The Fatal House
narrated by Philip Longtail (Sįcserecka), Buffalo Clan
interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey
Reproduced with the kind permission of the
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Dorsey's orthography has been changed to the contemporary IPA standard. Notes by the editor (Richard Dieterle) are indicated by "—RD." Question marks in parentheses, sic (?), are those of Dorsey, all others mark uncertain readings.
Éja | ną | kíkųnúñk | -i | cí | -žą | nañk | s'á | škúni. | Wañk-núniñg | -ižáñgi |
There | wood | to cut into large poles with an ax | by means of | house | one | sat | always | perhaps. | Old man | one |
-ra | éja | ci-náñk | s'á | škúni. | Hąp-gá | waré | ra | ų́ | je | s'á | škúni |
the | there | he dwelt | always | perhaps. | Every day | work | the | he did | standing | always | perhaps |
Wañk-núniñg | jegá | jé | -warúti | -ra | nųpiwí | nihí | škúni. | Egí | hagoréžą |
Old Man | the std. | ox, cow | there who pull | the | two | he owned | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time |
Wañk-núniñg | -rá | we | škúni: | ną | -kíkųnuñk | -i | cí | -žą | kikų́ | kcąné | e |
Old man | -the | he said | perhaps: | wood | to cut into large poles with an ax | out of it | house | one | he made it for himself | will | he said |
škúni. | Egí | wañk-núniñg | -rá | waré | jiré | škúni. | Hąp-gá | ų | jé | s'á |
perhaps. | And | old man | the | to work | he began | perhaps. | Every day | he did | standing | always |
škúni. | Egí | hágoréžą | ną | -rá | hirúšcą | -wáhi | škúni. | Égi | hágoréžą |
perhaps. | And | at one (past) time | wood | the | ready | -he caused them to be | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time |
cé | -ra | waí-ške | škúni. | Žegų́ | -he | ánañgá | ną́ | harúti | ré | škúni. | Hąp- |
oxen | -the | he put a yoke on them | perhaps. | So | -he did | after | wood | to pull along | he went | perhaps. | Day- |
gá | žegų́gų | težeské-hi | jé | s'á | škúni. | Égi | hagoréžą | ną | -rá | hiną́ |
every | so (in that manner) | he did just this way | standing | always | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time | wood | the | he made so |
hi | škúni. | Egí | gajáñga | ci | kikų́ | ciré | škúni. | Gajáñga | wañk-nų́- |
r?ough | perhaps. | And | at length | house | he made it for himself | he began | perhaps. | By that time | a man very |
xcį-níñk | škúni. | Hiñké | hicáwį | cų | ní | škúni. | E | warúc | kik'ų́ |
old man | perhaps. | Not | his wife | he had one | not | perhaps. | He | food | he made for himself |
s'á | škúni. | Égi | hágoréžą | cí | -ra | k'ų | cebí | škúni. | Egí | hagá | hąp´ |
always | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time | house | the | made | he finished it | perhaps. | And | one time | day |
régi | ci-éja | hakirí | miñg | -anañgá | wawéwi | wañk | škúni, | cowéja | wawewí |
time | at the house | he had come home | he was lying down | -when | he was thinking | he lay | perhaps, | in front (= of the ?future) | he was thinking |
wañk | škúni. | Égi | hiraréxcįníñk-gają́ | ną | -kikų́nuñk | —hicí | -ra |
he lay | perhaps. | And | in a very little while | wood | -out of large poles | house made of | the |
cucuá | škúni. | Égi | wañk-núniñg | -rá | nawą́ | ciré | škúni. | Égi | rašcą́ |
made ?weak and ?ready to ?break and fall | perhaps. | And | old man | the | to sing | he began | perhaps. | And | he stopped singing |
gają́ | Mą-ų́ | -ra | kikarác | škúni. | Égi | hiraréxcįníñgają́ | ną | -kikų́núñk |
when | Earthmaker | -the | he prayed to him | perhaps. | And | in a very little while | wood | out of large poles |
-hici | -rá | xanąrá | ciré | škúni. | Égi | wañk-núniñg | -rá | hai-séwe |
house made of | the | to fall ——, with all the logs together | it began | perhaps. | And | old man | the | he was covered up |
škúni. | Tée | hoš'éją | heré | na. |
perhaps. | This | end | it is (identical with) | . |
Phillip Longtail , "The Fatal House," text with interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey, 4800 Dorsey Papers: Winnebago 3.3.2 (Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives, October and November, 1893) IV.1-3.