nee3iixobeeni'.

He slid down the slope to where a rock was sticking out a little bit, where the nest was.

nihxooko'usi' 3eboowuniihiihi' niitohbeexbis[c]e'ein ho'nookee niitou'u nohuuxono.

He sees something white there.

heeniP nookoohoo3eit hinit.

Maybe the eagles had just hatched.

'oh nii'eihiiho' nihteebe nooxeihi' nih'iiskoohuuxono'.

“Wohei, I’m going to try and get them.”

wohei heetniini neyeihiisiitenou'u hinee.

He’s going to make a rope.

noh nuhu' seenookuu heetniisihoot.

It’s a long way down to the ground there.

coo'ouute' 3eboowuuhu'.

He tied the rope to a tree,

noh hiit hohooti' touku3ee.

and he’s lowering himself downwards with the rope.

ne'eh'oowooceinetit 3ebiihi'.

Now he’s just almost reached it, the nest where the eagles are, and that rope broke.

woow nooxoweeyeih'iteto' nuhu' heetP heetooni3i nii'ehiiho;

???

ne'koxunoo'ooni3 hi'in seenook[uu].

Wohei he was by himself,

wohei ne'[n]iiseiht

and then that rope broke,

ne'koxunoo'ooni3 hi'in.

and there was no way whatsoever for him to get back down to the ground,

noh hiiyohou' toonheeneisP hoowuseet.

so he had to stay with those eagles.

noh ne'niisneniiwoot nuhu' nii'ehiiho.

And their mother, she brought them...brought them rabbits, snakes, various things.

noh huunooninoo he'ih'iino'uxP no'uxotonei'i nookuho siisiiyei heenei'isiihi'.

He ate with them..

he'ihniitoteebee.

Wohei, rainwater, somewhere, a puddle, that’s where he drank.

wohei nuhu' hoosoonec hiit he'iitnei'i coo'oowuse' ne'P he'ne'nih'iitbene'.

That’s how it was.

he'ne'nih'iisiini.

He’s living with them.

nii3neniiwoot.

Finally, these eagles got big.

hohkonee he'ihbeesei3enino nuhu' nii'ehiiho.

He’s not hungry;

hooweesnee;

he’s eating well, even though the meat is totally raw.

nii'bii3iht hoo3e' heesbesooniixoneet

Wohei, these eagles - the two of them - they’re growing up quickly.

wohei niihi'neeniii'oo3i' nuhu' nii'ehiiho' he'ihniisinino.

When they were big, they got feathers, which made them strong.

hei'beesei3eni3i ne'iini wookuuno'ohu3i' huni' nii'tei'eihi3i'.

Then he took them...

he'ih'iinoonoh'oowkuu3ee;

they would shake their feathers, and they flapped their wings.

he'ih'iiP nihi'P nihnoh'oow3e'eneekoohunino.

Now they’re almost ready to fly.

woow heeyeihiise'enou'u3i'.

“Wohei, I’m going to try and hold on,” the young man said,

wohei heetneyei3ihou'u heehehk nehe'.

and he took one by its legs.

ne'iitoniitenoot nuhu' hi'oo3nino.

It shook its feathers,

he'ihnoonoh'oowkuu3ee.

and then it leapt down...

ne'oowceno'oot.

these eagles tried to fly here... where...

noh niih'onii3i' nuhu' nii'ehiiho' hiit heetP.

and they’re slowly descending.

noh nee'eeskoxo'oowo'oo3i';

Right down to the ground.

woow honoot he'ihko'osin.

Then their mother flew to the eagles, her children.

he'ne'cihno'uh'ohut niiP niitei'yooniini nii'ehiiho' huunooninoo.

Then she called to the young man,

ne'eeneti3eit.

it's okay.

hii3eti'.

You’re going to get back down.

heesce'iixoowouuhun.

These children of mine are helping you.

niiteheibeinoni nuhu' netei'yooniiwo'.

They’re doing you a favor.

heniixoniheinoni.

Wohei, I’m going to give you some advice,

wohei heetniiseineebe3en;

kind of as a warning to you.

wootii heetnestoobe3en.

Birds, when you eat them, whatever kind of birds, there’s one part...

nuhu' nii'ehiiho tohuubiibiinoonee toonhee3eihi3i nii'eihii heetniiseti';

Don’t eat it,

ciibehbii3i.

don’t eat it!

ciibeh'iibii3i.

If you eat it, we’ll come for you.

bii3inehk heetcihno'noo3een.

That’s what she said to him.

nee'eesinihii3eit.

Then he went home.

ne'eeckoohut.

Everyone was happy when he got home.

ni'iitP ni'i3ecoonino tohce'no'eeckoohut.

Then he told them where he had been:

ne'oo3itoonoot nih'iitoot.

“the eagles brought me back down.”

cihce'oowuxohu3i' nii'ehiiho'.

Wohei, the way they lived, they killed things for themselves, including turkeys, grouse, various things, pheasants, different sorts of game birds of various types.

wohei ne'[n]iiheniine'etii3i' neneetouhu3i' howoo nuhu' beesceneeno' ceneeno' henei'isiihi' heyookoo3iihiiho' ceece'eseihi3i' cenoho' heenei['isiihi'].

Wohei, I was warned that there’s one thing I can’t eat.

wohei nihnestoobeenoo heetniiseti' neeneihoowuubii3.

If I eat it, then they’ll...they’ll come for me.

bii3inoohok noh heetP heetcihno'nooxu3i'.

Wohei, it happened that the others, since they didn’t know about his one part, they prepared a meal.

wohei ne'nih'iisiini hoonoo3oo'o' tohuucei'inou'u nuhu' huut niiP he'ihbii3wooteenino.

Well...then they fed him,

nihii ne'oxobeit.

and he accidentally ate that part.

'oh he'ihcee3bii3ihiine'.

Aie! I was warned,

'eiyo' nih'iis[nes]toobeenoo;

and now I’ve eaten it.

hehbii3inoo.

“Wohei,” he told his relatives, “You put up a tepee,

wohei nih'ii3oohok nuhu' hiniihei'ino heet3i'ookuutiinee niiinon.

and that’s where I’ll sit.

heetnee'eetoh3i'okunoo.

They’re going to come for me.

heetcihno'nooxu3i'.

And then he went there, into the tepee.

he'ne'niitoot cootihii 3ebciiteit.

In front, everyone is sitting,

heetee 3io'kuutooni';

and they watched him.

he'ih'esoohobe'.

After a little while, well...then two eagles came circling in the air,

he'iicxooyeiniihi' 'oh ne'niisino' nii'ehiiho' he'ih'iinoo'oenih'ohuno'.

and landed nearby.

niithihcowo' hoowko'usi'[i].

Then they went into the tepee :

ne'ciitei3i' niiinone';

that’s how they came for him there.

noh he'eeneisiini hinit noo'noo3eit.

Wohei, now it’s open, that door.

wohei nenee' kooniiteetee' hi'in tecenoo.

The eagles came out.

cihno'oehino' nii'eihii[ho'].

There were three eagles.

he'ihneh'ino' nii'eihiiho'.

Then they flew away:

ne'ce3ih'ohu3i'.

they took him away.

ce3xoheit.

That’s it.

hi'in nenee'.

Things can be done four times.

niiyeintoowooheihiinoo' heeyouhuu.

If you go beyond this, then its dangerous.

cebe'eitiinehk ne'nestoonoo'.

That’s what the old men said.

ne'nih'ii3i' nuhu' beh'eihoho'.

Wohei, then when this young man, this child...because he didn’t listen [5] and he wanted to go out on his own...that’s where its dangerous.

wohei ne'nii'P howoo nuhu' hecexonoh'oe tei'yoonehe', tohuuciiceh'e3tiit, niiheniini beneetP, ne'P ne'niitneenestoonoo'.

Maybe that’s still the way it is.

nooxeihi' noosounee'eesoo'.

We still have wisdom and power.

noosouniinii3iyeino'.

We still live according to our customs.

noosouniine'etiino' hi'in heitootonouyoonin.