Nihoo3oo and the Ducks

Told by Dickie Moss, October 14, 2003
Transcribed by Andrew Cowell

nehe’  nihoo3oo   he’ihbetoohee              nuhu’  siisiikou’uu.

this    nihoo3oo    he made them dance    these   ducks

“wohei,”  hee3oohok         nuhu’  siisiikou’uu, “heetbetoohe3enee.

  wohei    he said to them   these   ducks             I am going to make you dance

hiikoot  heetno’uusi’oonee.

also       you will close your eyes

heetbetoohe3enee.

I am going to make you dance

tooniikoonookut,             heetniinece’,”  hee3oohok.

whoever opens his eyes   he will die       he said to them

ne’cesisiniibei’it.

then he started to sing

neniiboonoot.

he is singing for them

“hoei’ei   nei’ei   heyeiyei’i  koo’eiyeih;

 [song – no meaning]

tooniikoonookut              heetniinece’.”

whoever opens his eyes   he will die

ceeyowcowohnooni3i,                                he’ih’i3kuu3ee,   he’ihtebe’eikuu3ee.

each time one of them danced past him     he grabbed him   he cut off his head

ceexo’on        he’ihcowohwoohnin,   he’ih’i3kuu3ee,    tebe’eikuu3ee.

another one    he danced past              he grabbed him    he cut off his head

ne’nii’ehceibi’tou’ut.

then he would just toss the head off to the side

‘oh  niiseiht,         he’ih’uu3e’,            nookoo3     he’ihbeteee.

but one of them    over there I guess   to the side   he was dancing

he’ihkoxo’koonook.

he slowly opened his eyes

he’ne’noohowoot  niistooni3                 nehe’ nihoo3oo.

then he saw him    what he was doing   this     nihoo3oo

“‘oeiii  tokohu’!  heetnoo’ooheino’!”

   gee    flee!        he will slaughter us

he’ne’nehbiscesisih’ohu3i’.

then they all started to fly away

noh ne’nih’iisiini. 

and that’s how it was

he’ne’nih’iisee’inoneit               nih’iisciini’itoot                  nehe’   nihoo3oo.

that is how this one knew him   how he was up to no good  this      nihoo3oo

nih’iibi’tebe’eikuu3oot.

he was just cutting their heads off

noh   nee’eesoo’ nuhu’  hoo3itoo.

and    it is thus    this     story

** special thanks to the Wyoming Humanities Council (providing the grant to record the audio files) Hartwell Francis & Andrew Cowell (for recording the narratives), Alonzo Moss Sr. and Andrew Cowell (for transcribing and translating the narratives), and the late Dickie Moss. ***