Little Fox Goes on the Warpath
narrated by Charlie Houghton
interlinear translation by Oliver LaMère
The MS is written in ink with a clear hand. It's pages have been numbered and renumbered so many times that there are four sets of page numbers. At the very top of the page is the Roman numeral "III". Just below it is written "Coyote on the war-path" which is followed with a slight indentation by, "Told by Charlie Hougton" which is followed with another slight indentation with, "Translated by Oliver Lamere".
Words placed in brackets '[ ]' are supplied by the editor (Richard Dieterle).
English Translation
p. 242 —
| "Hąhó |
žejaíñxjį |
točainikjáwiną. |
Égi |
koté, |
| "[Well] |
thus far |
on the warpath let us go. |
[And] |
say, |
| Wašerekéniñka |
kižu-inekją́winą. |
Wowáñgera |
éja |
wažokit'unekjéną† |
| Little Fox* |
with him let us go. |
Foolishness |
there |
get into something |
*this is always translated by LaMère as "Coyote," but its literal meaning is "Little Fox." For the identity of this character, see Little Fox.
†at the bottom of the page by an asterisk is the following note: "some trickery or trouble".
| higuñkíni. |
Wowóñgera |
haičéxjį |
híną, |
Wašerekénika. |
| he is always. |
Bad |
too much* |
he does, |
Little Fox. |
*"(beyond)" is written above the English line.
| Hąhá, |
hižą́ |
hijowarawi-ánañga |
gikarahérawire." |
Hó |
| [Hąhá,] |
one |
go there and |
ask him to." |
[Ho!] |
| žéjuñga |
hižįjahi-ánañga |
"Wašerekénigro |
koté, |
točą |
| now then |
one got there [and] |
"Little Fox |
[koté!] |
go on the warpath |
p. 243 —
| aíreną. |
Jagwañke |
šaraníkjaneže?" |
"Hó |
koté |
| they say. |
What, not |
you are not going?" |
"Ho, |
koté! |
| nišgé |
tekjonihéną." |
"Hojiá." |
Žéjuñga, |
hakįžuakiríregi |
| me also |
going I will." |
"All right." |
[Now then,] |
with him they came back |
| ho |
haną́činxjį. |
Wáñgera* |
éja |
nąži-ánañga, |
| ho |
all together. |
The man |
there |
stood and, |
*an original initial /u/ has been crossed out and a /w/ written above it.
| žéjuñga, |
nąwaį́neže. |
T'é'ųnąwaíneže. |
Hagaréžą |
Wašerekénika |
| now then, |
they sang. |
Do death, they sang. |
Once on a time |
Little Fox |
| hišgé |
ho |
žéjuñga |
hiragíži. |
"Hó |
| also |
[ho!] |
[now then] |
it got to him. |
["Ho!] |
p. 244 —
| Wašerekénigro |
nišgága |
nąnáwañkjanéną." |
"Hojiá, |
| Little Fox |
you also |
to sing you are to." |
"All right, |
| Wi iá ió ho hiá ha ia |
wi iá io ho hiá ha iá |
| Wi iá ió ho hiá ha ia |
wi iá io ho hiá ha iá |
| Wašerekénika |
t'ešge, |
t'ešge, |
péže |
giǧákikježe?* |
| Little Fox |
if he dies, |
if he dies, |
who |
will weep for him? |
*"[Repeat]" is written after this stanza.
| Wi iá ió ho hiá ha ia |
wi iá io ho hiá ha iá |
Wašerekénika |
t'ešge, |
| Wi iá ió ho hiá ha ia |
wi iá io ho hiá ha iá |
Little Fox |
if he dies, |
| t'ešge, |
péže |
giǧákikježe? |
Yo-o-o-o-o-o!" |
| if he dies, |
who |
will weep for him? |
Yo-o-o-o-o-o!" |
English Translation
Source:
Charles N. Houghton, "Coyote on the Warpath," translated by Oliver LaMère, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman #3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) 242-244.