Hočąk Text — The Animal that would Eat Men

Transliterated and Translated by Richard L. Dieterle


The syllabic text, which has neither transliteration nor translation, is written with a dark, thick pencil, with good legibility.


English Translation


p. 137 —

tteAe Kitti s.

Ao w K.

Ai Ki wx deAe.

Čekjira

howaką

higiwaxše,

The first time

eel

he asked him,


tt rKe

Ai Ktt n Ae Ki di.

Ao w K

we de.

"Jasge

hįkjanahegiži?"

howaką

wéže.

"What

would I suck?"

eel

he said.


w KidiKi

so tti Ktt n he de

e de.

e rKe.

"Wakšig

rujikjanaheže,"

éže.

Ésge

"Humans

could I eat him?"

he said.

And so


w ditti Ke K

we de.

Ai

s tt ni reKe K tt

e de.

Wašjįgega

wéže,

"Hi

rajnisgegają,"

éže.

Hare

said,

"With teeth

after you eat a piece."

he said.


Ai s Ki w A de.

Ai s.

reAe se ttAi re de.

n Ke we rKe de

Hira giwaháže.

hira

seréjireže.

Nąkeweskeže.

Teeth he showed him.

The teeth

they were long.

He was also afraid.


p. 138 —

e Ki.

te e.

wK Kidi Ke tt.

w i Ao w tti n.

Égi

tee

wąkšigeja

waihowajiną

And

this one

among the people

[he asked him]


so ttese

Ai rKe

w deAe Ki di.

Ai K n K.

mi Ki

rujere.

"Hisgé

wašegiži

hikanąk

mįki

to go eat.

"Some portion

as you said

[I took it]

[as he lay there]


xl leKe.

Ao Koo de.

K tt

roKo teKe

Kitti Ki di.

xapge

hok'ųže,"

gają.

Skutege

gijigiži

quickly

to give it back,"

.

Because of the sourness

after he received them


Ai s

lo rA n Ai de.

Ai

leAe

ni Ke tt

tA n.

hira

bosąnąhiže.

Hi

pe

nįgeja

taną.

the teeth

by means of great force, they fell out.

Teeth

in his head

at someplace

he had left.


ttAo we xitti

niKi

Ai rKe

niKi

Ao t Ai se de.

Čowexjį

nįk

hisgé

nįk

hotahireže.

Very little

small

some

small ones

they remained.


e tt.

Ao w K

xK deAe.

w ditti Ke

Éja

howaką

xakše.

Wašjįge

There

eel

he cried.

Hare


A Ke

liAi ni

w Ae K tt.

tt Ko

A Ke

hąké

pįni.

Wahegają,

"Jagu

hąké

not

he did not like it.

He said,

"How

not


de rK ni Kette n.

Ai teKe niKi w s K.

tee

wi se Ki di

žeskanikjeną.

Hiteknįkwaraga

tee

wiregiži.

could it not be?

Your little uncles

this

they have to work with.


p. 139 —

Ai so tti s ni Ae Kette n

e de.

e Ki

w ditti Ke

Hirujiranihekjeną,"

éže.

Égi

Wašjįge

I will be meant for eating,"

he said.

And

Hare


niK

w i Ki nl deAe

e liAi n.

Ai Ke de.

nįk

wa'įkinapše,

"Epįna,

hikéže?"

little

he began to thank himself,

"It is good,

is it not?"


English Translation


Source:

The Hare Cycle, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #23: 137-139.