Fox Tales

Tu̱'un na̱ ñuu Nu̠ú Tiaxín

2
 Kuénto Yu̠kui ̠i

Fox Tales

Tu̱'un na̱ ñuu Nu̠ú Tiaxín

Western Juxtlahuaca Mixtec

Third edition:
April 2022
 © 2022 by J N Martin

Original stories by:

Serapia Matamoros Perea
Fidela Rodriguez
Rebeca Rodriguez

Editing by:
Demetrio Zurita Quiroz

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License

“Donkey’s Name” originally published as Burro Lindo in

Coicoyán de las Flores

Images based on "Arte para la Alfabetizacion en Mexico", ©

2012 by Instituto Linguístico de Verano, A.C., used under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.es
 Table of Contents

Donkey‘s Name 1

Fox and Dog 7

A Fox Tale 19

A Better Boss 26
 Iyo kua̱ 'a tiempo ta sa̠ kan kua̱ 'a nu'u xí'in
kití. Ta sa̱ va̱'a Ntioxi̱ iin tia̱ a naní Adan.

A long time ago, when the earth and the

animals had just been made, God created a man
called Adam.

1
 Ta ni̱ka̱ 'a̱ n mií Ntioxi̱ xí'in Adan na chi̱ka̠ a̱ -
ra̠ ki̱ví kití. Ta iin iin-rí ya'a. Ta nta̱ a̱ nu̱ u ntí'i
íntichi mií uru.

And God told Adam to name all of the

animals. They passed by one at a time. At the
very end was the donkey.
2
Ta kusií ini cha-rí xa̱ a̱ -rí ni̠'í-rí ki̱ví-rí. Ta kuyachin
-rí nu̱ u Adan sa kachi-rí saa,
“Na̱ xa kunaní yu̱ 'u̱ ?”
“Ntuvi kunaní-un,” ka̠ chi Adan xí'in-rí.

It was so delighted that the time had finally

arrived for it to receive its name. It approached
Adam and said,
“What will I be called?”
“You’ll be called Lovely,” Adam answered.

3
Ta kusií ini-rí chi Ntuvi kunaní-rí. Ta kantita-rí
xínu-rí kua̱ 'a̱ n-rí. Ta kíxa̱ a̱ -rí ra xa̱ nta̱ ntoso-rí
na̱ xa naní-rí.

It was very excited that it would be called Lovely.

Off it went, leaping and galloping. When it
arrived, though, it had forgotten its name.

4
 Ta nti̠'i saa ra, “Na̱ xa naní-i̠ kachi-un?”
“Ntuvi naní-un,” ka̠ chi Adan.
Ta xínu-rí kua̱ 'a̱ n-rí. Ta kíxa̱ a̱ -rí xa̱ nta̱ ntoso tuku
-rí na̱ xa naní-rí.

Again it asked, “What did you say I’m

called?”
“You’re called Lovely,” said Adam.
Off it went running. When it arrived, though, it
had again forgotten what it was called.

5
 Ta ichí u̱ ni̱ ki̱xa̠a̱ tuku-rí ra, “Na̱ xa naní-i̠
kachi-un?”
“Uru naní-un chi kokínto̱ o mií ki̱ví-un xi̱ní-
un,” ka̠ chi Adan xí'in-rí.
Na̱ ikan ki̱nto̠ o ki̱ví-rí kuu-a̠ uru.

A third time it arrived, asking, “What did

you say I’m called?”
“You’re called Donkey because your name
won’t stick in your head,” Adam responded.
And that’s how the Donkey got its name.

6
 Fox and Dog

Iyo iin na̠ ti̠na, ra, ntee ntiuxí sa̠ na̠ -na̠ .

There was a dog and his owners had chickens.

7
Kíxa̠ a̠ yu̠ kui̠i kí'in-rí ntiuxí. Koxíni̠-a̠ ti̠na nta̠ 'yu̠ -
a̠ . Kua̠ 'a̠ n ntiuxí, kua̠ 'a̠ n ntiuxí, kua̠ 'a̠ n ntiuxí.

The fox would come and take the chickens. The

dog didn’t know how to bark. The fox would
take the chickens, one by one.

8
Ki̠xaa na̠ yuví, xi̠tǒ 'o na̠ ti̠na ikan, ntukue̠ 'e̠ -na̠ .
Sâ a-na̠ xí'in-a̠ . Kani-na̠ na̠ ti̠na. "Na̠ chun kuu ti̠na
yo'o íyo-rí konta'yu̠ -rí? Nu̠ u ntiuxí, ra, kua̠ 'a̠ n iin
iin ntiuxí xaxí nti'i yu̠ kui̠i ntiuxí," kachi-na̠ .

The dog‘s owners began to get angry. They were

mad at him. They hit the dog. “What is the point
of having this dog if he doesn‘t bark? We‘re
losing all our chickens, soon that fox will have
eaten them all,“ they said.

9
Kotaxi-na̠ xi̠ta kuxi-a̠ ti̠na. Xí'i̠-a̠ so̠ ko̠ . Kulako-na̠
ti̠na koo mií kantiee-na̠ , ntuva-na̠ .

They didn‘t give the dog tortillas to eat. The dog

was so hungry. The dog lost weight and didn‘t
have any strength.

10
Ikan kua̠ 'a̠ n-na̠ ni̠xa̠ a̠ -na̠ íyo-na̠ nu̠ u ntí̂í. Iin ntí̂í
nta̠ sa̠ a-na̠ na'a. Na'a ni̠tu̠ ví ku̠ u-a̠ ka̠ na na̠ nti̠í a
ka̠ a̠ 8 a ka̠ a̠ 7 ntaa ora kana na̠ nti̠í. Ikan íntu'u -
na̠ , nu̠ u ntí̂í.

The dog went and found a sunny place to lay

down. The dog warmed himself in the sun. The
sun came up at around 7 or 8 and the dog was
already laying there in a sunny spot.

11
Ikan ka̠ na rí yu̠ kui̠i, ka'a̠ n-rí xí'in-a̠ , "Na̠ ke nto'o-
un nani-i̠, na̠ ke nto'o-un íntu'u-un yo'o? Iyo ta̠ ti
ini-un, na̠ xa nto'o-un?" kachi-rí xí'in-a̠ .

That’s when the fox came by, and he said, “What’s

wrong with you, my brother, that you are lying
here like this? You are so sad, what is going on?”
he said to him.

12
"Kua̠ chi̠ yo'o̠ kuu-na̠ ! Kuxa̠ a̠ -un xaxí nti'i-un
ntiuxí sa̠ na̠ na̠ ve'e-i̠. Xaxí nti'i-un ntiuxí sa̠ na̠ na
xi̠tǒ 'o-i̠. Na̠ kan ke ntukue̠ 'e̠ -na̠ xí'in-i̠. Sâ a-na̠
xí'in-i̠. Kotaxi-na̠ kuxi-yu̠ . Xí'i̠-yu̠ so̠ ko̠ . Kuni̠ kuvi̠
-yu̠ . Kuntiee ka ini-i̠, xí'i̠-i̠ so̠ ko̠ vichin. Xa̠ 'a yo'o̠
kuu-na̠ ! Kua̠ chi̠ yo'o̠ kuu-na̠ !" kachi ti̠na xí'in rí
yu̠ kui̠i.

“It’s your fault! You’re always showing up and

eating all of the chickens at my house. You’re
eating all of my owners’ chickens. That’s why
they’re mad at me. They’re angry with me. They
don’t give me anything to eat. I’m so hungry, I
won’t last much longer. I’m so very, very hungry.
They’re mad at me because of you!” he said.

13
"Oo. A saa va? Va̠ 'a chi kuanu'u-un. Kuanu'u-un,
ra, too ra, na xa̠ a̠ tuku-i̠ ki'in-i̠ ntiuxí sa̠ na̠ -na̠ . Iin
ta xíni so̠ 'o-un ni̠nta̠ 'yu̠ ntiuxí ikan, saa nta̠ 'yu̠ -un
tu̠ vi-un kuntu'u-un, ra saa ntakoo-i̠ ntiuxí, ra saa
kua̠ 'a̠ n-i̠, ra, taxi-na̠ kuxi-un," kachi-rí xí'in ti̠na.

“Oh, is that so? Alright, well, you go back home.

You go back home, and in a little while I’ll show
up again and grab one of their chickens. Now, as
soon as you hear the chicken squawk, you start
barking, and I’ll let go of the chicken and run off.
Then they’ll give you something to eat,” he said to
him.
14
Ta xa̠ ku̠ nǔ u ki̠xa̠a̠ ntixa mií yu̠ kui̠i. Iin ti̠in-rí
ntiuxí iin ni̠nta̠ 'yu̠ kuenta ntiuxí. Iin ni̠nta̠ 'yu̠ na̠
ti̠na, kuni̠ kuvi̠ iin xíkotuví mií-a̠ yo'o nta'yu̠ -a̠ .
Iin nta̠ koo-rí ntiuxí kua̠ 'a̠ n-rí.

That night, the fox arrived as planned. He

grabbed a chicken and the chicken squawked
and squawked. The dog yelped and barked so
hard he nearly fell over. The fox dropped the
chicken and took off.

15
Ku̠ sí̌i ini kuenta na̠ yuví, xi̠tǒ 'o na̠ ti̠na. "Nta'vi ví ti̠na
sa̠ na̠ -ntu̠ . Tí koxíni̠ kuu ti̠na sa̠ na̠ -ntu̠ , na̠ kan ke
konta'yu̠ -rí, konínto̠ o ntiuxí, ra vichin xi̠ni̠-rí, ni̠nta̠ ’yu-
rí, ni̠nto̠ o ntiuxí sa̠ na̠ -ntu̠ ."

The dog's owners were delighted. "What a great dog.

That dog of ours, who didn't bark, well look at him! He
figured it out and saved our chickens."

16
Ku̠ sí̌i ini-na̠ . Ta̠ xi-na̠ xi̠ta xíxi na̠ ti̠na, saa ntu̠ va̠ 'a
ti̠na.

They were delighted. They gave the dog tortillas to

eat and he got nice and fat.

17
Saa ntatu'un-na̠ xa̠ 'a yu̠ kui̠i. Iyo kuento-rí.

And so ends the tale of that fox, or one of them,

anyway.

18
 A Fox Tale

Ntatu'un-na̠ xa̠ 'a rí yu̠ ku̠ ii ikan.

They tell about that fox.

19
 Ntuku-rí muso kachínu-na̠ xí'in-rí.

It was looking for workers to work for it.

20
 Ku̠ 'u̠ n-na̠ ka̠ xi̠n-na̠ iin ku'u ka'nu.

They would go and cut down some big plants.

21
 Ka'ntia-na̠ xí'in yu̠ chi̠, ka'ntia-na̠ xí'in yacha,
na̠ yuví kua̠ 'a.

They would cut with machetes, they would cut with

hatchets. Lots of people whould be needed.

22
"Kixi-nto xí'in-i̠, ku̠ 'u̠ n-nto kachínu-nto xí'in-i̠.
Kixi-nto xí'in-i̠, ku̠ 'u̠ n-nto kachínu-nto xí'in-i̠."

"Come with me, you will go and work with me.

Come with me, you will go and work with me."

23
"Ku̠ nu̠ yaa, ku̠ nu̠ yaa kuxi-nto," kachi rí yu̠ kui̠i, kachi-na̠ .

"Chicken breast, chicken breast, you will eat,"

said the fox, they say.

24
Suu ta ni̠xa̠ a̠ ora kuxi-na̠ ku̠ nu̠ yaa koníni̠'í-rí ku̠ nu̠ yaa
kuxi-na̠ , kachi-na̠ .

But when the time came to eat chicken, the fox hadn't
gotten any at all, they say.

25
26
 A Better Boss

Ta iinka rí kontí̌i, “Ku̠ 'u̠ n-nto xí'in-i̠,” ntuku-rí na̠ yuví

ku̠ 'u̠ n-na̠ kachínu-na̠ xí'in-rí.

Another animal, the praying mantis, said, “Go with

me,” looking for workers to go and work with it.

“Ku̠ 'u̠ n-nto xí'in-i̠. Koo na̠ 'a xíxi-i̠. Kuxi-nto yuva va
xí'in-i̠ ra̠ nta'vi kuu-i̠. Koo na̠ 'a ni̠'í-i̠ kuxi-nto ku̠ 'u̠ n-nto
kachínu-nto xí'in-i̠,” kachi-rí kontí̌i.

“Go with me. I don’t have anything to eat. You’ll eat

greens with me for I am poor. I have nothing to give
you to eat if you go and work with me,” the praying
mantis said.
27
Rí kontí̌i, ra, ku̠ chinu rí ikan. Iyo-rí nu̠ u yuyuvi nu̠ u
ínuu-rí, nu̠ u iin yu̠ ku̠ , su'va íyo rí kontí̌i. Ikan yuyuvi
íyo ti̠kuí̌i ikan ki̠xa̠ a̠ -na̠ isu ntíkaa̠ -e xí'i-a̠ ti̠kuí̌i.

The praying mantis, though, was able. It was near a

creek bed, sitting on a leaf. That creek bed had water
and that’s where a deer came by to drink.

28
Ikan nta̠ va rí kontí̌i, ni̠ki̠ta-rí so̠ 'o-e ikan. Ni̠ka̠ ntita-na̠
isu ni̠tu̠ vi-a̠ ka̠ ni-a̠ xi̠ní-a̠ yu̠ u ikan ni̠xi̠'i̠-a̠ .

The praying mantis jumped into the deer’s ear. The

deer leapt and twisted in the air, falling and striking its
head upon a rock, where it died.

29
Ikan nti̠ki̠'in rí kontí̌i na̠ iín-rí-a̠ ku̠ nu̠ xi̠xi
muso-rí, kachi-na̠ .

The praying mantis took the body and the

workers ate meat, they say.

30
Ra saa ntí’i kuenta yu̠ kui̠i xí’in rí kontí̌i.

And so end the stories of the fox and the

praying mantis.

31
32