A Navajo Horse Race Story

THE BETTING

The men go for horses that have walked away to find grass to eat. The women put blankets and food in the wagons.

My uncle tells ‘my father to wait awhile because my uncle says he knows a man who has a horse that can win a race

All the men stand around. They talk together about this horse.

My father gets the things out of the wagon that my mother has put in it. He is going to bet them on this horse that my uncle says can win a race.

The Trader comes. He does not like the horse my uncle knows. He puts up a hundred dollars against the horse.

With another man my father bets his bowguard against a concho belt on that horse my uncle knows.

The men choose o flat place to run the race.

They say, “We will run to that place and back.” They mount their horses. They line them up. One man stands by the pool of things that are being bet against the hundred dollars.

They say, “We will run to that place and back.” They mount their horses. They line them up. One man stands by the pool of things that are being bet against the hundred do1 lars.

THE RACE

The starter takes his hat off.

He lifts it up. He lifts it up.

He holds it there. He drops it.

They are off.

They are running together. No horse is in front. No horse is is behind. They are together.

Together. Running, running.

The black one that the Trader likes stretches out, running, running, gets in front, running, running. Sand flies. People shout.

The People shout. Now comes the horse my uncle knows. There he is, there he is, in front, in front, away in front. He has won the race. The horse my uncle knows has won the race.

Source : “Little Herder in the Winter” by Ann Clark 1940
Illustrated by:
Hoke Denetsosie
Linguistics by:
John P. Harrington
Robert W. Young

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