Hover over Guaraní morphemes written in purple to see their syntactic function.

Audio for Story #14:

It is said that a boy was born among the Indians.

Nació, dicen que, un niño de entre los indios.

And since he was a little kid he never wanted to put clothes on.

Y desde chiquito no quería luego ponerse ninguna clase de ropa.

Whatever his dad and mom put on him, he would take (it) off again.

Su papá y su mamá lo que le ponían se quitaba (todo) él otra vez.

No thorn pricked him ever, just like those little rabbits.

A él no le hincaba luego espinas, igual que a un conejito.

He would go in running among the karaguata (plants) and then could come out again.

Entraba corriendo entre los karaguatáses y después salía nomás otra vez.

Sometimes he would go very far close to the (Indian) camps.

A veces se iba lejos muy lejos cerca de los otros campamentos.

And after two or three days his parents would bring him back again.

Y dos tres días después su mamá y esos [y otros] le traían otra vez.

After he turned 7 years old,

Después de cumplir 7 años,

he undressed entirely in front of his house

se desnudó todito frente a su casa.

And from then on no one saw him again.

Y desde ahí ya no se le vio más.

After whenever his parents found him again

Después si su mama y su papá le encontraban a él nuevamente

around there, they did not recognize him.

allí por donde andaba, ya ellos no lo reconocían.

After a man from the town Valenzuela, Doctor Pombero, they called him,

Después un señor, del pueblo de Valenzuela, Médico Pombero le decían,

who was in Sapukai, said that his father

que estaba en Sapukai, contó que su papá

had killed someone in the town of Valenzuela long ago.

le había matado a alguien en el pueblo de Valenzuela cuando eso.

(and you know that for long time in our country, if you go into the forest,

(y vos sabes que desde hace tiempo en nuestro país si entras a un monte,

you don’t know where you would go out)

ya no sabes donde irás a salir)

This man killed someone and entered the forest again, it appears.

El señor este asesinó y entró en el monte, había sido.

Then it is said that he went to enter a large camp.

Después dice que se fue a entrar a un campamento grande

And he did not know that there was a camp there.

Y él no sabía que ese campamento se encontraba allí.

He went to speak to the Indian chief:

Se fue a hablar con el cacique:

"This is my case and I couldn’t live with you all."

"Este es mi caso, y no podría vivir con ustedes."

"Okay," the chief said to him, and he stayed to live with them.

"Bueno," le dijo el cacique, y se quedó a vivir con ellos.

They killed small birds, (and) all kinds of forest animals.

Mataban pajaritos, muchas clases de animales del monte.

What the Indians ate, he ate with them. He slept with them.

Lo que comían los indios, él comía con ellos. Dormía con ellos.

Then after almost a month, the chief said to him:

Luego, después un poco antes de cumplir un mes, le dijo el cacique:

"Don’t you want to go to visit your family?"

"¿No querés irte a tu casa a visitarle a tus familiares?"

"I want to, but I am afraid."

"Me quiero ir pero tengo miedo."

"Don’t be afraid," he said to him;

"No tengas miedo," le dijo;

"I will send my son with you."

"yo le voy a mandar contigo a un hijo mío."

He can take care of you,

Que te pueda cuidar a vos,

and then a little Indian without clothes came from under the tent,

y después salió de debajo del toldo un indiecito sin ropa,

but he did not see [the color of] his skin; he put himself next to the man.

pero no le vio su [color de] piel; se puso al lado del señor.

And it is said that when the man came out of the tent,

Y se dice que al salir del campamento el señor,

he did not remember anything anymore.

ya no se acordaba de nada.

"I didn’t know whether I was sleeping

"No sabía si yo estaba durmiendo había sido

or what was happening," he said.

o que lo que estaba pasando," dijo.

And soon, it seemed like he was waking up:

Y enseguida parecía que ya se despertaba:

"And that is my house," said the man.

"y esa es mi casa," dijo el señor.

He felt like he was at the gate of his house.

Se sintió en el portón de su casa.

It was midnight already when he arrived,

Llegó ya en medio de la noche,

And it is said that his wife stuck a knife where a chicken was sleeping,

y dicen que su señora clavo una gallina en donde estaba dormida,

She killed and fried for him, and he had dinner,

Mató, fritó para él y cenó el,

with the little Indian also, at his table.

con el indio bajito también, en su mesa.

They all dined well there,

Cenaron todos bien allí ellos,

and, "Don’t stay up until dawn, watch out that they are always looking for you,"

y, "no vayas a amanecer, cuidado que siempre te están buscando,"

said his wife,

le dijo su señora,

"They are out fishing for you."

"Están pescando por vos."

Then he came out to say goodbye to his wife,

Después salió a despedirse de su esposa,

and when he went out to the gate, again he did not feel anything.

y al salir al portón él, ya no se sintió más otra vez.

And it seemed like he was sleeping again – he did not know how long.

Y pareciera que dormía otra vez - no sabía cuánto tiempo.

And then it seemed that he woke up again

Y después parecía que ya se despertó otra vez

and found himself again where people [of the camp] lived.

y se encontraba donde viven las personas [de la toldería] otra vez.