Hočąk Text — Hare Steals the Fish

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. 27 —
Hąhą́
hisuñgéjį,
Wašjíñge
neš'áñkjone.
"Hąhą́,
Well
younger brother,
Hare
[you should be attentive].
"Well,



kuniká
hitégeniwahàra
huiníniñkwahàra
wažą́
wagigúñzikjanèną.
grandmother
my uncles
my aunts
someone
will come to their aid.


Égi
kuniká
mą́na
pią́'uñkjanèną."
Égi
And
grandmother
arrows
I will be going for."
And


éja
haininégi
niñgé
howárešgùni.
Hinuñgera
there
in the morning
place
he went for it.
Women


honihéžą
tokánañga
éja
mináñkšaną.
"Nikaté!
a gang
big and
there
it sat.
"Say!


p. 29 —
čanikérešge
egináñkšaną
hiñgiságikjawìną."
Giságirešgùni.
fawn
[it is nearby]
let us kill it."
They killed it.


"Niká!
hįsgíñgire.
Égi
hįwapį́žukjàwiną.
Niká!
[An expression of surprise]
[we are heavy].
And
let us fix it.
Niká!


žesgékje."
Éja
wapįžurešgúni
gają.
let us make it so."
There
they fixed it
.


Wak'į́nañkšgùni,
"Ho,
te-orárogišgùni.
Hičųšgéniñkàxjį,
[They were saying to one another],
"Ho,
this [is lean meat].
Our dear nephew,


hačį́nja
wašúruse
kuniká,
hiwañgéwahàra,
wamáñginùną.*
whenever
[he is the one to carry]
grandmother,
my sister-in-law,
he steals something.

*cf. maginuną, "to steal".


Kuniká
wanañgí
horuxórojèra*
huñkáraik'ùne."
Grandmother
she has said
the scaled fish
you give them back to me."

*given what is said below, this must mean ho, "fish," ruxóro, "peeled (scaled)."


p. 31 —
Hókawaxúkšguni.
Miñgoñkšgúni.
Kunika
He put on something.
He sat down.
Grandmother


ráxočaboìpšire.
Miñgoñkšgúni.
Howažášguni.
Hinuñgenóñka
ashes [she strew about].
He sat down.
He was sick.
These women


hajírešgùni.
Hitokénįšànañgre
hičųšgéraga
they came.
From which old women
the nephew
big


gagi
ažúwira
wamaíñginųwigùni.
Hihawíną,
"Waną́!
[once ?]
[the thick ones]
[he seems to have stolen.]
They said,
[an expression of surprise]


hičųšgénihàra
howažákšaną.
Niká!
tóra
hisgéšaną
our nephew
he is sick.
Niká!
big ones
some


hok'uñkjáwiną."
Haną́č
hisgéšaną
hók'ųnešgùni.
Rohą́
let us give it to him."
Everyone
some
they gave it to him.
Many


p. 33 —
tóra
hanijínañgwišgùni.
Karaírešgùni.
Ho,
karaíregi,
big ones
they grabbed.
They started back.
Ho,
when they went home,


kikáwa'ųšgúni.
Žegų
hiránañga
warújera
he arose.
Thus
they did, and
the food


čų́hirešgùni.
Kúnika
pįhagáją.
Hainegi
žigé
they took.
Grandmother
[thought it was good].
In the morning
again


jíkerešgùni
hočinčíniñgra.
Rohą́
éja
uañkšgúni.
he started out
the boy.
Much
there
[he was doing].


Howapáǧinañkšgùni.
Kúnika
hakjá
kerešgúni.
He speared fish.
Grandmother
back to
he went back.


Čiéja
gišgúni.
Hokaraík'ųšgùni.
Hijá
howárešgùni.
To the lodge
he returned.
He gave it back to her.
There
he went back.


p. 35 —
Hijáhigi
róhą
wapóǧirešgùni.
"Koté,
hįsgiñgereną.
When he got there
many
they were speared.
"Koté,
I am heavy.


Égi
híwapižukjàwiną,"
é,
žegų
haji-ákarairešgùni.
Well,
I shall store them away,"
he said,
so
he started back.


Wakínañkšgùni
hóra.
Či-éja
gišgúni.
"Kuniká,
He strung them together
the fish.
To the lodge
he returned.
"Grandmother,


ho
hániañkiriną."
"Waná-ą
hitégeniñkwàraga
fish
I have brought back with me."
"[An expression of surprise]
your little uncles


wamąnagišonogùni."
"Tokéniñk
waš'áš'unàñgere
t'ewaháną.
[have been stolen]."
"The old woman
that is speaking
I am going to kill.


p. 37 —
Kuniká,
hosgéwahéną,
hitégeniñgwahàra
wamáñginùną.
Kuniká,
Grandmother,
it is not so,
that my little uncles
have been stolen.
Grandmother,


éja
hahuhaíreną,
wanáñǧi."
"Hóruǧoròjera
húñkaraik'ùne
there
they are coming,
ghosts."
"The scaled fish
you gave back to me


hokaraík'ųšgùni."
Hokawaǧukšgùni.
Miñkšgúni.
Kúnika
raxóč
give it back to them."
[He strung the fish on a line.]
He sat down.
Grandmother
ashes


haboipšíre.
Raxója
habópšišgùni
howažákše.
[she strew about ?].
Ashes
[she strew about]
for his sickness.


Migañkšgúni.
"Hitokéniñkšánañgre,
hičųšgéraga
ho
He lay down.
"The old woman who is sitting,
your grandson
fish


p. 39 —
gagí
hakšúwira
wamaíñginųwišgùni."
"Waná-ą,
once
[lying upon their stomachs]
[he stole]."
"Waná-ą,


hičųšgéniñkhàra
howažákšaną."
"Koté,
hisgéwe.
Koté,
my little grandson
he is sick."
"Koté,
[it is so].
Koté,


hisgéšaną.
Hok'uñkjàwiną,
hojá
hisgéšaną."
Hok'ųnešgùni.
it is true.
Let us give them to him,
since
it is true."
She gave them to him.


Hakaraírešgùni.
Kikáwa'ųšgùni.
"Kunika
méžegų
hirànañga
The two went back.
He got up.
"Grandmother
[right now]
they did it and


warúč
kįnéšana
gają."
"Hičųšgéniñkàxjį,
hañkagá
food
they made
."
"My dear little grandson,
not


p. 41 —
hinųbóhǫna
wamánunią̀je."
"Kúnika
híwarujèną.
the second time, the next time
it will not be stolen."
"Grandmother
I am going to eat.


Yarége*
wa'úną."
"Žesga
núnige
hičųšgé
I think
it is done."
"But
but
grandson

*the letter /y/ has been crossed out and the letter /i/ written above it. An initial /y/ is more usual than an initial /i/.


hañké
pįníną
wanąnúną."
"Hañké
hinųbóhǫna
not
it is good
to steal something."
"Not
a second time


'unią́je.
Kuniká
hisgé
wašéną
Hišjañgé,
will I do it.
Grandmother
truly
you have spoken.
Now then,


žénuñga
wamąnúnañkjèną."
an end to
to going to be stealing."


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.) 27-41. Phonetic text only.