Northern Khanty

Kuropatka and the old man

2 matching lines for search term law.

In this short tale, an old man lives with his blind wife in a filthy house. One day he is visited by the demon Kuropatka. Kuropatka promises to clean the house if the old man kills his wife. But Kuropatka does not keep his promise.

Recording: This story was recorded in Katravozh in 1990 by Irina Nikolaeva.

Note: The text was published in Nikolaeva (1999).

Attachments

Speakers

  • us jis-na, i kŭl iki u-s. χŭli-l-a, χɔt-l χŭl-eŋ χŭl-eŋ. i nemŏsa neŋχuj ... χɔt-l. imŏsaj-na ătti turəm ewəlt jăχt-ə-l, kŭt ewəlt śikəńśa kurɔpatka jŏχət-l. kurɔpatkaj-ə-l-na ińśəs-l-a: “iki, iki, năŋ mŏla-ji χɔt-en χŭl-eŋ?” lŭw law-ə-l: “ma ătti im-em sem-li păl-li, i ăn werit-l χɔt-l ătti.” “năŋ ătti χălewət pa jŏχət-l-ə-m, im-en jŏχət-l-ə-m mŏsa wel-i. i jŏχət-l-ə-m pa śikəńśa χɔt-en ătti jămsiji leśat-ti pit-l-em.” itta kŭl iki, śi kurɔpatka măn-l. kurɔpatka măn-ti jŭpi-na śikəńśa itta kŭl iki wŭ-l-li im-el, lăp resk-ə-l-li. lăp resk-ə-lli pa śikəńśa śi lajləs-l, śi lajləs-l. itta kurɔpatkaj-ə-l sij-ə-l wek ăntam.
    be-PST time-LOC one devil old:man be-PST get:dirty-NONPST-PAS house-3SG dirt-PROPR dirt-PROPR [and] nothing person … house-3SG one-LOC DP sky from walk-0-NONPST middle from DP Kuropatka arrive-NONPST Kuropatka-0-3SG-LOC ask-NONPST-PAS old:man old:man 2SG what-TRANS house-2SG dirt-PROPR 3 say-0-NONPST 1SG DP woman-1SG eye-CAR ear-CAR [and] NEG can-NONPST house-3SG DP 2SG DP tomorrow and arrive-NONPST-0-1SG wife-2SG arrive-NONPST-0-1SG what kill-IMP.SG [and] arrive-NONPST-0-1SG and DP house-2SG DP well prepare-NMLZ.IMPF start-NONPST-SG.1SG that devil old:man DP Kuropatka go-NONPST Kuropatka go-NMLZ.IMPF behind LOC DP that devil old:man take-NONPST-SG.3SG woman-3SG closed strike-0-NONPST-SG.3SG closed strike-0-NONPST-SG.3SG and DP DP wait-NONPST DP wait-NONPST that Kuropatka-0-NONPST noise-0-3SG forever not:be
    быть-ПРОШ время-ЛОК один черт старик быть-ПРОШ get:dirty-NONPST-ПАС дом-3ЕД dirt-ПРОПР dirt-ПРОПР [and] ничего человек … дом-3ЕД один-ЛОК DP небо от идти-0-NONPST середина от DP Kuropatka прибыть-NONPST Kuropatka-0-3ЕД-ЛОК спросить-NONPST-ПАС старик старик 2ЕД что-TRANS дом-2ЕД dirt-ПРОПР 3 сказать-0-NONPST 1ЕД DP женщина-1ЕД глаз-КАР ear-КАР [and] НЕГ can-NONPST дом-3ЕД DP 2ЕД DP завтра and прибыть-NONPST-0-1ЕД жена-2ЕД прибыть-NONPST-0-1ЕД что убить-ИМП.ЕД [and] прибыть-NONPST-0-1ЕД and DP дом-2ЕД DP хорошо приготовить-НМЛЗ.ИМПФ начать-NONPST-ЕД.1ЕД тот черт старик DP Kuropatka идти-NONPST Kuropatka идти-НМЛЗ.ИМПФ за ЛОК DP тот черт старик взять-NONPST-ЕД.3ЕД женщина-3ЕД closed strike-0-NONPST-ЕД.3ЕД closed strike-0-NONPST-ЕД.3ЕД and DP DP ждать-NONPST DP ждать-NONPST тот Kuropatka-0-NONPST noise-0-3ЕД forever not:be
    A long time ago there lived a demon. He was filthy and his house was filthy, filthy. Once Kuropatka came flying along through the sky. Kuropatka asked him: “Old man, old man, why is your house filthy?” And he answered: “My wife is blind and deaf, she can’t clean the house.” “Tomorrow I will come again. Kill you wife before I return. I will come again and clean your house really well.” This Kuropatka left. After Kuropatka had left the demon took his wife and killed her. He killed her and waited. For a long time no Kuropatka came.
  • imŏsaj-na jŏχət-l kurɔpatka. kurɔpatka jŏχət-l, kurɔpatka law-ə-l: “nu, χŏti im-en wel-s-en?” tăm-el law-ə-l: “im-em wel-s-em, ittam χɔt-em leśat-i.” itta kurɔpatka jŭχ tăj-na, sumət tăj-na nŏχ lat-em-l pa law-ə-l: “ma χɔt-en ăn leśat-l-em, năŋ χɔt' im-en wel-s-en. tăm jiləp mŭw, tăm ătti sŏχ-ə-ŋ mŭw, jiləp ɔms-an-ti pŏraj-na năŋ kŭl-ə-t stŏb isŭkliji ăntam-ə-t u-s-ə-t tăta.” itta śikəńśa kŭl iki juχl-ə-l alem-ə-l, kurɔpatku wel-ti wŭtśi-l-li. ńɔl-l-al, juχəl-l-al kăs-t-al ewəlt kurɔpatka purl-ə-nt-l, măn-l kămən lapət ńurəm wŭlti i ăt-l kŭl ik-el śiti-ji talti-ji χiś-l.
    one-LOC arrive-NONPST Kuropatka Kuropatka arrive-NONPST Kuropatka say-0-NONPST INTJ how woman-2SG kill-PST-SG.2SG this-3SG say-0-NONPST woman-1SG kill-PST-1SG that house-1SG prepare-IMP.SG that Kuropatka tree top-LOC birch top-LOC up sit-INCH-NONPST and say-0-NONPST 1SG house-2SG NEG prepare-NONPST-SG.1SG 2SG [although] woman-2SG kill-PST-SG.2SG this new land this DP hair-0-PROPR land new sit-FREQ-NMLZ.IMPF time-LOC 2SG devil-0-PL [that] everything not:be-0-3PL be-PST-0-3PL here DP DP devil old:man bow-0-3SG lift-0-NONPST [Kuropatka.ACC] kill-NMLZ.IMPF want-NONPST-SG.3SG arrow-PL-3SG bow-PL-3SG seize-NMLZ.IMPF-3SG from Kuropatka fly-0-FREQ-NONPST go-NONPST each seven glade through [and] thing-3SG devil old:man-3SG so-TRANS empty:handed-TRANS remain:behind-NONPST
    один-ЛОК прибыть-NONPST Kuropatka Kuropatka прибыть-NONPST Kuropatka сказать-0-NONPST МЕЖД как женщина-2ЕД убить-ПРОШ-ЕД.2ЕД этот-3ЕД сказать-0-NONPST женщина-1ЕД убить-ПРОШ-1ЕД тот дом-1ЕД приготовить-ИМП.ЕД тот Kuropatka дерево top-ЛОК береза top-ЛОК вверх сидеть-ИНХ-NONPST and сказать-0-NONPST 1ЕД дом-2ЕД НЕГ приготовить-NONPST-ЕД.1ЕД 2ЕД [хотя] женщина-2ЕД убить-ПРОШ-ЕД.2ЕД этот новый земля этот DP hair-0-ПРОПР земля новый сидеть-ФРЕКВ-НМЛЗ.ИМПФ время-ЛОК 2ЕД черт-0-МН [тот] everything not:be-0-3МН быть-ПРОШ-0-3МН здесь DP DP черт старик лук-0-3ЕД lift-0-NONPST [Kuropatka.АКК] убить-НМЛЗ.ИМПФ хотеть-NONPST-ЕД.3ЕД стрела-МН-3ЕД лук-МН-3ЕД seize-НМЛЗ.ИМПФ-3ЕД от Kuropatka летать-0-ФРЕКВ-NONPST идти-NONPST каждый семь glade через [and] вещь-3ЕД черт старик-3ЕД так-TRANS empty:handed-TRANS remain:behind-NONPST
    Suddenly Kuropatka came. Kuropatka came and said: “Well, did you kill your wife?” He said: I killed my wife, now clean the house.” Kuropatka flew to the top of the tree, to the top of the birch and said: “I won’t clean your house, even if you have killed your wife. When the new earth, the grassy earth appears again, let none of you devils be here.” The demon took his bow and wanted to kill Kuropatka. By the time he found a bow and arrow Kuropatka had flown off. He flew through seven glades and the demon remained there with empty hands.