Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster's Tail

Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster's Tail

Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912

Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake

Translation based on the interlinear of Oliver LaMère

For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.

English Translation

p. 349 —

de e	A Ko ℒe d.	e tt.	ni tteAe tte tt.	te we ℒ Ki.
Žee	hagoréžą,	éja	nįčejeja,	tewéraki,
Then	one day,	there	at the edge of the water,	unexpectedly,

Ae Ke K.	Ao we o tte de.	w d	teeKe	Ao ni
Hegega	howe’ųježe.	Wažą	t’ek	honi
[Buzzard]*	he was going about.	Something	dead & decaying	to look for

* the translation has "Hawk", but as the story makes clear later on, this is Buzzard, the same individual that had fooled Trickster before, and upon whom Trickster is anxious to avenge himself. This same word is elsewhere always translated as "buzzard", and is nowhere translated as "hawk".

w o tte de.	Ai ℒoyi ℒe diAi diAi Kitti	w doo ℒ tte K.	w d
wa’ųježe.	"Hiroirešišikjį	waš’urajega,	wažą
he was.	"The homely fellow	that you are,*	something

* the translation has "that he is that you are" with "he is" lined out.

p. 350 —

Ai ℒ dK ℒ.	Ai deKe	ni Ki o Ktt	y ℒe d ℒ	e de.
hiraškara.	hišgé	nįgi’ųkja,	yarežara,"	éže.
you did to me.	Also	I would do something back to you,	I thought,"	he said.

e tt	ni Ai tteAe tte tt.	ni wy dA dA Ki leAy tt.
Éja	nihičejeja	niwaišašagipehaija
There	on the edge of the water	where the waves come up to

miKi deAe.	ttA xeAe teyi.	tee	w owK deAe.	Ke ni
mįkše.	Čaxeteį	t’e	wa’ųwąkše.	keni
he laid.	As a buck deer	dead	he was.	But not

p. 351 —

teeKe Ktti ni de.	w A ℒ	deKe.	Ai tt	o n Ki ni de.
t’ekjįnįže.	Wahara	ške	hija	’ųnąkįnįže,
he was not decayed.	The crows	[also]	there	already they were,

no ni Ke	A ℒo Kere n Kede.	A Ke	ni Ke	Ao ℒo ℒ.
nųnįgé	harugesnąkeže.	Hąké	nįgé	horora
but	he only longed for it.	Not	anywhere	the flesh

ℒotto	ℒo xoAo ℒoKo ni nK deAe.	xoAo ℒ.
ruč	ruxorukonįnąkše.	xúra
to eat*	[they could not open it up.]†	The hide

* before the word "eat", the word "get" has been crossed out.
† the translation reads, "could they eat and of the flesh".

dtt Ke.	Ke ni	tee Kini Ke.	e tt.	Ae Ke K.
šjąge,	keni	t’ekįnįge.	Éja	Hegega
it was tough,	not	it had not yet decayed.	There	[Buzzard]

p. 352 —

Ao we	ow Ki di	Ki wy ℒe de.	w A nK Keℒe.
howe	’ųwagiži,	giwaíreže,	wahanąkere.
going about	(as) he was,	they shouted at him,	these crows.

Ki w wi ℒe	ay ℒe Ke.	e dA n	m Ai	lA Ai
"Giwawire,"	aírege,	"éšaną	mąhi	pahí
"Call him,"	because they said,	"he alone	knife	sharp

A ni doAo no n.	ay ℒe Ke.	wy ℒe de.	A Ko ℒey d
hanišųnųną,"	aírege.	Waireže.	Hagorežą,
he usually has,"	they said.	They called him.	Finally,

p. 353 —

tti de.	A Ke	w di	ℒo K n	Ai ni de.
jiže.	Hąké	wažį	rokana	hinįže.
He came.	[Not]	[anything]	[much]	[he did not do.]*

* translated as, "very active he was".

Ai Ko	de Ko	Aoyi ri ritti deAe.	o tt o	w o de.
Higų	žegų	hoisįsįjše.	’Ûja’ų,	wa’ųže.
[Still]	[then]	he went all around looking at it.	Finally,	[he did it.]

diAi tte tt	Ai de.	o di ℒ.	Ai Ki deAe ℒe de.
Šįjeja	hiže.	Užira	higišereže.
To the hind end	he got around to it.	Rectum	he worked at it.

w Ktt K K.	Ki riKi ℒe Ki di.	ttAo we no	wK n ra de.
Wakjąkaga	gisgįregiži,	čoweno	wakanas’aže.
Trickster	when they hurt him by pecking,	nearly	he would jump.

p. 354 —

o tt o	lA ℒ.	Ai ℒe Ai de.	e tt	ni Ke ℒ
’Ûja’ų,	pára	hirehiže.	Éja	nįgera
Finally,	his head	he got it in.	[There]	piece

Ko li Kette Ke	w o de.	lA ℒ	Ai ℒe Ai Ki di.	e tt.
gupikjege	wa’ųže.	Pára	hirehigiži,	éja
he might bite off*	[he did].	His head	when he got it in,	there

* the translation adds, "from the inside".

o di A ℒ.	liiri Ai de.	n di de.	A A a.	Ae Ke ℒ.
užihara	p’įshiže.	nąžįže.	"Hąhą-ą	Hegera,
his rectum	he closed tight on him.	He got up.	"Ah yes	[Buzzard,]*

* translated as, "you hawk".

p. 355 —

w d	Ai ℒy dK ℒ.	Ai deKe	A Ko ℒe d.	w d
wažą	hiraišakara.	hišgé	hagoréžą	wažą
[something]	you harmed me.	Also	some day	something

Ki o	liAi ℒ ni doKo ni de	y ℒe d ℒ.	a n K.
ki’ų	pįraniškuniže.	yarežara,"	anąga.
to do	[I might do well]	I thought,"	he said.

de Ko	to w ℒe de.*	Ai tt.	Ki diAili	n i ni Ae de.
Žegų	towareže.	Hija	gišip	ną’įniheže,
[Then]	on he went.	There	to get free	he tried,

* the /t/ is written over what appears to be an erased /A/.

p. 356 —

no ni Ke.	tt Ko Kette.	Ki diAi lℒ	ℒo daK deAe.
nųnįgé	jagukje.	Gišipra	ruš’akše.
but	it was of no avail.	To get free,	he could not (do it).

ttAe Ke tt.	a Ao ℒ.*	xoKo ni Ae Ki di.	de tt K.
čegéja	ahura	xuknihegiži,	žejąga
At the start	his wings	they were flapping, but	now

* the /a/ is written over an erased /A/.

A Ky ℒ dA n.	a Ao ℒ.	Ki w tti Ke ℒe ra de.	ow Koo.
hagairašąną	ahura	giwajikeres’aže.	’Ųwąk’ų,
only once in awhile	his wings	they would flap.	As thus he did,

p. 357 —

te we ℒ Ki.	e tt.	Ao tti d	A Ki tti de.	we de.
tewéraki,	éja	hųjižą	hagijiže.	Wéže,
unexpectedly,	there	a bear	he came upon.	It said,

Ao Ao.	Ko no	A K w d	riAi ttℒ	Ai ℒ ni Ki ℒ Ki d
"Hohó	Kunu,	hagáwažą	sįčra	hiranikiragižą,"
"Oh my!	Cunu,*	how	the tail	it becomes you,"

* actually written "cu nu" in parallel with the syllabic spelling. The name Kunu is given to the first born male.

e de.	A Ke	deKe	xA lini de.	Ai Ko
éže.	Hąké	ške	xapinįže.	Higų
he said.	Not	[also]	he did not say anything.*	Still

* the translation adds, "to the remark".

owK deAe.	di Ki Ko	e de.	Ko no	A K w d
’ųwąkše.	Žigigų	éže,	"Kunu,	hagáwažą
he kept on.	Again	he said,	"Cunu,	how

p. 358 —

rAi ttℒ	Ai ℒ ni Ki ℒ Ki d.	e ny xitti	dey rKe	dey di
sįčra	hiranikiragižą.	Enaįxjį	žeisge,	žeiži,"
the tail	it becomes you.	[I were ?]*	that way,	I wish,"

* this whole quotation is rendered as, "If I only were that way".

e de.	Ai tto l A ℒ	we de.	Ko no	A K w d
éže.	Hijobą́hąrá	wéže,	"Kunu,	hagáwažą
he said.	The [fourth] time	he said,	"Cunu,	how

riAi ttℒ	Ai ℒ ni Ki ℒ Ki d.	e ny xitti	w do o	liAi Ki di.
sįčra	hiranikiragižą.	Enaįxjį	waš’ų	pigiži
the tail	it becomes you.	[I were ?]	[to do this]	if it were possible,*

* more literally, it would be, "if it were good".

p. 359 —

dey rKe	dey di	e de.	Ko ℒ.	Ai Ko
žeisge,	žeiži,"	éže.	"Korá,	higų
that way,	I wish,"	he said.	"Say!	[still]

de ni rKe doAo no n.	Ao	Ai tt	tt Ko	wo ttAe xiAi de.
ženisgešųnųną.	Ho,	hija	jagú	wočexiže.
you are always thus.	[Ho,]	[there]	what	difficulty it is.*

* this sentence is translated as, "What difficulty is there in having one".

Ai dtt Ke	de rKe	Ki liAi ℒ ni n.	te e	deKe.
Hišjąge,	žesge	gipiraniną.	Tee	ške,
[Well then,]	[that kind]	[I liked it.]*	[This]	[also,]

* this sentence is inexplicably translated as, "Why don't you make one for yourself?".

de rKe	w ttA ℒ.	w Ki liAi ℒ.	de rKe	Ai Ki Ki ℒe n.
žesge	wačara,	wagipira.	Žesge	hįgigireną.
that way	I saw some,	I liked it.	[This kind]	they made for me.

p. 360 —

ℒo Ko ℒ.	o liAi n.	e de.	Ao tt	Ko no
Rogųra,	’ųpiną,"	éže.	"Hojá	Kunu,
If one wished it,	he can do it,"	he said.	"All right	Cunu,

de rKi deAe Ki di.	Ai ℒ Ki doo n	y ℒe Ke
žesgišegiži,	hįragiš’ųną,	yarége
if you say thus,	you might make me one,	I thought

w Ae n	e de.	A Ao.	e Ki.	ni Ki o Kette n.
wahéną,"	éže.	"Hąhó,	égi	nįgi’ųkjeną,"
it is why I said it,"	he said.	"All right,	then,	I will do it for you,"

p. 361 —

e de.	Ao ℒo xo tteℒe.	Ai d	A K	ni Ki liAi Ki di.
éže.	"Horuǧujere.	Hižą	haga	nįgipigiži,
he said.	"Look at it.	One	whenever	if he likes it,*

* the translation has, "likes it for you".

te de rKe ℒ Kette n.	Ai Ke de.	A ni Ko de.	A Ao.
težesgerakjeną,"	higeže.	Hanikuže.	"Hąhó,
thus you can do it,"	he said to him.	He brought it forth.	"Now then!

riAi ttℒ	di Ki d	ℒo Ko Ai ℒe n.	Ai d	A Ko ℒ ℒe
sįčra	žigižą	rogųhireną.	Hižą	hagorare,"
tail	another one	it is wished for.*	One	go after,"

* the word "is" is written above "they" which has been crossed out. This exemplifies the indefinite third person plural which acts like the passive voice.

p. 362 —

Ai K n K.	Ki ℒo dtt ℒe Ai de.	lA n ℒ.	n roAo ℒ.*
higanąga	girušją́ rehíže.	Panara.	nąsúra
he said to it and	he turned it loose.	It stunk.	The head

* the /r/ is written over an erasure.

A ntt	de leℒe de.	Ae Ke K.*	to w Ke ℒe de.	e Ki
haną́č	žepereže.	Hegega	towagereže.	Égi
all	it came off.	[Buzzard]	he went on home.	Then

* an /e/ at the end of this word has been erased.

Ao tte K	w Ke de.	Ai Kow n	Ai tt	ni Ki o A tte Kette n.
hųjega	wageže,	"Higųwąną	hija	nįgi’ųhajekjeną,
the bear	he said,	"Even now	[there]	let me fix it for you,*

* before the word "let", the words "I can" have been crossed out. The translation reads, "let me be fixing it for you".

p. 363 —

e	Ai Kow n Ki ℒi Ki di.	Ai tt	ni Ki Ke ℒe Kette n
e	higųwąnąkirigiži,	hija	nįgikerekjeną,"
he	when he comes back,	[there]	I can place it in for you,"

Ai Ke de.	m Ai ℒ.	Ko ℒo r n K.	o di ℒ.
higeže.	Mahira	kurusanąga	užira
he said to him.	His knife	he took and	its rectum

m doAo ℒotto deAe.	diAi lℒ.	ℒo xoKo Ki	tee de.
mąšoručše.	Šipra	ruxoki,	t’eže.
he cut it out.	Intestines	[when] he pulled out of him,	he died.

e tt	leAe tto tow n K.	A t dA ℒ Ai de.	A A.
Éja	pejotųwanąga	hatašarahįže.	"Hąhą́,
There	he built a fire and	singed it.	"Now then,

p. 364 —

A K m ni Ae ℒ.	w ℒotto	tt Ko	Ay liAi ℒ	de rKe.
hakamanihera.	warúč	jagú	haipira,	žesge
it's been so long.	The food	which	I like best,	[that kind]

A Ki Koo xitti Kette	e de.
hakik’ųxjįkje,"	éže.
I will get my fill of,"	he said.

Source:

Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 349-364.