Dlö' Binant'a'--An Original Apache Tale

NOTE: The English version of this tale is at the bottom of the page.

I HAVE NOW ADDED AN ADOBE ACROBAT .pdf VERSION OF THIS FILE TO THIS SITE. IT USES THE PROPER ORTHOGRAPHY FOR APACHE. TO VIEW THE .pdf FILE CLICK HERE >LEADER OF THE BIRDS

Dlö' -- In my 'modified' Apache orthography


Díí dlö' t'ah nnee dá' ánágot'ii£hi. Dlö'hi í£a'ádzaago yáda£ti'. "Haadast'i'hí dawa binant'a' dagolíí dá' nééhíí nohwinant'a' doo £a' da'," daniigo lëk'e. "Daílíízhi' nnee daandlîî. Nant'an nohwá ágolne'go n£t'éé néé a£do'. Hago ágot'eehíí nohwá ya£ti' dolee£hi bighâ," danii lëk'e.

Go dlö i£tsogécho haabi'do£tîî dantséh, "Bit'â' n£téé dazhö án," daniigo. Bit'â'híí dayini£'íígo án binant'a' hileeh hádat'ii lëk'eh. Nzaad godiyaa, yaa yáda£ti'go; áí n'íí, "Dah nzhôô án," daanniid lëk'e. "Bidiyágé danii dénzhóné ndiníí doo zhö ya£ti'hîî k'ego at'éé da. Nohwinant'a' silîîyógo doo nohwá ya£ti'da nkeegonigháh dánkoh." Go án k'izhi' niltîî lëk'eh.

Aídi' bizaagolaani níhanááná£tïï. Dagoshch'i', "án dazhö bizaagóchî'hi at'éé," daabi£nniid lëk'e. Dazhö dadzaaníí yaa ya£ti' £a'íí dadzaaníí yedlîî. án doo nzhôô da nohwinant'a' hileeh yógo. Nohwits'ä' i£ta ya£ti' hileeh dánkoh," daniigo, án k'izhi' naaná£tîî.

K'adik'eh, jagháshdiyé habi'doltîî. "Dín nohwintant'a' hileeh gohíí dat'éé?" naa£ch'inii. "án a£do' £a'n'híí k'ehgo at'éé, bizaagochî'go. Doo n£t'éégo nohwá haodziih at'éé da. Doo beegonidzââ da, £a'íí ák'ee ya£ti'hi at'éé a£do'. £ââgo yedlîî hileeh, dázhogo na'a níí." án a£do' k'izhï' naaná£tîî.

áik'ehgo yógo, goshdiyéhíí dat'éé?" danii lëk'eh. án n£t'éé wîî. án yógo dijaad, hayú yáná'itihyú nohwá nazit'ii dolee£. áídi' n£t'éégo ya£ti' a£' do'. án nohwinant'a' hileehgo n£t'éé."

Go góshdiyé dlö' binant'a' silîî lëk'eh. Díjîî yúgo goshdiyé t'ah dlö' binant'a' ninlîî.

LEADER OF THE BIRDS

This story is about a time when birds were still like people. The birds got together to talk. "The different clans (animals) all have leaders, but we do not," they said. "We are good for nothing. It would be good for us to choose a leader also. He could then speak for us about our activities," they said.

So the birds selected the oriole first. They said, "His feathers are very nice." Because of his feathers they thought they wanted him to be their leader. They discussed this for some time. "Well, never mind him after all," they said. "His long clothes are pretty, but he doesn't speak very much. If he becomes our leader he might not speak well for us in the future." They put him aside.

Then they chose the mocking bird. But they immediately said, "He is too talkative. He always speaks bad and mocks things. It would not be good for him to become our leader. He might speak even worse for us in the future." They put him aside to choose again.

The next time they chose a bluejay. "What would it be like for us if we chose him to be the leader?" they asked. "He is also like the other one. He talks too much. It would not be good for him to speak for us. He's too stubborn, and he also brags about himself. There would be a lot of mocking." They also set him aside.

"In that case, should it be the roadrunner?" they said. "He's good for sure. He would be fast for us in running to meetings. And he also talks well. It would be good for us if he became our leader."

Therefore, the roadrunner became the leader. Nowadays, roadrunner is the leader of all the birds.

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