Hocąk Text — Hare Steals the Fish

Hocąk 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 —

canikérešge	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.	Hicųšgéniñkàxjį,
[They were saying to one another],	"Ho,	this [is lean meat].	Our dear nephew,

hacį́nja	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

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

hajírešgùni.	Hitokénįšànañgre	hicųšgéraga	tó
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]

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

hok’uñkjáwiną."	Haną́c	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

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

jíkerešgùni	hocincíniñgra.	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.

Ciéja	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.	Ci-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	raxóc
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,	hicųšgéraga	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,

hicųšgéniñkhàra	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

warúc	kįnéšana	gają."	"Hicųšgéniñkàxjį,	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	hicųšgé
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."

Source:

Jacob Russell, Stories from the Trickster and Hare Cycles, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3893 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #14: 27-41. Phonetic text only.