368       THE (pBGlKA LANGUAGE—MTTHS, STOEIES, AND LETTEES.
 

TEANSLATION.

Some Dakotas had camped. At length the chief's son had wandered off to hunt.
Behold, when it was night, a man came back to tell the news. Calling the chief by
name, he said, "In that land they have killed your son." And the chief, having gone
out of doors, sent a crier at once, saying as follows: "Ye young Dakotas who have
always desired to be stout-hearted, I desire to see my son this very night. Go after him
for me. K you bring him back, I will give you a very swift horse, also a mule." All
the Dakotas hesitated, because they feared to see the corpse. Aud one Dakota, who,
perhaps, was stout-hearted, thought, "Let me see! I will go after it." And he went
after it. Tet he did not think, "When I arrive there I shall fear to see him!" At
length, when he arrived there, he was very much afraid. And still he touched it. At
length, when he was carrying it back, the body was constantly falling off the horse
which he made carry it. He was crying all the while, as he feared to carry it to the
tents. When it fell again and again, he thought, " If I go back without it, I am afraid
that they would laugh at me," so he wished to take it back. Notwithstanding it fell,
he took it up and made the horse carry it. And when he reached the tents with it, the
chief gave him the horse and luule. Eeferring to his having brought the corpse back,
he said, "Though the deeds of others have been difficult to perform, 1 have done a deed
which was exceedingly difficult."
 

PONKA  HISTORICAL  TEXTS.
THE WAR PARTY OF NUDA'^-AXA'S FATHER.
 

Told by Nuda^-axa.
 

I"dddi akd nuda"' afai td.    Ga"' wa'a"'-hna" ca"'ca".    Ma"<fi"' ma"(fi"'

My father     the      to war         went.            And        he sang regnlarly    always.           Walking      he walked

td   wa'a"'-hna" ca"'ca";   ha"' ja"'   gd   ga"'   wa'a"'-hna"i   cdnujin'gai td'di.

when  he sang regularly     always;        night   belay    the        so         he sang    regularly    he was a young        when

down    (pi.)                                                            man

3 Egife wada"'be ahi-biamd.    Nikaci"ga sig^e wd(fa-biamd wada"'be  agfai

Atlength         to see         they arrived, they              Man              traU        tbey found them,           to see         thev went

say.                                                                they say                                     back

td.    Niida"hafigd, igife, niaci"ga   d'iiba   agfai  ke ha',   d-biamd.    Ahaii!

when.         O war-chief,            behold,           man             some        have gone home-       .        said they they          Oho'

ward in a long line                    say.'

d-biamd.    Wacka"'egafi-ga.    Qubdi[i^d-bi fi"hi, d-biamd.    figi(fe niaci"ga

said be, they                 Do persevere.                  To make one's self     be sure,     said he, they       Atlenoth          man

say.                                                                      sacred                                    say.

6 (fdb(fi"  wdna'iiqtci ihe amdma.    Kd, nuda"hafigd, (fdama a"wafi'gaq(fi tai

three        very close beside     were passing, they       Come,         0 war-chief,             these             let us kill Uiem        '

them                        say.                                                                                                              '

d-biamd.   £de nuda"'hafiga akd u(fi'agai td.   £gi(fe ha"' amd, ugdhanaddze

said they, they       Bnt           war-chief            the     waa unwilling.        Atlength night      they                dark

say-                                                       (sub.)                                                               aay,