Hočąk Text — A Giant Visits His Daughter

A Giant Visits His Daughter

with an interlinear translation by Oliver LaMère

p. 28 —

Éja	činókgiánañkšgùni	égi	čaninégi	hotá	číra.
There	a town was	and	in the fall	some	houses.

Uañgížą	hičáwina	hakaraíkižu	niñkjóñk xonúnigi	hižañkíra
A man	and his wife	with him	a small child	one only

hakarániže	égi	gixánaharaìre.	Éja	číreže.	Uáñgera
took with them	and	move they started.	There	they lived.	The man

nañkíkera.	Wahó-o-o!	čára,	hųjera	éja	rokóno.
hunted.	O dear me!	deer,	bear	there	many.

p. 29 —

Wagi'ų́	pįñxjį:	warúč	wakinína	rok'óno	wagi'úną.
He did	very good:	food	lard	much	he got.

Hagaréžą	uáñgera	nañkikárareže	haríniñk.	Éja	Uañgeručgéžą
At a time	the man	went hunting	quite a distance.	There	a Giant

s'íra	hajagáją	číra	howáreže.	Uáñkjega	nañgíreže:
footprints	he saw	the house	he went toward.	That man	got frightened:

"Hohó!	hičáwįhàra,	niñkjóñgeniñgra	t'e	waigigíjane,"	hiregí.
"O my!	my wife,	my child	killed	he will for me,"	he thought.

Wok'ína	piñk'ų'žé	žégų	wažínarehìže	égi	s'íra
His pack	he fixed	and	he put down	and	tracks

p. 30 —

žégų	číra	howáreže	ásge	uáñkjega	hižugrá
thus	the house	he went	and so	the man	his gun

pįhíhokšùže	égi	kerežé	či.	Ho-ášgeniñgèja	gigáją
again he loaded it	and	he went home	house.	Near at	when he got

niñkjóñgeniñgra	žagenáñkše	ásge	čirobéja	gigáją	werakirakúni*
the small child	it was saying [speaking]	and so	at the door	he got	it happened

*Radin says, "i.e., his expectations were different from what they would be (!)." However, this is just an exclamation of amazement.

hičawína,	"Jají, "	anañga.	Te	hit'at'ánañkše	uáñkjega.
his wife,	"Father,"	she said.	This	she was talking	the man.

égi	hoikawakéreže	gáją	te	hičáwina	niñkjóñgeniñgra
And	he just went in	and so	this	his wife	the little child

p. 31 —

kúru-ą	mináñgenañkše	égi	uañkjéga	kibohíže	ásge
holding it	sitting down she was	and	the man	doubted it	and so

hišjára	píñk'uñk'ų	žigé	horuxúč	tëčáwina	ni-ąbenáñkšaną.
his eyes/face	fixed he over	again	he looked	there his wife	was alive.

Hinúñgenañka	wéže,	"Jájiga	jíną,"	éže,	"ásge
The woman	said,	"My father	has come,"	she said,	"and so

číra	xetehíną."	Či-ábokiža*	xetéžą	'ų́že.	Agákinok
the house	make it larger."	The teepee	a large one	he made.	Opposite side

*The teepee with poes piled against [one another].

p. 32 —

mináñgenañkše,	s'úrus'ùručį	mináñgenañkše.	"Watohóčira	hosgé.	Mą tée
he was sitting,	naked	he was sitting.	"My son-in-law	greetings.	This year

wažą́niñk	niñgijítedekjege	wa'ų́.	Hajíną,"	éže,	žésga
little things	I would help you	I did.	Come here,"	he said,	but

nunigé	uañgenuñká	hoišípjį	nañkewéže.	"Hičawiháñxjį,	žégų
then	the man	at the time	was afraid.	"My wife,	indeed

niñkjóñgeniñgra	hok'uñkjéną;	ručgíži	wañgaíšjañkège	wa'úñkjanèną,	égi
the child	let us give him;	if he eats it	fooled us	he has,	and

p. 33 —

hiñgi-ázikje,"	éže,	aíreną.	ąsge	niñkjóñgeniñgra	hok'ú-inege.
run away we will."	he said,	they said.	And so	the child	they gave him.

"Rajikjégi	š'uñkjéną,"	higaíreže.	Hañké	rujeníže.	"Hiñké
"If you wish	to eat it, you can,"	they said to him.	Not	eat it he did not.	"Not

uañkšik	hač	hajiníną,	taninášaną	ro-ágų,"	égi	wok'ú-įnegìži
people	eat	came I for,	tobacco only	I long for,"	and	they gave him to eat

čanípononàšaną.	račgą	s'áže.	"Wenañgíšaną	hakérekjanèną,"
deer soup only,	drink	he would.	"Until spring only	I will go home,"

éže,	aíreną,	"hiñké	nañgírawinìne,"	žesga núnige	uáñkjega
he said,	they said,	"not	fear not of me,"	but even then	the man

p. 34 —

hoišípjį	nañkéweže.	ąsge	uañgížą	t'ehi,	égi
all the time	feared him.	And so	a man	he killed,	and

Uañgerúčgenoñka	hok'ų́že.	Uañgerúčgenóñka	wéže,	"Hohó!	ja šíšik
the Giant	he gave it to (him).	The Giant	he said,	"Hoho!	a real bad thing

waš'úną."	"Hañká-a!	honiñk'úną	nitájikjège."	"Ho,	epíną."
you did."	"No,	I give it to you	for you to eat."	"Ho,	it is good."

égi	Uañgerúčgenoñka	čira	wapiñgi'ų́že.	Inéki	číže ge.
And	the Giant	house	fixed he for them.	Alone	he lived.

p. 35 —

Niñkjóñgeniñgenoñkà	'umañkjį́je	Uañgerúčgenoñka.	Niñkjoñgeníñgenoñka
The small child	was used to him	the Giant.	The small child

ǧagaks'áže	hagaréžą.	"Watohóčira,	tée	heréną	hopóžera	hų́jera
cry it would	at times.	"The son-in-law,	this	it is	the hole	bears

hočíra,"	ásge	uáñkjega	róhą	t'éhiže	égi
their place of abode,"	and so	the man	many	he killed	and

hų́jera	kereponaížą	t'éhigi	égi	Uañgerúčgejega	hirokíšgešge
bears	ten	he killed	and	the Giant	tied together

warutís'ažé.	Warújera	rokóno	wak'ų́že	uañkšíkjega.	"Hąhą́,
he would carry them.	Food	much	they got	the human (that man?).	"Yes,

p. 36 —

hinúñkáxjį,	jobóhañgi	hakerékjane,"	éže,	Uañgeručgénañka.
my daughter,	four times/days	I'm going home,"	he said,	the Giant.

"Hąhą́,	žejuñga,	jobóhąną.	Hakerekjàne.	Piñxjį	uáñkšik
"Yes,	now then,	it is four days.	I'm going home.	Very good	human being

š'iñkjonáwiną,	égi	hiñkagá	wažąnaížą	roráronikjenàwiną.
you will be,	and	never	anything	you will not want.

Hagaréžą	šjawígi,	égi	wači-éja	ragikjonáwiną,	égi
At a time	when you die,	here	my house	you will come to,	and

p. 37 —

hičųšgéniñkara	éšaną	hiro-ágeniñxjį	gikjanéną."	Hąhą́,	hainigáją
my grandson	only	he is the last one	to arrive home."	Indeed,	in the morning

hiñkinegáją	hañkéwažìni.	Uañgerúčgera	keréną.	égi	hisgéxjį
when he awoke	he was not there.	The Giant	went home.	And	the truth

wéže	aírešanàną.	Hąhą́	žeją.
he told	[they said].	Indeed	it is finished.

English Translation

Source:

Charlie N. Houghton, A Story about a Giant, with an interlinear translation by Oliver LaMere, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman #3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Story XXVII: 28-37.