The Boy Who Flew

narrated by John Michael StCyr,

from a story told to him by a Frenchman

English Translation

The manuscript, which is in the hand of Paul Radin, is extremely difficult to read. Every attempt has been made to check the text against other texts and word lists, but in cases where the reading is doubtful, question marks appear after illegible letters. About 40% of the hand written interlinear text has no English translation, yet all but a few of the untranslated words was either a repeat or its meaning could be found elsewhere. Radin also used Greek letter abbreviations for common whole words or syllables some of which he interpreted in other manuscripts, although there are some whose values are unknown. The Greek symbols used in the text appear on the table below:

α β ε ρ τ ϕ ω
égi éja -gają -ánąga -giži hąké žegų

Words supplied by the editor (Richard Dieterle) are found in brackets '[ ]'. It was also necessary for the editor to supply all punctuation and to determine the beginning and ending of sentences.

p. 33 —
tcínąk dégi hotcįtciją haníregi hanątc wogíxedixdjį́neje
Cínąk tégi hocįcižą haníregi. Hanąc wogíxedixjį́neže,
[Village] this [a boy] they had. All loved him

 

 

eísge hákaga wajòni haraírega regigíranis'áje wanįkxede
eísge hákaga wažòni haraírega regigíranis'áže. Wanįkxete
[and so] never to hunt something when they went they didn't let him go. Large birds

 

 

p. 34 —
waruaį́nes'ági maegi, eísge wąg´era wajóni haraírega
waruaį́nes'ági maegi, eísge wąg´era wažóni haraírega
they used to carry off (men) in this country, [and so] man hunting when they went

 

 

padjeracana mo-ines'áje hagoréją hamewahídjiréje wajóni renąi[ρ]
pajeracana mo-ines'áže. Hagoréžą hamewahíjiréže, wažóni renąianąga
just at the timber they're traveling. [Once] he commenced to ask [hunting] he tried to go [and]

 

 

[α] pádjeracana hoųk'djone wigeje eísge regigíreje
égi pájeracana hoųk'jone wigeže, eísge regigíreže.
[and] [just at the timber] he'll travel [he told them], [and so] they let him go.

 

 

hahíhosgaíją haxeb hinąkádją [ϕ] nįg´e wągerégi wają́niją
Hahíhosgaížą, haxeb hinąkáją hąké nį́ge wągerégi wažą́nižą
He came to a prairie, open he came to (when he got there) [not] [a place] above there was nothing

 

 

xgínije hosgánąka xonúnįkce eísge warokóna [ϕ]
xgíniže. "Hosgánąka xonúnįkše, eísge warokóna hąké
it was not moving. ["Prairie that] [little it was,] [and so] I ought? to [not]

 

 

dée nąk' hadutcáninąje hirecgúni eísge mątcgú
tée nąk' hatucánis'ąže," hirešgúni. Eísge mącgú
this to run to go across I ought not," he thought. [So] bow

 

 

p. 35 —
hakárani[ρ] nųwąk'adją kisákdje hié wajį́ją wągeregi
hakáranianąga nųwąk'ają kisákje. Hié wažį́žą wągeregi
he took with him (and) he ran about center. When he reached there something above

 

 

kóxhuje hidjórox'otcé hiksik akiwake hánidjinog[ρ] wąng´era
kóxhuže. Hijórox'océ. Hiksik, akiwake hánijinoganąga, wąng´era
made a noise coming. He looked there. To under the waist, both sides he grabbed him [and], up above

 

 

howániokereje hu?hé [ω] mąna tcorénįk hadjáhuhíje
howániokereže, huhé. Žegų mąna corénįk hajáhuhíže.
the[n] he took him, [as he came by]. [Now] [the earth] just a little green [saw? —].

 

 

hagoréją uąg´i[ρ] deé nįjédja hanįgije dee
Hagoréžą uą́gianąga teé nįžéja hanįgiže. Tee
[Finally,] as he went along [this one] the bluffs he took him to. This

 

 

woroxoxotcnąk'ų dee wanįk hómaiją edjadjéje deé
woroxoxocnąk'ų tee wanįk hómaižą ejajéže. Teé
[as he was looking around] this bird a nest he saw. This

 

 

wanįgenįgera nųpiwįgi hiją t'ehi[ρ] kara rúse
wanįgenįgera nųpiwįgi hižą t'ehianąga kara rúse
[chicks] [two of them] [one] [he killed and] [skin] [he took]

 

 

p. 36 —
[α] honąjį́je [α] t'ąhigítcga[ε] [ϕ] piníje
égi honąžį́že. Égi t'ąhigícgagają hąké piníže.
[and] he put it on. [Then] he tried to fly [not] [he did not like it.]

 

 

eísge wewį[ε] mątcgúra karánidje[τ] ahúakíwake wirárusgitcce
Eísge wewįgają mącgúra karánijegiži ahúakíwake wirárusgicce.
[And so] [after he thought about it] [the bow] [he bundled and ?] on each side of the wing he tied them.

 

 

[α] nįjip'aídją kíridjéje t'ąpgúkdjena hiregácge jigé
Égi nįžip'aíją kírijéže. T'ąpgúkjena hiregášge žigé
[Then] on the edge of the bluffs he came. As he was about to jump he thought [again]

 

 

[ϕ] unis'áje jédjųga hahių́djaų́ tcáginį[ε] hiregí
hąké unis'áže. Žéjųga hahių́jaų́, "Cáginįgiži," hiregí.
[not] [he would not do it]. [And then] as he was doing (thinking), "I'm dead already," [he thought.]

 

 

[ω] t'ą́pguje tcégédja sageréxdjį gugí tcáwe
Žegų t'ą́pguže. Cégéja sageréxjį gugí cáwe
[Then] [he started to jump]. First very fast he came near

 

 

nįjédją hirokídjį ną́je eísge ahura haruré
nįžéją hirokíjį ną́že, eísge ahura haruré
bluffs he came near hitting, [so] the wings [steady]

 

 

p. 37 —
waníje jesgé higi pįhinísge jegų cibre
waníže, žesgé higi pįhinísge. Žegų cibre
he held, [that way] [he went] slower. [Then] he fell

 

 

mą́na howákereje jedjų́ga [ω] mąn´a tcore
mą́na howákereže. Žejų́ga žegų mąn´a core
[the earth] he went towards. [Now] [then] [the earth] green

 

 

tcet'į giji Gip'į́je [ω] unihaų́ hagoréją
cet'į giži. Gip'į́že. Žegų unihaų́. Hagoréžą,
it appeared [.] [He was happy.] So so he kept on. [Finally,]

 

 

maįdj´a gíje jesga núnige maįdj´a hį́xdjį
maįj´a gíže, žesga núnige maįj´a hį́xjį
[on the ground] [he reached there again], [but] [but] [on the ground] somewhere else way off

 

 

inaų́je ? [τ] waų́je. Wánįk hanoka rucoródjąnoga
inaų́že ? giži. Waų́že. Wánįk hanoka rucorójąnoga
he landed [.] [He did it]. The bird's skin he took it off

 

 

wedjánoga k'įanoje. [ω] hiranáįxdjį hapahíje dee
wejánoga k'įanože. žegų hiranáįxjį hapahíže. Tee
he rolled up, folded (and) he carried on his back. [Then] (a certain direction) he went towards [This one]

 

 

wągi[ε] tciómanaíją hiragíje [β] nąje [α]
wągigają ciómanaížą hiragíže. Éja nąže, égi
as he went away old camping spot he came to. [There] he slept, [and]

 

 

haíninegi (djigé) djikéreje. Jigé hąpséretc 'ų[ε]
haíninegi (jigé) jikéreže. Žigé hąpsérec 'ųgają,
[the next morning] [to come] he started. [Again] [all day long] [after he did,]

 

 

jegómątcíją [β] hiragíji deé gų́wagh?ǫ tcegenisgije [β]
žegómącížą [β] hiragíži, teé gų́waǧ?ǫ cegenisgiže. Éja
[and then a habitation] [there] he came to, [this] it was kind of recent looking. There

 

 

ną́noga, jigé hainínegí djikérecgúni hoxdjanánigi wąkcígenąguíją
ną́noga, žigé hainínegí jikérešgúni. Hoxjanánigi wąkšígenąguížą
he slept (and), [again] the next morning [he started.] [When it was evening,] a people's trail

 

 

hogídjéje uą́gi[ε] deé tcíją [β] xínokce
hogíjéže. Uą́gigają, teé cížą éja xínokše.
he came to. [As he went along,] [this] [a lodge] [there] it was smoking.

 

 

[ω] wanįkhára karak'į [β] hagíhoikéweje [α]
Žegų wanįkhára karak'į. Éja hagíhoikéweže égi
[Now] [bird-skin] he was carrying it yet. [There] there he went in [and]

 

 

wogírakce jigé tcidjąhiją [β] gigo-íreje [β]
wogírakše. Žigé cijąhižą éja gigo-íreže. Éja
[he told it to them]. [Again] another camp [there] they called him. [There]

 

 

p. 39 —
wanįk hara gidaíreje wogági [α] cųkxedéją hok'uįn[ρ]
wanįk hara gitaíreže. Wogági, égi šųkxetéžą hok'uįnanąga
bird-skin they asked him for. When he gave it to them, [here] a horse they gave it to him (and)

 

 

wagaireje —-ją wáraga honax'djobohągúni [α]
wagaireže, "—-žą wáraga honax'jobohągúni égi
they told him, "Relations your about four nights journey [here]

 

 

tcínankcana hainegi hotcįtcį́na hisgé hidjá nįkere
cínankšana. Hainegi hocįcį́na hisgé hijá nįkere
they're living. Tomorrow the boys some of them [there] they'll take you

 

 

haraírekadjena higaíreje
haraírekajena," higaíreže.
they'll go," they said to him.

 

English Translation

Source:

[1] John Michael StCyr, [untitled], in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Notebook #19 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) Story III: 33-39.