Hocąk Text — Hare Kills a Man with a Cane

narrated by Jacob Russell

interlinear translation 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. 49 —
Haininégi žigé jíkerešgùni. Uañkšigížą éja
The next morning again he started forth. A man there

 

 

'ųješgúni. "Égi miánañke hotuxújikjèną. Jagú-ižą
he was at. "Well, I am going to sit I will look around. Which one

 

 

wa'ųjegùni? Hiságų hakerešgúni. T'ehirešgùni. Wašjiñgéga
would it be? With a cane I am going back. They will kill him. Hare

 

 

éja hañké kírinišgùni. Hicųšgéniñkàra, jagú'ų
there not he does not return. Little nephew, why

 

 

p. 51 —
wa'uñgúni? Hañké kiriníną. Wákuruxuc tékjiną."
are you doing it? Not he does not return. Looking around at something I will go."

 

 

Hijá hišgúni uañgerájane. "Hicųšgéniñkàra hañké
There he arrived the man. "Little nephew not

 

 

hínagišjàniže." "Hitokéniñgera, éja wažą́nigìžą hisagų́
you will not do it." "Little uncle, there a little something cane

 

 

hakeréną." Erés'áre hokúruǧucšgùnigáją. Éja
I am coming back." Perhaps it was he who looked at him. There

 

 

t'anañkšgúni. Kúrusguni. Haníñkerešgùni. Gígi. Íni
he was dead. He took his man. He took him away back. He did for him. Stone

 

 

ǧokéwigi'ųšgùnigáją. Ni-ǫpšgúni "Kúnika hacitékjeną."
he began scratching him (?). He was alive. "Grandmother he will live."

 

 

p. 53 —
"Hąhą́ žejuñgá rešgúni." Wázira nųpíwi
"Yes now he is gone." The pines two

 

 

hisagų́ kik'ųšgúni. Hijá hįšgúni. "Hahó
cane he made for himself. There he went. "Okay

 

 

hi'uñkjeną. Nišgé nisagų́ hakérešonùną." Žéjuñga,
I will do it. I too — cane I usually go home." Now then,

 

 

uáñkjega hisagų́ hakérešgùni. T'ehirešgúni. "Žéjuñga,
the man cane he went home. They killed him. "Now then,

 

 

piñkjanéną. Kunika, t'eháną. Hitégeniwahàra
it will be good. Grandmother, I killed him. My uncles

 

 

hiuníniñgwahàra t'éwahijèra. Hišgé t'eháną. Kúnika,
my aunts he killed many. Therefore, I killed him. Grandmother,

 

 

p. 55 —
jágu hiraréže?" "Hicųšgéniñkàxjį, pįnáną.
what do you wish to do?" "My dear little grandson, it is good.

 

 

Hitégeniñgwàraga hiuníniñkwaragá waragíkik'acąną pį.
Your uncles your aunts [you have done for them ?] good.

 

 

Uañkšik ínekjanèną." "Kuniká, pįhágają
Humans [will be left alone]." "Grandmother, that I have done well

 

 

hišegáją."
you have said it."

 

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: 49-55. Phonetic text only.