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

Chapter 13: Qāqǃᴀtcgūˊk

Cītǃkāˊqǃayu ye ỵatîˊ wuˊckîkǃîỵên ye dowasāˊkᵘ hunxōˊa Qāqǃᴀtcgūˊk. Aʟǃūˊn ayuˊ hᴀs akᵘcîtᴀˊn. ʟēqǃ tsǃutāˊtayu qǃāˊtǃqǃî xodêˊ dāk hᴀs ūwaqoˊx. ʟēł ᴀt utcᴀˊqx. Tsǃu yên uqoˊxtc, tsǃu dāk ūwaqoˊx. Adᴀˊxayu yuqǃūˊn xōˊde wudūwasaˊ. “Hu ᴀt naqoˊxtcîỵa aỵaˊ. Cīłkǃᴀˊʟǃ îsaˊ g̣aāˊx. Dāq hᴀs naqoˊx aˊayu yuhunxōˊa ye qǃaỵaqaˊ, “ʟākᵘ aixāˊ ỵāˊndunukᵘ.” ʟē kǃānt hᴀs ūˊwanukᵘ. Caqahāˊdî yākᵘt āwagoˊq duaxāˊỵê. Łdakᴀˊt ye hᴀs wudzîgīˊt. Adᴀˊxayu cᴀnaˊ hᴀs wuˊdisǃīt. Yūyāˊkᵘ qoˊa ʟē wuˊłix̣āc. Dekīˊde ʟeducuˊ yᴀˊkaye qa tāt hᴀs wułīx̣āˊc. Yadjîˊnkāt qa dēx akᴀˊtayu ke aˊodzīgit yên yuˊłitîtk yuyāˊkᵘ. Aosītēˊn qǃātǃkᴀˊqǃᵘ ᴀsiyuˊ tān, tsa, qǃūn, yᴀˊx̣utcǃ, qa tān qǃᴀdadzāˊỵî. Łdakᴀˊt adaˊ aołītᴀˊqǃ yuqǃāˊtǃ dāqǃ. Hᴀs ᴀt qāˊwadjêł. ʟēˊqǃa tākᵘ āyēˊ hᴀs wuteˊ. Kᴀndᴀkǃēˊtǃ yuʟēˊqǃ tākᵘ qa acūwuˊ. Wutēˊx yuqāˊ tcuc-ctāˊt.

ʟēqǃ tsǃutāˊt ān kē udzîgîˊt dutcūˊnî. Ye atcūˊn qōxagāˊqtc. Adᴀˊxayu ʟēqǃ tsǃutāˊt dukīˊkǃ hᴀs ye aỵaosīqaˊ, “Cāˊidaqêˊdê. Yāˊkᵘỵî ᴀt kᴀîłagaˊ. Tcākūgeˊỵî yêˊnde haỵākᵘgwatāˊn. G̣ᴀgāˊn Kanēˊsdîca cakīˊnᴀx kē x̣îx̣tc.” Adᴀˊxayu yên hᴀs ỵāˊwatᴀn. Qōˊka wucg̣ēˊdî hᴀsducaỵīˊnaỵî hīnqǃ hᴀs anatīˊtc g̣ᴀgāˊn anᴀˊx ke x̣îx̣tcîỵaˊ. ʟᴀx qǃān hᴀs uxēˊ sayuˊ hᴀs aosītēˊn kēˊʟ̣adî ỵadjîˊndahēn. Xātc ʟǃux ᴀsiyuˊ hᴀs aosītēˊn. Axᴀˊng̣a ya hᴀs gaqōˊxayu hᴀs aosītēˊn ʟǃux kǃîdēˊn. “Yucāˊ adatcūˊn” yuỵawaqāˊ Qāqǃᴀtcgūˊk, “adᴀtcūˊn ỵᴀna-iˊsatᴀn.” Adᴀˊxayu x̣āˊnadê ᴀnᴀˊx yên hᴀs ūwaqoˊx. Ye hᴀs āˊwasa Yākᵘ-qᴀłᴀsegᴀˊkᵘ. Tān a akawatīˊ ānᴀˊx g̣aduskūˊt hu anᴀˊx yên wuqoxōˊn. Adᴀˊxawe yaCīˊtǃka de hᴀs wuqōˊx.

Yāˊane eg̣aỵāˊqdê ya hᴀs g̣aqōˊxayu tcǃāˊguaỵî ducᴀˊt g̣ānt ag̣āˊx. Tcǃayeˊ sug̣āxēˊ ayuˊ aosītēˊn yuyāˊkᵘ ān ēg̣ayaˊdê ỵānaqoˊx. Aosītēˊn āwuˊāgêˊ xāt sǃāx̣ᵘ. Wudihāˊn nēłdeˊ wuguˊt. Hāt hᴀs ūˊwaqox. Dutuwuˊsigu yucāˊwᴀt cān. Doxoˊx doxᴀˊnqǃ dāq gūˊdayu łdakᴀˊt-ᴀt qadjīdēˊ ye aosīˊne tān-qǃᴀdadzāˊỵî, yaˊx̣ᵘtcǃ dūguˊ, qǃūn duguˊ. Ān qādjîˊn aołīʟ̣ēˊkᵘ dokāˊniỵên. Yē daỵaˊdoqᴀ “Detcǃāˊkᵘ īītīˊqǃ yên yuᴀtkāˊwatî.” Yuyīˊsqa qoˊa ayuˊ de udūˊwacā. Aʟēˊn tuwunūˊk āwatǃēˊ.