SSBMI Language Department

Beeteyihí (Storytime)

Booyéem Mowí K’utí Méyt’omatoy      Jackrabbit Gave Antlers to Deer

You can listen to Booyéem Mowí K’utí Méyt’omatoy in Nisenan and English using the controls below.

Booyéem Mowí K’utí Méyt’omatoy (Jackrabbit Gave Antlers to Deer) by Bill Joe

Hac’e Tokk’ook’óm mɨhé pɨyɨtɨhé payyotít’omatoy Hiiweyím.

Burrowing Owl made his children dance Hiwe.

Han payyoc’é Olém ét’omatoy.

Coyote saw them dance.

Han bedok’oywoopáyt’omatoy.

He ran up to them.

Hac’e Tokk’ook’óm tukená ɨmítt’omatoy.

Then Burrowing Owl went into the hole.

Hac’e meemént’omatoy Olém.

Coyote did not catch him.

Han bɨnenéen ét’omatoy Palaalí, Booyée, K’ut’í.

Coyote looked around and saw Cottontail, Jackrabbit, and Deer.

Han Palaalí k’adok’óyt’omatoy Olém.

Coyote pursued Cottontail.

Hac’e Palaalím bedok’oyín tuké ɨmítt’omatoy.

Cottontail ran into a hole.

Hac’e Booyéem mowpét’omatoy, mɨɨm K’ut’é mowpemá beydím.

Jackrabbit had antlers, the antlers that Deer has now.

Hac’e Olém mɨhé k’adok’óyt’omatoy.

Coyote pursued him.

Hac’e Booyéem dɨɨ osaspayhahát’omatoy, mowí wosón.

Jackrabbit ran his head against the brush all the time, being hampered by the antlers.

Hac’e Olém meesán wadáat’omatoy.

Coyote nearly succeeded in catching him.

Hac’e K’ut’ín Olén ham peením wodoytotót’omatoy.

Deer and Coyote fought.

Hac’e Olém wadaatít’omatoy Booyée.

Coyote let Jackrabbit live.

Hac’e Booyéem mowí osipín, “Mi omít, tɨ!” hát’omatoy.

Jackrabbit took the antlers off and said, “You put them on, brother!”.

Hac’e K’ut’ím omítt’omatoy, k’aapém mɨyé beydím.

Deer put them on, and he has them now.

Mɨɨm mɨyém.

That is that.

Hesíbe hedém beeteyím? (What is this story?)

This story was told by William Joseph, a.k.a Bill Joe, a Nisenan man from Amador County, in Nisenan and English to Danish linguist Hans J. Uldall in the 1930s. It was later published under the title "Rabbit Gives Horns to Deer" in the book Nisenan Texts and Dictionary in 1966. In this story, Bill Joe explains how K’ut’ (Deer) got his antlers during Creation Time: Booyée (Jackrabbit), who had his own antlers at that time, grew tired of getting them caught in the brush. After almost being caught and eaten by Olé (Coyote), Booyée gave his antlers to K’ut’!

The SSBMI Language Department has retitled this story in Nisenan and adapted it to share at Beeteyihí (Storytime). The audio recordings that you can listen to here are of Language Department staff member Jonathan Geary reciting this story.

You can access a pdf copy of this story, along with supplementary learning prompts, by clicking here.

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?)

The SSBMI Language Department and Exhibits & Collections Center have adapted Booyéem Mowí K’ut’í Méyt’omatoy into a book!

We asked Shingle Springs Rancheria community youth and adult artists to illustrate the scenes of this story, which now appear in a children's storybook that we published in December 2023 and are excited to share with the SSBMI Tribal Membership. To learn more about the storybook, including to read a digital version of the book and see additional artwork, please click here.

This is the first story that will appear in the SSBMI Nisenan Storytelling Collection, in which we are adapting stories that Nisenan speakers have shared in a format that is more accessible to the SSBMI Tribal Membership and the broader Nisenan community. You can learn more about the SSBMI Nisenan Storytelling Collection by clicking here. Stay tuned for more information about future books in this collection!