Hocąk Text — Little Fox is Invited to a Feast

Hocąk Text — Little Fox is Invited to a Feast

translated by Oliver LaMère

English Translation (Little Fox and the Ghost, Verson 2)

p. 147 —

Wašerekénika	hikarókera	éja	hakaraík	cinǫnkšgúni.	Žégų
Little Fox*	his gr. mother	[there]	living together	they were.	[And so]

*LaMère translates this as "Coyote" throughout, but the name is "Little Fox."

hąhegášaną	égi	nañkíkera	s'áže.	Hagaréžą	wérakirakùni
night time only	[here]	hunt	he would.	[After this, at one time]	wérakirakųni

uañkšigížą	wéže,	"Wašerekénigro	éže,	"Ho-o-o-o!	niñgoíreną."
a man	said,	"Little Fox,"	he said,	Ho-o-o-o!	you're invited."

"Jagú	kigoíreže?"	Égi,	"Warúsgu,*"	aíreną.	"Ho-o-o-o!"
"What	he is going to a feast [on]?"	[And,]	"Corn,"	they [said].	"Ho-o-o-o!"

*a certain preparation of corn (Radin).

p. 148 —

hañka	'uníną	žésgešonųną,	ásge	hañka	'uníną."
[Not]	do not do it	that way,	and so	not	do not do it."

Žigé	hiraréxjiniñkàją,	"Wašerekénigro,	niñgoíreną."	"Jagú	kikoíreže?"
[Again]	after a short time,	"O Mr. Little Fox,	you're invited."	"What	will they feast on?"

Égi,	"Ca	kikigoíre."	"Hohó	hañka	'uníną.
[And,]	"Deer	they feasted on."	"Hoho	not	do not do it.

Žésge	hacgá	paxšíšik	hi'ųšonúną."	Žigé	hiraréxjiniñgàją,
[That way]	when I eat	bad stomach (physic)	I get."	Again	after a short time,

"Wašerekénigro,	niñgoíreną.	"Ho-o-o-o!	jagú	kikoiréže."	Égi
"O Little Fox	they invite you."	"Ho-o-o-o!	what	will they feast on?"	[And,]

p. 149 —

wagúje	šíšik	égi	wakéreja	égi	caroxíwi*
mocassins	bad	[and]	dung	[and]	hair

*at the bottom of page 150, Radin has written, "caroxíwi - hair, dandruff, etc. that remains in a comb."

žežénuñga	kikigoíreną."	"Ho,	haipíną.	Žéjuñga,	wasgéra
that many	they feast on."	"Ho,	I like it.	Now then	the dish

kuruzánañga	tekjonéną."	Égi	hikarókera	wëšgúni,	"Hą hą,
take it	I will."	[And]	his gr. mother	said,	"[Yes indeed,]

wowáñkšigeniñgrà.	Hañké	raníne.	Niñgis'ági	hį́nekjonèną.	Núnige
wild bad fellows.	[Not]	go.	Kill you	they will."	But

žégų	réže.	Hišgúni.	"Ho,	Wašerekénika	jíną."
any how	he went.	He arrived.	"Ho,	Little Fox	has come."

p. 150 —

Girukówire,	aíreže.	Ásge	éja	mináñgere.	Éja
They made room for him,	[they say].	And so	[there]	sit down.	[There]

mináñkše.	Wérakirakùni,	"Hąhą hą,	gisagwíre."	Žégų	Wašerekénika.
he sat.	Wérakirakùni,	["Yes indeed, yes,]	kill him."	Anyhow [or, and so, thus, then]	Little Fox

hiwak'ók'o	hagihinópše.	Žégų	ruxaíreže,	núnige	hikarókera
skipped about	and ran out.	Anyhow [Then, and so, thus]	they ran after him,	but	his gr. mother

éja	hokáwagikère.	égi	tokéningenòñka	wežé,	"Wowañkšíšik
[there]	ran in he did.	[And]	the old woman	said,	"Bad, wild boy, you

cokoíšgera	t'ehírekjèną,"	éže.	Žégų	mą jobóhą	éja
they might	have killed you,"	[she said.]	[So]	4 years	[there]

p. 151 —

mináñkše.	Hagaréžą	gájuñga	hihinópše.	Éja	howaréže
he sat.	[At one time]	now	he went out.	[There]	he went

gáją,	wérakirakúni,	te	ci	rexírigra*	ejanáñkše.
&	wérakirakúni,	these	abode	old	there they were.

*Radin has written at the top of the page, "rexírik = old."

Žégų	éja	howé	worupónapona	jéže.	Higų́
Anyhow [And so]	[there]	about	he smelled	he did.	Just

higaréxjiniñk	éja	wanañǧiomiñk	éja	náñkše.	Éja
a little way	there	graves	there	they were.	[There]

hišgúni.	Žégų	howé	woruponapónaje	égi	gušgúni
he went.	Anyhow [And so]	about	smelling he was	[and]	came back

p. 152 —

cirexírigeja	kirišgúni,	gáją	werakirakúni,	Wašerekénigro	howá
at the old abode	get back to	&	werakirakúni,	Little Fox	here

huré.	Asge	hijáhiže.	"Šarakénigra	tonikéwehiže?"	"Hąhą́ą."
came on.	& so	he went there.	"You, fox,	are you hungry?"	"Yes."

égi,	"Jagú	rajíkježe?"	Égi,	"Carániñge	égi
And,	"What	will you eat?"	And,	"Piece of deer	and

žigé	hųc	rániñge."	"Hojá."	Žésge	hok'ųšgúni.
[also]	bear	a piece."	"All right."	That kind	he gave him.

Žégų	warucgúni	égi	rušjoñgíži	žigé	wešgúni,
[And then]	he ate	and	when he got through	[again]	he said,

"Pejenína	hisgé	tacgoñkjéną."	"Hojá."	Égi	hisgé
"Fire-water	some	I would drink."	"All right."	And	some

p. 153 —

racgąšgúni.	"Wašerekénigra	mani	tée	égi	hakikícikjèną."	"Hojá"
he drank.	Little Fox you	the winter	this	here	let us live."	"All right."

Asge	wašerekénigra	éja	cí-omanaìžą	eja	cíže.
& so	little fox, you	there	an empty abode	[at]	he lived.

"Hogų́	jajónegi	hąbakírigi,	Wašerekénigro,	jagú	rajikjéže?"
"Anyhow	even now	when daylight comes,	Little Fox,	what	will you eat?"

Égi	"Hųjerúhi	hajíkje."	"Hojá,	haji-agúree."	Ásge
And,	"Bear ribs	I will eat."	"All right,"	come after it."	And so

haguhíže.	Žigé,	"Pejenína	hisgé	tacgoñkjéną."	"Ja."
he went after.	[Again]	"Fire-water	some	I would drink."	"Yes."

p. 154 —

Wáruc	rušjáñgi	žégų	gušgúni.	Hagaréžą	žigé
Eat	got through	anyhow [or, and then]	he came back.	[At one time]	again,

"Wašerekénigro-o-o-o,	jagú	iponáže?"	"Égi	hinúñgeniñk	cekcokją́
"Coyoooote,	what	do I smell like?"	"Well [or, And]	a little woman	first menses

cawíhana	ponáną."	"Ho-o-o,	haji-agúre."	Ásge,	ho,
is my wife	smells like.	"Hooo,"	come after it."	& so,	ho,

hijá.	Žegųhó	aíruti,	kirišgúni.	égi	haįsérecį
there.	Anyhow	leading her by the hand,	he came back.	[And]	all night long

p. 155 —

hinúñk	kanañkšgúni.	Žéjuñga	hagaréžą	wenąšgúniže,	Wašerekénika
the woman	he was married to.	Now that	[in time]	it was spring,	Little Fox

š'íñxjiñge.	Hagaréžą,	"Wašerekénigra,	owí,	jágu	hiponáže?"
was very fat.	Once,	"Little Fox,	owí,	what	do I smell like?"

"Jagúšge	nipónokje	wanáñǧi?	Hišjok'óp	niponáną,"	ánañga.
"What	should you smell like	but a ghost/corpse?"*	A hollow face	you smell like,"	he said.

*"ghost" is written above "corpse" with a curved line joining them on their right side.

Žégų	nuñgiwáñkše.	"Wée,	wée,	hiró-ere	šišíkjiną,
& then	he ran.	"Wée,	wée,	you naughty/homely*	bad one,

*"naughty" is written above "homely" with a curved line joining them on their right side.

caroxíwi	rucgé	šišíkjeną,	š'jéną	wašašáwañka!	Ruxexšgúni.
head-refuse	eater,	bad one,	you're a dead one	you saying this!"	(The corpse) chased him.*

*the parentheses are those of Radin.

p. 156 —

Hagaréžą	žéjuñga	hañká	wažą̀.	Žeskaníže.	Éja
[In time]	[then]	not	anything.*	He was done for.	[There]

*connected to this word with an arrow is the following at the top of the page: "he was out of strength".

mopóxižą	éja	hoikáwanañkše.	Sínjera	rúkonokšgùni.	"Hąhą́,
a hole in the ground	[there]	he ran into.	His tail	he broke off.	["All right,]

higų́	jajaínxjį	hirahíšonopgi,	šjekjonéną.	Éja	hapenihéže.
now mind you,	anytime	you come out*	die you will.	[There]	he waited for him.

*"anytime you come out" is written above "what have you been doing th..." which is crossed out.

Žeguñkága	hihinóbeniže.	Hagaréžą	mąjobóhą	gáją	égi
Now never	not did he come out.	[In time]	four years	it was	[and]

gájuñga	hihinóbše.	Žeguñké,	niñgé	wažą́	hajániže.
[now]	he came out.	Anyhow,	not anything	anywhere*	he did not see.

*"not anything anywhere" is more literally rendered, "not a thing."

p. 157 —

Ásge	žéjuñga	kéreže	gáją.	Werakirakúni	te
& so	[now]	he went home	[.]	Werakirakúni	here

sínjera	niñgé	háñka wažíniže.	Ğakšgúni.	Éja	hųwaížą
his tail	a piece	it was nowhere.	He cried.	[There]	an elk

nąžį́ježe:	"Hicųšgé,	jagú'ų?"	"Téga,	sínjera	hinukúnuk
was standing:	"My gr-son [or, nephew],	why?"	"Uncle,	tail	they broke off from me

hiréną,	ásge	wahamáñkšaną."	"Hicųšgé,	sinc	hanína
they did,	and so	I am crying/saying."*	"My gr.son [or, nephew],	tail	mine

*"crying" is written above "saying," and the two are held together by a bracket on their right side.

honiñk'úną,"	éže.	"Ho!	epíną."	Ásge	ruzánañga.
I give you,"	he said.	"Ho!	that's good."	& so	he took it.

p. 158 —

Éžee	sinšc	wánañga.	Kíri.	"Hohó,	kunika,
That one	tail	wore (used).	[He] came back.	"Hohó,	gr.mother,

wowañgeníñgera	wažą	wakít'ųtèną."	"Jásgeraràje	gáją?"	Égi
quite wild	something	I got into."	"What have you been doing	that you did?"	[And]

hinúñk	hakonoñgrá.	Éja	wakik'úną.	Hacuñgére	hakišípšaną."
woman	I married.	[There]	I did it for myself.	With great effort	I got away."

"*Hagagasgéžą	žesgegéjeni	roniñgiǧiną."	"Hąhą́	kunika,	žénuñga
It always was thus,	that is the reason	[that] I objected."	"Yes	gr.mother,	that's all

*"an expression of distress" (asterisk is Radin's).

hinúñk	hakonaíñkjonèną.	Nešonóniñk	haniñkórani	há'uñkjonèną,"	éže,
woman	I will marry.	You only	I will keep	I will always,"	he said,

p. 159 —

aíreną.	Ásge	épa	híkarokeràšaną	hákarakicìže,	aíreną.
[they said.]	& so	from then on	gr.mother only	lived with her,	[they said.]

Hąhą́	žejáną.
[Yes,]	that's it.

Source:

[1] Charlie Houghton, Coyote is Invited to a Feast, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #9, Freeman #3894 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) 147- 159.