A Caquinte Flood Story

At the beginning of July I worked with Antonina Salazar Torres, a Caquinte woman from Kitepámpani, on a version of the Caquinte flood story, Koramani Anankanakageti "Long Ago When it Flooded". I want to share that work here, the original Caquinte followed by English translation. This is the first time that I have translated anything of length from Caquinte into English (as opposed to Spanish), and I am pleased to have undertaken the effort. Translating into English has given me the opportunity to make use of the expressive resources of my native language to more adequately represent Antonina's richly descriptive Caquinte. Caquinte is a structurally very different sort of language than English, and in general you will notice that the English translation is considerably "longer" than the Caquinte original. This is because many meanings in Caquinte are expressed via small forms called affixes and clitics, which combine to form long words that are dense in the range of meanings they express. To take one example, Caquinte verbs may take the suffix -an, what linguists call a 'directional', which expresses that the action of the verb occurred in a direction away from either the subject of the verb or the speaker of the sentence. This can be translated in many different ways into English, and often a slightly different translation is appropriate in one context relative to another -- this has resulted in what I hope is a varied and dynamic translation. I have attempted to replicate the overall tone, tenor, and register of Antonina's Caquinte, keeping in mind that this is a substantial and important myth. But it is also lighthearted and amusing at many turns. I have preserved Caquinte ideophonic expressions in the English translation, i.e., giving them some paraphrase in English and then adding the Caquinte ideophone directly to the English translation.

Antonina making tamales in her kitchen (July 2017)

The text itself concerns a worldwide flood that results from the plugging of a cave through which one of Earth's principal rivers once flowed. The caretaker of the cave is the marabinti bird, and with the help of a shaman they remove the debris that has come to block its opening. Once it is unplugged, a shaman, along with a white-fronted capuchin monkey, a brown capuchin, a squirrel monkey, a lizard, a snake, and others, are rapidly washed down through it on a raft to a land of female cannibals (natojite) who become pregnant via floods filled with swarming river monsters (kebetsi) and who raise only female children, opting instead to kill their male offspring. Due to a lack of gardens and thus accessible food, the shaman and his companions are forced to steal the cannibals' plantains, using her calabashes and their desire for her to fetch water for them as a diversion. The story is captivating, and I recommend reading it all the way through! An explicit moral for children follows.

A note on spelling: since the officialization of a Caquinte alphabet by the Peruvian Ministry of Education in 2013, there has been debate between Caquinte communities as to which of two alphabets to use. In materials produced for Kitepámpani, I use the traditional alphabets. I have decided, however, that for materials produced for outsiders (and my dissertation) I will use the legally official alphabet.

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Koramani Anankanakageti

Imaika nontsabetantero anankakageti koramani maasano kepatsiki. Ari ichookatake pabantagari. Iriatimpa ikamantajiakeri, ikanti: “Aapojempageti sabinkagiteri anankakempa maasano kepatsi. Irira chookagetankitsika akaniki, kepatsikitika, ari irimetojajiake maasano chookatantagekaroka kepatsi.” Arikea ichookajiake maasano kachatyakiripae aisa tsimeripae, maasano kanaagetatsika aisa soaankagetatsika, teeka irametemparoji ojaaki. Arikea ikanti pabantagari: “Imaika ontejanake.” Ari otejanake, okantanake tsintyakiririri inirojenkani inkani jiririri. Okantakobaekiti tsijerek taan areti ojokabaetakita oyapiki. Arikea otejanake inkani okantakogitani jiririri. Arikea amaranake nijatenipae. Arikea okenake anankanaka, tee oshiajatajempaji mana okejetanakaro omotija.

Irirakea pabantagari yaake pijonkapoari, yompajakero, aisa kirinato oboa yoakero jenoki pijonkapoariki yogataakero. Arikea yoishotakotakero inchatoki, obegarapojakageti ochonkiregishi. Ari ichookatake. Ichookake irigentijegite. Iriatimpa yaake pijonkapoari, yompajakero okaramenkobaetake. Aisa itsipatakaankaro kirinato, iro isabijipojatsi. Arikea itetanaka itsipatanakari kachatyakiri aisa kamaarini irisati tsieri aisa joajoati irisati masasaroni. Itejiakeri maasano. Arikea ichookake.

Itsatakotakeri irigentijegite ipantsapantsaatakokeri, ikantiri: “Igentijegi, paakotabakenaja arigeti ajanaje.”

Ikantirikea: “Jeeje, nonkokempa naakotabakempi.” Ikantiro matinkori: “Poishoishojatero.” Arikea okantanaka oishotakero, opantsapantsaatakero oshitikakotakero irigentijegite.

Irirakea irigentijegite ikantiri: “Igentijegi, imaika noanake ontaniki obegarapojakageti, oshibonkitijapojakageti. Namenakitero kero okotakani.” Ari yoanake.

Iriatimpa irigentijegite yamenabakero oserajagetanake inchatopae, ishekatanakaro shabemeretoniro. Ikenagepoji ojaaki, ikantabaetanake ikejetanakari pamakabiripae. Ishekagetanakaro maasano. Ari irishekatakopojemparime iriatimpa, yamenabetapojaro otsejishinataka irogentitari onato kiri. Tee irishekatakotempariji. Arikea ikantiri irigentijegite: “Igentijegi, imaika noanake ontaniki kiinka. Namenakitero keroka okokani ontaniki obegarapojakageti, okijajakegeti omorotakageti. Arisanoja igentijegi, pimpantsapantsaatakokempaja aatonijite otsatijakotanake arigeti ajanajegeti.”

Arikea ikantajigiri maasano tejiankitsika: “Pija paakite ashitikankemparoka oshibitsatsate matinkori.” Ari yoanake yamanakitiro ojokabakeneri. Arikea ipantsapantsaatakero irokea matinkori ajirikabakero. Ari ichookajiake itsatakoborokijatakotaka.

Arikea irira kamaarini ikatsimatabakaajiaka. Ikantirikea: “Tiijakoñaji nokantimpitsi tsiitorek.” Arikea ikantajigiri tetakerika: “Aato pikatsimatabakaga. Pimajeretakeshine pitsabetabakerotsi ora ajanajegeti otsatijakotanakajitsi.” Ari ichookajiake osheki sabinkagiteri.

Irirakea irigentijegite ari yoanake ontaniki oshibonkijatapojakageti. Ikantapanajanta jeok, yarejebaeka ontaniki yamenabepojaro oshepitakero omorotakageti okijajatigeti. Yamenapojiri katiaka marabinti jokagentanatsi inchatojempekipae aisa oshi obanapae inchatoshipae. Arikea ikantiri: “Ari oshepitaka.”

Ikanti: “Jeeje, kaakateshiatsi, pamitakopojena ashepirejajerota ajanajeta.” Ari yamipojiri yojokagentapoji iriatimpa. Ari yameniro oshepikashitekitakero obanapae inchatoshipae. Arikea ikantakobaetiro shepirek. Arikea okantapaenti shepirek. Ari okenanake okijajatanaji oja.

Irirakea marabinti ikantiri: “Ariotesa pamitakopojana. Imaikampani kijajatanaji.”

Arikea ikantiri: “Imaikampani pamenamajatajero, pojokagentamajatajero aatoniji okejetaja aisa, anankaja aisa.”

Ikanti marabinti: “Narogenti yojokakeneka Aapani Irioshi jokagentapinitiroka okatika morotankitsika kameetsanijite aatonijite oshepitiro omoro okijajatantanakaka. Nokantakogitani nojokagentapinikero.”

Arikea ikantiri: “Imaikampani ari nonkantanajempa.” Ari ikatimatanaja jeok, yojokabaeta ontaniki itsobironakiteki tijen yamenapojiro ajanaji. Arimpa ojatanaji sooo, ikantiri irigentijegite: “Igentijegi, ajanaji. Arisanoja pitsatijakotanaketsi, aakotanakempitsi ontaniki okijajatigeti.”

Arikea ikantajigiri tejiankitsika: “Pamenabakero.” Arikea katsiketi ojajatanake, oshiajatanaka sooo, okenanake otampishijatanake. Ari okantapanajanti tsatik, ikajemabetanakari: “Igentijegi, pinkatimatakotabakenashia, paakotabakena!” Ari imatsagatakotabakari, iraakotabakerime, ikajemanake: “Jeee, jeee, igentijegi, nojokajabaetempanishiatsi!” Ari yoakotanake sooo, yamajatakotanake. Yoakobaetanake osamani irosati ontaniki ochookakegeti natojite. (Ikantajitiro aisa majimerojite.) Ari yojokapojaka tsekin paraigerek yamenabepojaro okantashitatiagitetapoja, poaatsaekini. Ari yojokakopoja intatikero tsekin. Ari ichookajiapoji, ipeakaajiapoja itsobironakite. Ari ishekajiaka yamagetakeka ontaniki ichookabetakageti ontaniki katyonkoji.

Arikea oteronkanaka isheka. Ikantikea: “Imaika teronkanaka shekatsi. Kero aakeroni ashekatakempaka?” Ikantirikea joajoati: “Abiro, pija poanake ontaniki intatikero pamanantakite chopeki aisa aintochapaki kameetsanijite aatonijite agaji atase, kameetsaniji ashekatakempa.”

Ikantikea joajoati: “Intsija.”

Arikea yoanake imontejanaka itsipatanakari kobiroti. Ari yagatanakegeti intatikero, ikantiri kobiroti: “Kero ankokempani amantakempaka chopeki?”

Ikantiri: “Arika amenapojero ashinkaroka, ankantero natojite. Arikea taakageti jokijitankitsi, ankantero: 'Natojite, pintigero ashekatemparota.'” Arikea yoanake yamenapojiro tatake paamariki norijaka. Arikea ikantashipojaro shiririri, yojokabaetapoja kempeji otakiki ikajemakotapojiro: “Ari, natojite.”

Ari okantapainti tankorek, opitsokanaka ameniri katiaka, okantiri: “Abirosa, serajite.”

Ikantiro: “Jeeje, naagenti, nokoraketi. Nokanti: 'Nosookitakiterota.'”

Okantikea: “Chookana.”

Arikea yameniro tariaka kemi, ikantiro: “Natojite, pintsekero pigemine ashekatemparota.”

Okantsitari: “Serajite, intsija pintsekenaro. Arimpa nojokakempi omposatanakegeti.”

Arikea ikantiro: “Natojite, abiro kitajatashitakiterone.” Arikea aapanajanti ochomone. Arikea ikantakotabakero shooo, okarabaragebaetanake jmm osamani.

Arikea itsekitsitaro kemi tsekak tsekak kotarek. Irirakea kobiroti yaitsitarokea obentaki yogijaitsitaro ichogempikiki. Yogijaabakaro otsipachogempiki kameetsanijite iraanakero irobintyakapojero ontaniki ichookajiakegeti...irobintyakagepojero kameetsanijite onchookatanake irashi iriatimpa.

Ari iteronkakero itsekakero yojokijitakokenero. Arikea ipitsokanaka yameniro shintsashintsaataka chopeki, ikantsitari kobiroti: “Pishintsarejanake, paanake. Jameketi pijibatanake ironea onkorakepoje natojite, ometojimentajirotsi.” Irirakea kobiroti ikatiitanaka, ishintsarejakero chopeki ishintsatabakaro ijempekiki shintsá shintsá shintsá. Taampina yoakero. Itigarankitsitari joajoati, ikantiri: “Pija, taampina poanake!” Arikea yoanake, yaanake chopeki shiintsaaa.

Orakea natojite oabaetanake osamani jmm, okarabaragebaetanake. Oakobeta arejetakempame ojaaki onkitajatashikerome ogemine. Ari arejetapojaka ojaaki okitajapoji. Ari okoraketaji. Irirakea joajoati yaitsitanaka iriatimpa chopeki, ishintsarejitakero oshintsashintsaatakeka yasatekabakaro ijempekiki...ikarashintsatakaabaetanakero. Arikea ikatimatanaka tsein yojokabaeta intsapitapojakageti. Ikajemakotsitarokea, ikantiro: “Natojite, pamenenaja.” Opitsokabetanaka ameni, okanti: “Ooo, yaitsitanakena serajite nochopekite!” Ari aanake obatare opishonkashitsitari sooo omatsagatabakari. Ontabaabakerime ontyaomeeronkakerime obatareki. Ari ishirontimentapanajantaro jejejejeje: “Tee pintsateji inkajaranki naitsitakempiro pichopekite.” Arikea omatsagatabakari, ontabaabakerime, ikampoji jaran tomirishiki. Okantikea: “Yaitsitana serajite nochopekite.”

Iriatimpa yaanakero intatikero, imontejakaanakaro yojokapojiro shintsarek, ikanti: “Jero.” Ikantiro shooo okenanake okapatsapiobaetanake. Arikea ishekajiaka. Ari ichookajiake oshekini sabinkagiteri ishekajiaka. Ari ikatsikekekea, itaagetabakero ibintyakagetakero chopeki aisa aintochapaki, kemi yamakeka kobiroti, ipijatakaka ichogempikiki. Arikea oteronkanaka chopeki yaakitika joajoati, ikanti: “Teronkanaka chopeki. Kerompa ashekatakempaka?”

“Pija paajate ochopekite natojite.” Arikea yoanaji aisa, ikejetapoja chapinki yoakitigeti. Yamenapojiro natojite tatake, ikantashipojaro shiririri, yojokabaetapoja otakiki ikajemakotsitaro: “Ari, natojite.”

Arikea okanti: “Ari, serajite. Keroshia pijateni?”

Ikanti: “Tee, nokanti: 'Nosookikiterota natojite.'”

Okanti: “Arisakanika, imaika pinchokotitapoje.”

Arikea ikantiro: “Natojite, iro pigemine ora tariankitsika?”

Okanti: “Jeeje, irotarite.”

Ikantirokea: “Natojite, pintsekero.”

Okanti: “Serajite, intsijate pintsekenaro, naatimpa kitajatashitakiterone.”

Arikea ikanti: “Intsija.” Ari yaakero itsekakero. Arikea ikejeta aisa ipijatabakaro ichogempikiki kobiroti. Arikea oanakegeti, ikantiri kobiroti: “Pija pishintsarejitsitero ochopekite.” Arikea ikatiitanaka kobiroti, ishintsarejakero ishintsatabakaro ijempekiki. Ikantsitarikea: “Pijateketiro! Pijibatanake ironea onkorakepoje natojite, aaashiatsi otabaimentimpirotsi.” Arikea ishiakaanakaro chopeki, ikiteshintsatakaanakero yoanake intsapitapojakageti. Ari ikatiapojaka. Arikea iriatimpa joajoati yaitsitanaka iriatimpa ishintsarejitsitakero ochopekite natojite. Arikea yoanaji itsimataitakaro chopeki. Ari yoabaetanake intsapitapojakageti, ikajemakotsitaro: “Natojite, pamenenaja.” Opitsokanaka, ameni, okanti: “Yaitsitakena serajite!” Ari aitsitanaka obatare, opishonkashitake omatsagatabakari. Ontabaabakerime, ikampoji jaran. Ari yoanaji ontaniki ichookakegeti imontejanaja. Ari yojokapojiro chopeki shintsaren, ikanti: “Jero chopeki. Imaika pishekatabakempa.” Ari ikantiro shooo okapatsapiobaetanake. Ari ichookajiake osheki tai ichookakegeti, ontaniki ochookatigeti natojite. Arikea ishinejiaka ishekajiaka.

Arikea oteronkanaka aisa. Ikantikea joajoati: “Teronkanaka shekatsi. Imaika aato noaji naatimpa. Irio oanankitsine tsieri irisati intsipatanajempari kobiroti iriotari amenakitiro notsipatanakari naatimpa.”

Ikantikea kobiroti: “Intsijate nojashiatsi.” Arikea yoanake, imontejanaka itsipatanakari. Yoayoaitanake imontejanaka intatikero ochookakegeti natojite. Ari ikantashitanakaro shiririri, ikatiabaepoja otakiki, ikajemakotsitaro: “Ari, natojite.”

Okantirikea: “Abirosa, serajite. Taakea page?”

Ikantirokea: “Tee, mana nokanti: 'Nontajenkashitakiterota natojite.'”

Okantiri: “Arisakanika, imaika pinchokotite.”

Arikea yameniro jokijitaka ogemine. Ikantirokea: “Natojite, pintsekero pigemine.”

Okantirikea: “Serajite, abirompa tsekenarone.”

Ikantirokea: “Intsija.”

Okantikea: “Naatimpa nonkitajatashitakitero.” Ari aapanajanti ochomone oanake onkitajate.

Arikea itsekakero yogijaagetabakaro obentaki ichogempikiki. Arikea yameniro oanake onkitajatashitero ojaaki. Ikantirikea tsieri: “Pishintsarejitero ochopekite.” Ikatiitsitanaka tsieri, ishintsarejitakero ishintsatakaro ijempekiki. Ari ikatiashintsatakaakaro. Arikea ikatiitanaka kobiroti ishintsarejita iriatimpa. Ari ikejetaka iriatimpa ishintsatakaro ijempekiki. Yagakegeti, yoanake kempejitiraja, ikajemanake: “Natojite, naitsitanakempiro pichopekite!” Opitsokanaka, amenanake, okanti: “Ooo, yaitsitanakenaro nochopekite. Ari imaika nontabaakeri noshekatakempari.” Arikea aapanajanti obatare, opishonkashitsitari otabaakeri tsieri taan. Oabaepojiri ishigitiki taan, ikajemapanajanti: “Aaa!” Ari imetojanake tiinkininini metok. Ari aikita otsipa obatare opishonkashitsitari kobiroti taan. Ari imetojapanajanti metok yojokakaapojaro yaabetanakaka shintsaren. Arikea oshianaka onoshikitsitanakari otashitakeri paamariki tsijererere. Arikea okamporejakeri, okobitiitari iseito, amenabekari tee inkejiteji. Ogipiajiniri opijatajiniri imotijaki iseito. Arikea okejetakaitsitari kobiroti. Iriatimpa otashishokoitotsitari tsijererere opijetsitabakari pije pije. Ari ogipitsokitsitari ibankaki, ikantanaka saraperanaini. Ari okejetakaakari. Okamporejabekari amenabetakari tee inkejiteji. Ari okantajiri shooo, ikantapanajanti tankorek yameniro katiaka natojite. Okantirikea: “Imaika poanaje.”

Ari yoanaji itejatejatanaji itsipatanajari tsieri. Ari ikantanaka tsierijenkani irorijite otashitakeri natojite, aisa kobiroti ikobirotijenkatanake. Ari yarejetapoja ontaniki ichookakegeti yamenabetabakaro ooo otashitakeri natojite. Ikantanaka tsierijenkani aisa kabeshishipiitokini. Ikantirikea: “Taakea oakempi?”

Ikantiri: “Otashitakena natojite.”

Ikantirikea joajoati: “Aatotame pikajemime, pinkijageshitanakeme. Ari pinkajemitsitempame.”

Ari ikanti: “Kerokea ashekatakempaka? Aanakaji atase.”

Ikantikea joajoati: “Nojateja naatimpa naakite ochopekite natojite.” Ari yoanake, imontejanaka intatikero yamenapojiro norijaka tatake paamariki. Ikantashipojaro shiririri, ikatiabaepoja otakiki ikajemakotsitaro: “Ari, natojite.”

Ari okantapanajanti tankorek. Okantikea: “Abirosa, serajite.”

Ikantirokea: “Jeeje, naagenti.”

Okantiri: “Pinejabajiri pigonoro? Notabaakeri, notabaimentakeri nochopekite, yaitsibetanakenaro. Notashibekari, tee inkejiteji. Inkejitakemegeti, noshekatakarime. Notashibekari, aisa nokobitiabetakari tsieri.”

Ikanti: “Jeeje, nonejabajiri. Nokantiri: 'Taashia oakempi? Sarabirenaini pibankaki.' Ikanti: 'Tee, otashitakena natojite.'” Arikea joajoati ikantiro: “Natojite, pintsekero pigemine.”

Okantiri: “Serajite, pintsekenaro.” Ari yaakero itsekitsitaro tsekak kotarek. Okantikea: “Nonkajashitakiterotaja. Nontiakero nojokakempi pishekatakemparo.” Ari oanake aanake ochomone onkajashitero ogemine ontiantakemparoka. Ari yamenabakerokea otakitanake, ikatiitsitanaka ishintsarejakero chopeki, ochopekite natojite. Ari ishintsatabakero ijempekiki...ikarashintsatakaabaetanakero. Arikea ikatimatanaka yoanake, ikatiabaeta intsapiki ikajemakotsitaro, ikanti: “Natojite, pamenena.” Opitsokanaka ameniri yaitsitanakero ochopekite. Aitsitanaka otabaantakarika kobiroti, opishonkashibetabakari omatsagatabakari, ikampoji jaran. Arikea yoanaji imontejanaja intatikero. Yaanake chopeki yojokapojiro shintsaren, ikanti: “Jero, pintigero ashekatemparota.” Ikantsitarikea kobiroti: “Pinkejetakaakitemparome abiatimpa, pamakeme. Irogentimpani mana otabaakempi natojite, otashitakempi intati.” Ari ishirontimentakari ijí ijí ijí, ikantiri imaika: “Aato paitsitantaji. Pamenakero otashibekempi natojite. Aatomegeti, oshekatakempime, aatome pamenagitetajirome sabinkagiteri. Ometojakempime, ometojimentakempirome ochopekite.”

Ikantikea: “Jeeje, imaika aato noashitajiro otsobironakiteki, ometojamajatanatsi. Namenakero katsibaeke. Imaika ariotapoji noanake. Ari mana nonchookate intati. Aato naitsitajiro natojite ochopekite ashitari roatimpa, mana nonchookake intati.”

Irirakea kakinte ikenkejanaji, ikanti: “Teetari namegitejapojemparoji okaniki. Okantashitatiagitejapojaka, tee onkempetemparoji achookajiabetakageti ontaniki katonko oyapiki. Ashekataka ashi aatimpa. Okejetantakaka imaika manatari obonkanaka, amakotakaji akaniki. Imaika oooshiatsi antsipegitetemparonishiatsi atase teekeratanikate onchookateji ashi aatimpa, mana aitsitakero natojite ochopekite. Irotari ashekatakaka. Imaika kero ankokempani anchookakegeti akaniki ochookatigeti natojite?” Ikantikea kakinte: “Jame oanaje katonko amenajero maasano. Ankenanaje abotanajero, ankenanaje tomirishiki irosati arejetajempa ontaniki akenapojigeti.” Ari ikenkejanake iroanaje ikenapojakegeti iroakerageti. Ari ishimampojankajiaka osheki.

Arikea otsipatapojageti sabinkagiteri, yameni ontaniki intatikero poaatsaekini oshekiabaetanake tsobironaki aisa oshekini mankigarentsijia. Okantabaetanake tirorerere anijibaeroroini ochookakegeti natojite. Yamenakitiro irogenti chapinki otashitakerigeti kobiroti. Ari itsaroanake, ikanti: “Arika oshekajiakaji.” Arikea yamenabakero obonkakojianakero otsobironakite. Okijajatanake ojaaki tee osotoajatajeji irosati aapojajageti mabite imagorejantajitaka. Oroajatanaji, osotoajagebetapoja tsarakijiake okanka. Ari ichookajiake iriatimpa intatikero. Arikea ikantiri: “Pija poanake paajate chopeki.”

Irira joajoati ikanti: “Intsija, namenajatero natojite.” Ari yoanake yamenakitirogeti chapinki yamenapoji chooka chokotitake. Arikea ameni jeri koraketake serajite.

Okantirikea: “Abirompate, serajite.”

Ikantiro: “Jeeje, naagenti. Chookampi, natojite?”

Okanti: “Jeeje, chookana.” Ari ogichokotitakeri okamantagetakeri, okantiri imaika: “Serajite, nonkamantakempi, nonkabintsajakotakempi pintsatantakempaka abiatimpa.”

Ikantiro: “Intsija, pinkamantenaja.”

Okantiri: “Akaniki pikorakekegeti tee onkameetsagiteteji. Naatimpa tee nametempa nontsipatempari shirampari. Irira shirampari mana noshekatakempari. Orakea mankigarentsi, jeeje iro nontsipajiakempa. Imaika ora tsarakijiankitsika nogonoro, arigeti oboakotanajegeti, iriogeti shirampari oboakeka, aitsitempari ontiakeri oshekatakempari. Aato ichookatimati shirampari. Irogeti mankigarentsi, jeeje aabakero, irotari shekianankitsine. Irokea oshekatsitakemparo anatare.” Arikea okantiri: “Irotarite nokamantankempika kameetsanijite pintsake abiatimpa. Naatimpa osheki nokabintsajanti, irotari nokamantankempika. Oratika nogonoro onejakempigeti, ontabaakempi oshekatakempi teetari oninteri shirampari. Osheki operakari.”

Ikantirokea: “Arisakanika, tee nontsateji naatimpa. Imaikampanite pikamantakena notsatake. Ari pikota abiatimpa.” Ikantsitarokea: “Intsija nonkoakokempi: 'Kerokea okotakani otsarakitantagetanakaka aisa oshekiantakaka?'”

Okantirikea: “Irigentitari nomankigarejia kebetsi chookatankitsika ojaakiniki. Arigeti nonintake inchookajiake nochaajanikirite, obonkakotanajena nonkijakijaitanake ojaakiniki. Nonchookajiake ojaaki nontsipajiakempari kebetsipae. Ari nagatakempageti inchookatakaakena, arikea ajakotanaje oja nompijonkatakotanaje maasano. Arikea nonchookajiaje nogijabake noboakogetanajegeti.”

Ikantiro: “Irosakanika, imaika notsake. Osheki notsaroanake, pishekatanatsi.”

Okantirikea: “Jeeje, notsamajatanakegeti, abiro noshekatakempa.”

Ari itsaroanake, ikantiro natojite: “Ari pojokakena pichopekite.”

Okantiri: “Jeeje, nojokakempi.”

Ari aakeneri, oshintsarejakeneri ojokijikeneri, ikantiro: “Ariotesa natojite. Pintsekerojate pigemine.”

Okanti: “Intsijate pintsekenaro.” Arikea yaake itsekakenero tsekak kotarek, okanti: “Nonkajashitakiterota.” Ari oanake.

Iriatimpa itsaroaketari ikatimatakero, yaakero chopeki ishintsatakaro ibakoki. Ari yoanake, ikatiabaeta intsapiki, ikajemakotanajiro: “Natojite, ari nonkantanajempa.” Opitsokanaka, ameniri okajemanake, okanti: “Jeri serajite, yaitsitakena nochopekite.” Ari aanake obatare opishonkashibetabakari tee agabejempaji ontabageri.

Ari yoanaji, imontejanaja intatikero yoanaji ichookajiakegeti. Arikea yojokapojiro shintsaren. Arikea ikantiro shooo okapatsapiobaetanake. Ari ishekajiaka. Ari ikamantapojakeri okamantakerika natojite. Ikantikea kakinte: “Jame oanaje akenapojigeti ironea oshekatakaji natojite.” Arikea ikantajiri itsipajiakaka chapinki: “Jame.”

Arikea ikatimatanaja, yoanaji, ikenanaji tomirishiki itonkotonkogetanaji otsempigepojakageti. Ari ipitsekakotanake. Arikea itineokitanake ontaniki tomirishiki. Ari osabinkagitetanake ari yogabitiro aisa. Ari itaseagetanake ari itoanake kamona ishekatanakaka. Ari yarejegetanajaro oyapigepojakageti. Arikea iperatapoja masasaro, ikanti: “Ari nonchookataje naatimpa okaniki.”

Ikantiri kakinte: “Intsijate.” Ari yojokanakeri. Arikea iraaka osheki. Ikajemanake iraakageti: “Masasarooo.”

Irirakea kakinte ari yojokapanajantiri yoayoaibaetanaji ontaniki ikenapojigeti chapinki. Yamenagetanajiro okantashitatiagitejabaetanake, osamerenkajenkabaetanake. Arikea tee intsatajeroji kero ichookakeni irigentijegite. Ari ikenanake, yanijigitini. Itsake irarejetajemparo ichookabetakageti teekeratageti anankempa. Teekea intsatajeroji. Arikea iperatapoja kamaarini, ikanti: “Naatimpa ari nonchookapojaje akaniki.”

Ikantirikea: “Intsijate.” Ari yojokanakeri, ikejetakaanakari masasaro yojokanakeri.

Iriokea itsipajianaja tsieri, kobiroti irisati joajoati, yoayoaitanaji. Ari yoabaetanaji ontaniki oyapiki. Irirakea kakinte tee intsateroji kero ichookakeni aisa kero inkenanajeni iroanakeni irorijite okantashitatiagitetanakero obonkanakageti, osamerenkagitejabaetanakero. Ishitejajianaja ojaaki yarejebaetaja ontaniki iroshigetapojajigeti ichookabegitanigeti teekeratageti anankempaji. Ari itineokijiake. Osabinkagitetanakegeti, ari yogabitanajiro aisa ari iperatapojaka, ikantajigiri: “Ari anchookajige akaniki.” Arikea ichookajiaji ipeakaajiaja itsobironakite aisa ikatsikegetaji. Ari ichookataji itsipajiajari kobiroti irisati tsieri, joajoati, ikantiri: “Jame ankatsiketaje onchookagetanajeniji achopekitepae aisa aintochapakipae aatonijite atsipejiajaro atase. Aato okejeta achookatimokitirogeti natojite. Atsipetakitaro atase pashinimpa otashitankarika kobiroti. Otashitimentakero ochopekite yaitsitapojirogeti. Irotarite imaika anchookajiaje kameetsa. Aato aitsitanajitsi.”

Jero imaika notsabetantakeka, ari obegarapojaka. Imaika chaajanikiri, aato paitsitanti. Aato pikejetari kobiroti yaitsitantakegeti. Yaitsitakero natojite, otashitakeri aisa tsieri okamporejakeri. Aatomegeti yaitsitantime, aato otashitirime. Abiatimpa chaajanikiri mana pamanantake taaka opajitapae chookajiankitsika irashipae pigonoro aatonijite ikatsimajitimpi.

Aisa chaajanikiri, aato pikatsimatiri papichaajanikiriteni. Aato pikejetari kamaarini. Ikatsimakeri itsipajiakaka, ikantiri: “Nokantimpitsi tsiitorek.” Osheki ikatsimatashigetakari itsipapae. Abiatimpa aato pikatsimatabakaajiaka. Kameetsa pintsipajiakempari papichaajanikiriteni. Kameetsa pintsipajiakempari aisa pigentijegite aisa pitsiojite. Pishinejiakempa, pintsipajiakempari pigonoropae. Pinkatsimakerigeti, aato pichookati kameetsa aisa aato itsipatimpi.

Chaajanikiri, pinkejekempari kakinte tsipajiakarika kobiroti aisa tsieri irisati joajoati. Yamajiajiri irosati yarejetaja, ichookajiapojaji igintenijiapojaka. Ari pinkejekempa abiatimpa chaajanikiripae. Pintsipatakempari itsipapae kantashitatiagetankitsika. Imaika teron tsabetsatsarentsi

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Long Ago When it Flooded

Today I am going to tell a story about long ago when it flooded across the entire Earth. There was a shaman. He told them, he said: “One day the entire Earth will flood. Those that live here, those on land, all those that live on land will die.” And so there were all of the spider monkeys and the songbirds, all those that walked on all fours and those that slithered, those that were not accustomed to the river. Then the shaman said: “Now it will rain.” And it rained tsintyakiririri, a massive, endless rain jiririri. In the distance lightning peeled tsijerek, and thunder reverberated from the headwaters taan. And so it rained endlessly jiririri. And so the streams rose. Then came the flood, not flowing any longer but like a calm spot in the river.

Then the shaman fetched buoyant tree trunks, and he nailed them together, and also the lower reaches of the branches of the peach palm, and its trunk, he placed up high, on top. Then he tied it to a tree, where its crest came to an end. So he remained. And there was his brother. He grabbed a raft and nailed it in such a way that it was incredibly broad across its surface. He also joined it with the lower reaches of the branches of the peach palm, that went underneath. And so he embarked with spider monkey, and also snake and squirrel monkey, and also white-fronted capuchine and the bird masasaro. He placed everyone in. So they remained.

He tied his brother in and pulled it taught, and he said to him: “Brother, grab me from the raft if the water level drops.”

And he said to him: “Yes, I will grab you from the raft.” And he said to the lizard matinkori: “Tie it up well.” So she tied it, pulled it taught, and tied in his brother one loop at a time.

His brother said to him: “Brother, now I am going to go over there where it ends, where the base of things is. I am going to go and see how things are and come back.” And so he went away.

He the brother saw that the trees were collapsing in landslides, and he began to eat a demonic shavemereto fish [Sp. paco]. He followed various routes along the river, going along like a fish. He ate all sorts of things. Once he was about to eat one on the raft, but saw that it had thorns because it was the lower part of a branch of the peach palm. He didn't eat it. And so he said to his brother: “Brother, I am going to over there slightly downriver. I am going to and see how things are over there where it ends, where the river enters into a cave. Pay attention, brother, pull it taught so that it does not come apart if the water level drops.”

Then all those who had embarked said to him: “Move it, go and fetch the lizard's liana that we can fasten it with.” So he went and asked her for it and she gave it to him and he came back. Then he pulled it taught as the lizard held on to it. So they were tying off all of their vessels in the water.

Then the snakes got angry with each other. He said to him: “Get back, or I'll pinch you tsiitorek.” Then the one who had placed them on the raft said to them: “Do not get angry with each other. Be quiet or you'll make the river rise and it will come apart on us.” So they remained for many days.

In the meantime his brother went away over there to the base of the river. He disappeared jeoc, arrived after some distance over there and upon arrival saw the cave was plugged shut where the river enters. He saw the marabinti bird standing and, as was his habit, picking at and throwing out tree branches, and also the leaves and fronds of trees. And so he said to him: “It's plugged shut.”

He said: “Yes, come quick, help me unplug it so that the water level drops.” And so he helped him, picking and throwing things out. He saw that it was plugged with the debris of fronds and tree leaves. After some time they unplugged it shepirek. And immediately it came unplugged shepirek. And so the river went in again.

Marabinti said to him: “Thank you for helping me. Now it is entering again.”

Then he said to him: “Now watch it carefully from here on out, be sure to keep it clear of debris so that it does become like that again, so that it does not flood again.”

Marabinti said: “I am the one whom God has given who regularly keeps this cave clear of debris so that it does not plug the cave where the river enters. I keep it clear of debris for long periods without rest.”

Then he said: “Now I'm off.” And so he hurried back disappearing jeoc, arrived over there at his house, landing on the roof tijen, and upon arrival saw that the water level was dropping. But it went back away fast sooo, and he said to his brother: “Brother, the water level is dropping. Be alert or you'll let it come apart, it will take you away over there where it enters [into the cave].”

Then those that had embarked said to him: “Watch it.” Immediately the water began to go away, it flowed away sooo, it went away and the current became strong. At that moment it came apart tsatik, and he began to shout: “Brother, hurry and grab me from the raft!” He reached for him in the raft but fell short, he had almost caught him, and he shouted: “Jeee, jeee, brother, I'm going to drown completely!” And so he went away in the raft sooo, floating away. He went far away, until reaching a place over there where the natojite cannibals lived. (They also call them majimerojite.) He made contact with the shore as the raft rubbed against the small pebbles tsekin and it felt as if a rock had moved underfoot paraigerek, and he saw that his surroundings were different, there was lots of smoke rising in the air. He reached the other side of the river scraping ashore tsekin. There they remained, building their houses. They ate what they had each brought with them from over there where they had lived slightly upriver.

Then their food ran out. And he said: “Now the food has run out. Where will we get something to eat?” And he said to white capuchin: “You, get going over there to the other side of the river to ask for plantains and manioc so that we do not die from hunger, so that we can eat.”

And white capuchin said: “Sure.”

So he went away and crossed to the other side of the river with brown capuchin. When they reached the other side, he said to brown capuchin: “How are we going to ask for plantains?”

He said to him: “Maybe we'll find someone who has some, and we'll call them cannibal. Then if something is lying on the ground, we'll say to her: 'Cannibal, cook it so we can eat it later.'” And so they went, and when they got there they saw her warming herself by the cooking fire lying down. They crept up on her with slow, quiet footsteps shiririri, and they arrived near at her back and called out to her: “Hello, cannibal.”

She came to at once, turned around saw them standing there, and said to them: “It's you, human.”

He said to her: “Yes, it's me, I've come. I said: 'I'm going to go visit her.'”

And she said: “Here I am.”

Then he saw gourds piled up, and said to her: “Cannibal, split your gourd open so that we can eat it.”

She said right back to him: “Human, go ahead and split it open for me. I'll be sure to give you some when it is cooked.”

Then he said to her: “Cannibal, you go and fetch water for it.” And she grabbed her clay pot and left. He blew shooo, and she went off a long ways along the rocky beach jmm.

And so he split open the gourd tsekak tsekak and it fell open kotarek. Then brown capuchin quickly grabbed the seeds and put them in his ear. He put them in another as well so that he could take them away and plant them over there where they lived once they got there...so that he could plant them so that they could come to have their own.

He finished splitting them open and laid them on the ground to give to her. Then he turned around and saw plantains strung up on lines, and he said to brown capuchin: “Unstring them, take them. Let's go, go ahead before the cannibal comes, she'll kill us for this.” Brown capuchin stood unstrung the plantains and strung them on his arm shintsá shintsá shintsá. He did it quickly. White capuchin sent him ahead, saying to him: “Move it, go quickly!” And so he went, and took many plantains shiintsaaa.

The cannibal had gone far off along the rocky beach jmm. It was taking her longer than usual to reach the river to fetch water for her gourds. But she did arrive at the river and collected water. Then she came back. In the meantime white capuchin had taken the plantains, he had unstrung what had been strung up everywhere and draped them from his arm as if they were caught on a forked stick in the river...he ended up with a massive quantity strung up. Then he hurried away tsein and reached the edge of the clearing. He called out to her, he said to her: “Cannibal, look at me.” She turned around and looked, and said: “Ooo, the human has stolen my plantains!” She grabbed her shuttle and hurled it at him sooo but it missed him. She nearly hit him, nearly grazed him his skin with her shuttle. While she did that he laughed jejejejeje: “You didn't know before that I was going to steal your plantains.” She had missed him, nearly hitting him, and he leaped into the undergrowth of the forest jaran. And she said: “The human has stolen my plantains.”

He took them to the other side of the river, he forded the river with them, and when he arrived he placed and they came to untied shintsarek, and he said: “Here they are.” He blew on them shooo and they came to lie out in one direction plump and mounded one on top of the other. Then they ate. So they remained for many days eating. They cleared land, burned it, and planted plantains and manioc, the gourds that brown capuchin had brought, that he had put away in his ear. Then the plantains that white capuchin had gone to fetch ran out, and he said: “The plantains have run out. What will we eat?”

“Go back and get the cannibal's plantains.” And so he went back again, it was like when he had gone a few days prior. When he got there he saw the cannibal warming herself by the fire, he approached her stealthily shiririri, came close to her back, and called to her: “Hello, cannibal.”

Then she said, somewhat worried: “Hello, human. Where are you off to?”

He said: “Nowhere, I said: 'I'm going to go visit the cannibal.''

She said: “I see, well have a seat, you've come a ways.”

Then he said to her: “Cannibal, are those your gourds what's piled up over there?”

She said: “Yes, that's them.”

And he said to her: “Cannibal, split them open.”

She said: “Human, you go ahead and split them open for me, I'm going to go fetch water for them.”

Then he said: “Sure.” And so he grabbed them and split them open. He did it in the same way, placing them [their seeds] in brown capuchin's ear. Then when she went away, he said to brown capuchin: “Go, unstring her plantains.” So brown capuchin stood up, unstrung them, and strung them on his arm. And he said to him: “Get a move on it now! Go ahead before the cannibal comes, aaa she'll hit you for this.” And so white capuchin ran off with the plantains, he went off with ripe plantains to the edge of the clearing. There he stood still. In the meantime white capuchin had stolen the plantains, he had unstrung them much to the cannibal's detriment. He went back carrying the plantains on his back. He went some distance to the edge of the clearing, and called to her: “Cannibal, look at me.” She turned around, looked, and said: “The human has robbed me!” She grabbed her shuttle and threw it but it missed him. She nearly hit him, and leaped into the undergrowth jaran. He went back over there and crossed the river to where they were staying. When he arrived he set the plantains down and they came unstrung shintsarek, and he said: “Here are the plantains. Now eat up.” And so he blew on them shooo, and the result was a mound of them all quite plump. The stayed for many months there where they had stayed, over there where the cannibals lived. They were happy and ate.

Then they ran out again. And white capuchin said: “The food has run out. I am not going to go back now. Squirrel monkey should go, and he will accompany brown capuchin just as I did, since he went to see her and I accompanied him.”

And brown capuchin said, uneasily: “Sure, I'll go.” And he went away, crossing the river with him. They went away, crossing to the other side of the river where the cannibals lived. He crept up on her shiririri, came to stand close at her back, and called out to her: “Hello, cannibal.”

Then she said to him: “It's you, human. What're you off to do?”

Then he said to her: “Nothing, I simply said: 'I'm going to go check up on the cannibal.'”

She said to him: “I see, well have a seat.”

Then he saw her gourds lying on the ground. And he said to her: “Cannibal, split open your gourds.”

And she said to him: “Human, better you split them open for me.”

And he said to her: “Sure.”

And she said: “I'm going to go fetch water.” And she grabbed her clay pot and went to fetch water for them.

Afterwards he split them open and placed each of their seeds in his ear. He saw that she had gone off to fetch water at the river. And he said to squirrel monkey: “Unstring her plantains.” Right away squirrel monkey stood up, unstrung them, and strung them on his arm. He stood with them all strung up in that way. Then brown capuchin stood up and unstrung them. He proceeded in the same fashion and strung them on his arm. When he had finished, he went away to a spot very nearby, and shouted: “Cannibal, I'm stealing your plantains!” She turned around, looked in that direction, and said: “Ooo, he is stealing my plantains. Now I will definitely hit him and eat him.” She grabbed her shuttle and in the same motion hurled it at squirrel monkey and hit him taan. It came a long ways hit him on the nape of his neck taan, and he cried out: “Aaa!” In the same instant he died, trembling somewhat tiinkininini and then giving out metok. Then she grabbed another of her shuttles and hurled it at brown capuchin taan. So he died, trembling somewhat tiinkininini and then giving out metok, falling over with what he had attempted to carry off shintsaren. Then she ran up and dragged him away and roasted him over the fire, singing his fur tsijererere. Then she gutted him cleared his intestines, but saw that he had no fat. She returned his intestines placing them back in their bellies. Then she did the same to brown capuchin. With him she roasted his head tsijererere and picked off his fur pije pije. She turned him over onto his forehead, his hairline had receded leaving him bald on the top of his head. And so she did the same to him. She gutted him but saw that he had no fat. So she blew on him shooo, and with that he came to tankorek, and he saw the cannibal standing there. And she said to him: “Now go.”

So he went back stumbling away alongside squirrel monkey. He had come to have the scent of a squirrel monkey because the cannibal had roasted him, and brown capuchin had come to smell like a brown capuchin. They arrived over there where they were staying and saw that, ooo, the cannibal had roasted them. He had the scent of a squirrel monkey and also his hair was completely singed. And he said to him: “What happened to you?”

He said to him: “The cannibal roasted me.”

Then white capuchin said to him: “Had you not called out so soon, you would have been able to get away into the forest. That's how you should have called out.”

Then he said: “What are we going to eat? We're going to die from hunger.”

Then white capuchin said: “I will go and get the cannibal's plantains.” And so he went, crossed to the other side of the river, and when he got there he found her lying down warming herself by the fire. He crept up on her shiririri, came to stand close at her back, and called out to her: “Hello, cannibal.”

With that she came tankorek. And she said: “It's you, human.”

And he said to her: “Yes, it's me.”

She said to him: “Did you see your companions? I hit them, I hit them for taking my plantains, they stole them from me, but not in the way that they expected. I roasted them, but they had no fat. If they were fatty, I would eat them. I roasted them, and I cleared squirrel monkey's intestines.”

He said: “Yes, I saw them. I said: 'What happened to you? You have no hair on your forhead.' He said: 'It's nothing, the cannibal roasted me.'” Then white capuchin said to her: “Cannibal, split open your gourds.”

She said to him: “Human, split them open for me.” So he grabbed them and right away split them down the middle tsekak and they fell open kotarek. And she said: “I'm going to go fetch water for them. I'll cook them and give you some for you to eat.” So she went away and grabbed her clay pot to fetch water for her gourds to cook with. He saw her going away with his back to him, stood up, and unstrung her plantains, the cannibal's plantains. He strung them on his arm...he ended up with a massive quantity strung up. Then he hurried away, and stood far off on the edge of the clearing, and called out to her, saying: “Cannibal, look at me.” She turned around and saw that he had stolen her plantains. She grabbed what she had hit brown capuchin with and hurled it at him, but it missed him, and he leaped into the undergrowth jaran. Then he went back and crossed the river to the other side. He took the plantains and set them down shintsaren, and he said: “Here they are, cook them so we can eat them.” And he said to brown capuchin: “You should have gone and done it and come back like this, you should have brought some. But instead the cannibal hit you, she just roasted you.” And so he began to laugh at him ijí ijí ijí, and he said: “Don't steal again. Look at how the cannibal roasted you. If she hadn't, she would've eaten you, and you would not have seen another day. She would have killed you, she would have killed you over the plantains.”

Then he said: “Yes, I will not go back to her house now to do that, she could kill me for real. I see now that it is incredibly painful. I'm done going there. I will just stay here. I will not rob the cannibal of her plantains again because they're hers, I will just stay here.”

Then the man thought, and he said: “You know we are not accustomed to the environment here. It's been very different since we arrived, it's not like where we used to live over there upriver in the headwaters. We ate our own things. Things are the way they are now because the flood waters began to come, and they brought us here on that raft. Now ooo, we really are going to suffer from hunger in this place because we have nothing of our own, instead we steal the cannibal's plantains from her. That's what we're eating. How are we going to live here now where the cannibals live?” And the man said: “Let's go back upriver and see everyone again. We'll back along and clear a path, we'll go along through the forest until we arrive over there where we came from.” So they began to think about going back to where they had come from originally. And they were very downcast.

Then, on the next day, they looked over there to the other side of the river, and there was a lot of smoke rising from cooking fires, there had come to be a very large number of houses and also there were many women. Many people were walking about in all directions where the cannibals lived. They went and saw that it was where she had roasted brown capuchin a few days prior. He got scared, and said: “They might eat us.” Then they saw the flood waters come in around their houses. The river entered and did not recede until two weeks had passed. Things dried out again, the water receded from each place but the women were left pregnant. And there they were on the other side of the river. And he said to him: “Go back and get plantains.”

White capuchin said: “Sure, I'll go back and see the cannibal.” And so he went to where he had gone to see her a few days prior, and when he got there he saw that she was there sitting. Then she looked, and there was the human coming.

And she said to him: “If it isn't you again, human.”

He said to her: “Yes, it's me. You're here, cannibal?”

She said: “Yes, I'm here.” Then she had him sit down and told him about various things, saying to him then: “Human, I am going to tell you something, I am going to be generous towards you so that you aware of things.”

He said to her: “Sure, tell me.”

She said to him: “Here where you have come, things are not good. I am not used to accompanying men. I eat men. Women on the other hand, yes, them I accompany. Now my fellow canibals who are pregnant, when they give birth, if it's a boy that they give give birth to, they take him straight away and cook him and eat him. There is not a single male. If it's a woman, yes, they take her, and of them there'll be many. They only eat their placentas.” Then she said to him: “I tell you this so that you'll know about it. I am very giving, that's why I have let you know. But my fellow cannibals, when they see you, they will hit you and eat you because they do not want men. They've tired of them a great deal.”

And he said to her: “I see, I didn't know. But now that you tell me I do know. This is how you all are.” And right after he said to her: “But let me ask you: 'How is it that each of you becomes pregnant and are so numerous?'”

And she said to him: “It's that our husbands are the monsters that live in the river. If we want to have children, the flood waters begin to rise around us and we all enter into the river. We stay in the water accompanying the river monsters. Then when we have finished with him impregnating us [lit., with him making them, i.e., our children, exist for us], the water level drops again and we all come out light. In this way we remain and wait until we each separately give birth.”

He said to her: “Ah, I see, now I know. I'm very afraid, you could eat me.”

And she said to him: “Yes, now that I know well, I'm going to eat you.”

Then he got scared, and said to the cannibal: “Now you'll give me your plantains?”

She said to him: “Yes, I'll give you some.”

She grabbed some for him, unstrung them and laid them on the ground for him, and he said to her: “Thank you, cannibal. Now if you could split open your gourds...”

She said: “Go ahead and split them open for me.” Then he grabbed some and split them open for her tsekak and they fell open kotarek, and she said: “I'm going to go fetch water for them.” And she left.

Because he was scared her hurried in collecting the plantains and stringing them up on his hand. And so he went away, and stood still far off at the edge of the clearing, and he called back to her: “Cannibal, I'm off.” She turned around, looked at him, and said: “There's the human, he's stolen my plantains from me.” She grabbed her shuttle and hurled it at him as she lunged forward but she was unable to hit him.

Then he went back and crossed to the other side of the river, going back to where they were staying. Then he set them down shintsaren. And so he blew on them shooo, and the result was a mound of them all quite plump. And they ate. He told them what the cannibal had told him. And the man said: “Come on, let's go back to where we came from before the cannibals eat us.” And those that he had been accompanying during the previous few days said in response: “Let's go.”

And so they hurried away, they went back, they went along in the forest ascending and descending different mountains. They halted as night fell. And they slept there in the forest. Morning came and they continued again. Then they each began to get hungry, and so they felled a kamona palm which they began to eat. So they each began to arrive back in the headwaters. When they got there the masasaro bird tired, and said: “I'm going to stay here.”

The man said to him: “Go ahead.” So he left him behind. And then he began to cry a great deal. He shouted as he cried: “Masasarooo.”

The man left him behind and pressed on as they all went a long ways back there from where they had recently come. He saw that his surroundings had changed considerably, everything had been cleared of brush entirely. But he didn't know where his brother was. So he kept on, he walked for a long while. He knew he would arrive where they had lived before it had flooded. But he didn't recognize things. Then snake tired, and he said: “I'm going to stay here.”

And he said to him: “Go ahead.” So he left him behind, just as he had with the masasaro bird when he left him behind.

He was left accompanying squirrel monkey, brown and white capuchin, and they went back. They went far away there to the headwaters. But the man did not know where he was or what route to follow because the encroachment of the floodwaters had changed the surrounding area so much, it had cleared the area of brush entirely. They followed the edge of the river and after some distance arrived back there where they had almost lived forever before it had flooded. And they slept. In the morning, they continued on again and when they got there they tired, and he said to them: “We're going to stay here.” And so they remained there building their houses and clearing land. There he remained along with brown capuchin and squirrel, white capuchin, and he said to them: “Let's clear land again so that we have our plantains and different sorts of manioc, so we don't suffer from hunger. It won't be like it was when we went to live among the cannibals. There we suffered from hunger, that's why she roasted brown capuchin. She roasted him over the plantains when he had come to steal them from her. Because of that we must live well now. We will not steal again.”

Here now is my story, thus it ends. Now children, don't steal. Don't be like brown capuchin when he stole. He stole from the cannibal, she roasted him, and also she gutted squirrel monkey. If he hadn't stolen, she wouldn't have roasted him. Instead, you, children, ask for whatever it is that your fellow Caquintes have so that they do not get upset with you.

Also, children, to do not get angry at the other children you go around with. Do not be like snake. He got angry with the ones he was accompanying, he said to them: “Watch out or I'll bite you.” He got very angry with the others, but for no good reason. Do not quarrel amongst yourselves. Accompany the other children you go around with well. Accompany them well, as well as your brothers and sisters. Be happy, accompany your fellow Caquintes. If you get angry at them, you will not live well, and others will not accompany you.

Children, be like the man who accompanied brown capuchin and squirrel monkey and white capuchin. He brought them back until they arrived back there, and they stayed and created a community. That's how you should be, you children. Accompany others who are different from you in different ways. Now that is the end of the story, the end teron.