Hočąk Text — Hare Gets Swallowed, Version 2

narrated by Jacob Russell

translated by Richard L. Dieterle

The MS is a phonetic text with all diacritical marks in place, written in a very clear hand, probably by Oliver LaMère, who is listed as the (prospective) translator. The text is untranslated. It is double-spaced in order allow the insertion of an interlinear translation. There are six such lines to a page, and the text takes up only about a half page of space. Each page is numbered by twos, suggesting that the missing page was intended to be devoted to an English translation.

Brackets '[ ]' indicate uncertain translations.

English Translation

p. 41 —
Hąhą́ haininégi jikerešgúni. Éja howé
Yes, the next day he got started. There he went

uáñkšguni. Uañkšígera ǧágera. Ğe-ákšguni.
the man perhaps. The people cried. Crowd making noise perhaps.

Horuǧújnañkšgùni. "Hą, Waregízinąpga
They were looking at something perhaps. "Yes, Sticks Its Tongue Out

p. 43 —
waraínanąps'aže," aíreną. "Hiñgínanąpàje. Giną́penaiñgàją
he usually [laps them up]," they said. "He will [be lapped up]." [Having tried to lap him up]

rušakšgúni. Žigé nąpáse hihagéja minañkšgúni.
he coudn't do it. Again stump on top of he laid.

"Warégizinánąpge waraínanąps'àže," aírera. "Hiñgínanąp.
"Sticks Its Tongue Out he usually [laps them up]," they said. "[He laps them up].

Hiñgínanąpàje. Žéjuñga." Hijobóhainja giną́phirešgùni.
He will [be lapped up]. That's all." For the fourth time [he tried to lap him up].

Nahirešgùni. Nahíñgi niñxára tekšgúni. Rasírišgùni.
He swallowed him. When he swallowed him his stomach ached. He vomited.

Uañkšigížą hirasá rasírišgùni. Ružáhirešgùni. Ružáxji-ánañga
A person also was vomited up. They were washed out. He was completely flushed out but

p. 45 —
žigé nąhįšgúni. Nahiñgí žigé wešgúni,
again he swallowed him. When he swallowed him again he said,

"Wapáhira hižą́ húñginiwìne hižą́ hiš'éwigi,
"The weapons one [our chiefs] one if you find,

t'ehakjéną. Žéjuñga. Hižą́ higi-é-rešgùni. Iní
I'll kill him. That's all. One find for me. Stone

maįsú-ižą higi-é-rešgùni. Hąhą́, t'ehákjeną.
an arrowhead find for me. Yes, I will kill him.

Hini-ą́bikjenàwiną. Žejuñga. Mąhína kurusgúni. Žéjuñga.
By this means we will live. That's all. With the knife get your man. That's all.

Nąčgéja wapoxšgúni. Žéjuñga." Žégų wapoxánañga
In the heart stab him. That's all." So he stabbbed and

p. 47 —
t'ehišgúni. T'ehigi ruhi-éja mañgášguni. Éja
killed him. When he was dead there a rib he tore out. There

uañkšígera hihiną́benažį́nešgùni. Žéžuñga. Žésge hikjaneną
the people they came out standing. That's all. That way they would return

Waregízinaną̀pgega. Žénuñga. "Žesgé t'eháną." Žégų
Sticks Its Tongue Out. That's all. "In this way I killed him." So

či-éja gíšguni. "Kuniká Warekízinaną `pgega t'eháną.
to the lodge he returned. "Grandmother Sticks Its Tongue Out I killed him.

Hiuníniñgwahàra* hitégeniñgwahàra t'ewahíjege, ásge
My little mothers† my little uncles‡ he caused them to die, and so

*just before this word, "hi-uñ" is crossed out.
†by which is meant his aunts.
‡a hitékeniñk, according to Radin, is the son of a maternal brother (a cousin); however, in this context "little uncles" is meant literally.

p. 49 —
t'eháną. Žéjuñga. 'Úną." "Hąhą́ hičųšgénihàxjį,
I killed him. That's all. It is done." "Yes my dear grandson,

pįnáną." "Hitégeniwahàra hiuníniñgwaragà t'éwahijèną." "Pįnáną.
it is good." "My little uncles my little aunts he caused them to die." "It is good.

T'érara pį́ną."
That you killed him good."

English Translation

Source:

Jacob Russell, Stories from the Trickster and Hare Cycles, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #14, Freeman #3893 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) 41-49. Phonetic text only.