Sacred Texts Native American Hopi Index Previous Next
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The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com
A long time ago the people lived in Oraíbi and in Shongópavi. A little distance north-east of Oraíbi, at a place called Sparrow-Hawk-Catching-Place (Kâlâ'tipka), lived a little Sparrow-Hawk. 2 Farther down in the rock lived a large Hâ'kwâ. The Sparrow-Hawk caught many lizards, 3 for its brood, but would never attempt to catch the Hâ'kwâ, so that the latter began to think the Sparrow-Hawk was afraid of it, and remarked on it. "Why is that little Sparrow-Hawk afraid of me?" he asked. ''I am so fat, and I am sure the Sparrow-Hawk is very anxious to have me, but he is afraid of me." These thoughts the Hâ'kwâ soon put into a song and teased the tittle Sparrow-Hawk by singing the following song, dashing into a large crack in the rock as soon as it had sung the last word of the song:
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I Kâlâvocnayu, |
My kidney, |
This somewhat irritated the Sparrow-Hawk, who warned the Hâ'kwâ in the I following words: "Why are you talking there; I am not afraid of you; I could kill you if I wanted to do so, but I do not want you, you are dirty." Soon the Hâ'kwâ came out and sang the same song again. The Sparrow-Hawk became more angry and repeated its warning. The little bird then began to make plans to kill the Hâ'kwâ, but did not know just how to go about it, but when the latter had sung the song four times the Sparrow-Hawk was very angry and was determined to kill the Hâ'kwâ.
By this time the young Sparrow-Hawks in the nest had become large. enough to be able to fly, so the mother told them: "Let us kill that Hâ'kwâ down there. He has made me very angry and says I am anxious to have him, and am afraid of him. Now, I want to kill him." Hereupon he instructed one of the young Hawks to follow him to the top of the rock. Here he placed the little Hawk on the same stone where he had always been sitting when the Hâ'kwâ had angered him, and then flew away.
The Hâ'kwâ again came out of the crack, and mistaking the young Sparrow-Hawk for the old one, he began in a taunting manner to sing his song. The Sparrow-Hawk had in the meanwhile made a large circuit, and just as the Hâ'kwâ was singing the word "Hanák" the Sparrow-Hawk swooped down on him saving: "What, are you singing again! I am not afraid of you; I am going to kill you now and then we are going to devour you." Hereupon he grabbed him with both talons and killed him, and took him home to his nest. He found that the Hâ'kwâ was indeed very fat. Then he and his brood lived upon the Hâ'kwâ until the latter were large enough to leave the nest and take care of themselves.
230:1 Told by Qöyáwaima (Oraíbi).
230:2 A species of lizard of a dirty color.
230:3 Kúkutsa, a smaller kind than the Hâ'kwâ and green.
231:1 The last word is sung with a quick rising inflection.