Brave Man Gambles

narrated by Frank Ewing
translated by Richard L. Dieterle

The MS is entirely in Hocąk without any English. It has no title. The title given to this section in the notebook is "The Boy Who Ate too Much" (= "Big Eater"), but the story of which this title is descriptive does not occur until page 9. The first 8 pages are devoted to the story given below. The MS is written in a very clear hand and with sharp definition in ink on lined paper with every other line skipped (for later insertion of the English interlinear). The pagination in the upper left is in odd numbers only (1-9), whereas the pagination in the upper right corner is sequential, running from 4-8. This latter pagination continues through the next story, but the odd number pagination begins anew.

Brackets '[ ]' indicate uncertain translations.

English Translation

 

p. 4 —
Égi cinóñgížą ejanañkšaną égi uañgížą žuracų́
And a village it was there and a man much money

 

 

hicáwina egocínciniñgìžą;* eguáñgera† t'é. Hinúñgenoñka hocincíniñgra
his wife and a little boy; and the man died. That woman the boy
* < égi-hocínciniñg-ižą
† < égi-uañgera.

 

 

píñxjį xetekáragi égi waréra rušák. Égi
very good to make large/old and [the work] he could not. Then

 

 

hitégera éja waré. Bagáxge hirakára.
the mother's brother there to work. Chickens they took care of them.

 

 

Égi wok'í'ų. Bagáxge žige xguxgúšera écą
And [he gambled]. Chickens again the pig toward

 

 

wirakára égi wok'i'ų. Žige égi círa
attendants, servants, watchers and he gambled. Again here the lodge

 

 

p. 5 —
hirakárek hąhík cíhoci-éja éja šiberáže. Égi
[to arrive home] [to be there] at the lodge there he flopped down. And

 

 

Uañkwašošéga, "Hure, hiwarúj[w?]ikje." Hicųhíjega* hañké 'uni,
Brave Man (or Warrior), ["Hooray, ?] we will eat." The other ones not they did not,
*apparently for hicąhíjega.

 

 

Uañkwašošéga jobóhą égi wogítek égi gisákše.
Brave Man four times and he became angry and he knocked them down.

 

 

Hijobóhǫna gájuñga, "Huré-e,"* égi mínañk égi
The fourth time then, ["Hooray,"] and he sat down and
*huré-e so written indicates a prolonged expression of the last syllable, a feature normally found only in exclamations. Given its pronunciation, it appears to be the Anglo-American "hooray."

 

 

bik'ų. Uañkwášošega hohiré. Žura sácą hogitá. Égi wahasóną.
he played cards. Brave Man was being cheated. The money five he had left. And [?].

 

 

p. 6 —
Cínañk hiją́hi howáre. Éja žigé wowáñkere Uañkwášošega žigé
Village the other one he went. There again [the evil ones] Brave Man again

 

 

hijáhi. Žigé gipsíncxete. Gájuñga kére Uañkwášošega.
he stayed there. Again he was whipped greatly. Now then he went home Brave Man.

 

 

Hináñgra wok'u-inéną hañké 'uníną. K'éni jáje
[The mission]* he gave him not he did not do it. Before [?]
*cf. hináñkšaną, "they did".

 

 

nañǧitégi égi hinúñk hakánañk gikjanéną. Ásge
[ghost ?] then woman he crossed over to she will touch him. And so

 

 

Hitokéniñgenòñka nañǧirehíną. Waiskáp xete éja
Old Woman [ghost-she-made]. Bread large there

 

 

p. 7 —
cuwék pešóra nųpíwi hokerégáją, Uañkwášošega rukšáp.
species of plover* two having set, Brave Man she broke or cracked something brittle by hand or by pulling.
*"cuwekpešogara — a species of plover; has lumps on the forehead" — J. O. Dorsey.

 

 

Iją́nige. Réhi, nañǧire. Wamináñgera hožúkinip kąné.
He cried out. She sent him off, the ghost. The seat in the seat he flopped [slumped] down.

 

 

Ásge žéjuñga hinúñk kánañkšaną. Égi uañgeníñgižą
And so then woman she took it. And an old man

 

 

haganíne Mañkewehuñka. Égi Uañgwašošéga kérekjį.
they had for him [Chief of Entering the Earth.] Then Brave Man he was very quiet.

 

 

Mą́'una é, hiníñka Uañgwašóšek[a], égi waxopini
Earthmaker he, his son Brave Man, here spirits

 

 

šíšigera jigí žigé hišgé jikjanéną. Ásge,
the bad ones [if they come] again also he would come. Therefore,

 

 

p. 8 —
Waisepína wonąžíra hiñké žejániñkje,
the Black Robes (Christians) the coat not it should not be ended,

 

 

éže, aíreną. Mą'unihíniñgra e wošgą́*
he said, they said. Earthmaker's son he [religious movement]
*wošgą́gre = great endeavor, religious movement.

 

 

haní. Hiniñgra e wahók'ų s'áže, aíreną.
to have. The son he to preach he would, they said.

 

 

Higų́ žegúnegi e, wagi'únañkšaną, wáxopininàñgere
Still at this time he, he was made, the spirit that is

 

 

United States. Égi wagéną žégų žeją́ną.
over the U. S. And what I tell thus it ends.

 

Source:

Frank Ewing, Story of the Boy who Ate too Much, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #19, Freeman #3899 [1254] (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) Story 19c (1), 4-8.