Tlingit Myths and Texts · Tlingit storytellers of Sitka and Wrangell, recorded by John R. Swanton

Chapter 10: The Kîksᴀˊdî Woman who was Turned into an Owl

Cūˊguya ʟǃᴀtk wudutǃēˊỵê Kîksᴀˊdî yaqǃeˊ ỵᴀtîˊ qa ūhāˊn ỵāˊnaxᴀqǃ yēˊhaỵêtî. Sǃᴀtc-ānîˊ ye duwasāˊkᵘ yāt. ᴀqǃaweˊ uwawᴀˊt dāqǃunīˊnᴀx qa ye duwasāˊkᵘ Łqǃayāˊkǃ Kᴀckǃᴀˊʟkǃ. Hᴀs āˊwaca yucāˊwᴀt. Łqǃayāˊkǃ duʟāˊ qodzîteˊ Kᴀckǃᴀˊʟkǃ-ʟā yūˊdowasākᵘ. Łqǃayāˊkǃ ducᴀˊtc ỵaocîgêˊ yuˊyao dutcāˊn-qǃēˊdî. Dᴀxdahīˊn ye acīˊn nasqaˊ aweˊ acdjîˊn tāqǃ yên āˊwacᴀt ỵāˊwatǃaỵe yao-ʟǃēˊłî. Duīˊn akāˊwanīk. “Ỵawᴀˊtǃaỵe yao-ʟǃēˊłî aweˊ ᴀxdjīˊn tāqǃ yên āˊwacᴀt.” Ke ūwag̣ᴀˊn dudjīˊn tāqǃ. ᴀtcaweˊ yākᵘ yēqǃāˊwatᴀn duỵīˊt. Yao acāˊwax̣îʟǃ yuyāˊkᵘ. Yên aỵaˊosîqox cahīˊk. Yūˊdo yao tēỵîˊ yunūˊ ʟēn hāˊna nᴀx ᴀ. Dēx̣āˊna ayuˊ yên aỵaˊosîqox. Ducᴀˊt ye aỵaˊosîqa, “Adêˊ naguˊ.” Kᴀłᴀˊtk adeˊ wuguˊt.

Tcǃuʟeˊ adeˊ kē uwaîˊqǃ, “Kāt hāt ỵiêtᴀˊn.” Duxoˊxtc ye ỵaˊosîqa, “Łîˊłqǃa tāt ỵītūctīˊg̣k.” Tāt ỵīntk qohaˊ. Qēqǃēˊde qonahaˊ ʟe cūˊya qǃaˊoditᴀn yucāˊwᴀt. “Hāndēˊwadi kāt,” qēqǃēˊdî ayuˊ ye qǃaỵaqaˊ. Qēqǃēˊdî ʟecūˊyᴀx wuduwaᴀˊx, “Hū hū hū ū.” Duxoˊxtc ye ỵaosîqaˊ, “Tcǃuʟeˊ wēˊdᴀx de tsēˊskǃux îˊnaste.” Tcǃuʟeˊ yᴀx hoadîqēˊn. Tsēˊskǃᵘx osîteˊ. Ās ayēˊỵatīỵēqǃ axōˊqǃ sǃaˊodjîqax. Ye oduwaaˊx, “ᴀˊsguteỵê g̣ayêqêˊ.” Āx āˊyux āˊwagut. Yē ỵaodudzîqaˊ, “Āxʟāˊ djīn tāqǃ yao-ʟǃēˊłî yên iỵatêˊ. Tcawēˊdᴀx tsēˊskǃᵘx înasteˊ. Yudāˊg̣o îqāˊde sᴀkᵘ Tsēˊskǃᵘ-qāˊde.” ᴀtcaweˊ dūwaỵaˊ. Atcayuˊ qǃatūˊwaāˊxtc. Łkūˊckǃᴀ akānîˊknutc. Yūˊnax̣ᴀqǃ wasaˊ ᴀtguˊg̣onēỵîˊ ha-îˊn yuakaỵanîˊk.