Hotcâk 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 jigé djíkerecgùni. Uañkcigíjâ édja
The next morning again he started forth. A man there


'ûdjecgúni. "Égi miánañke hoduxúdjikdjènâ. Djagú-ijâ
he was at. "Well, I am going to sit I will look around. Which one


wa'ûdjegùni? Hiságû hakerecgúni. T'ehirecgùni. Wacdjiñgéga
would it be? With a cane I am going back. They will kill him. Hare


édja hañké kírinicgùni. Hitcûcgéniñkàra, djagú'û
there not he does not return. Little nephew, why


p. 51 --

wa'uñgúni? Hañké kirinínâ. Wákuruxutc dékdjinâ."
are you doing it? Not he does not return. Looking around at something I will go."


Hidjá hicgúni uañgerádjane. "Hitcûcgéniñkàra hañké
There he arrived the man. "Little nephew not


hínagicdjànije." "Hidokéniñgera, édja wajâ´nigìjâ hisagû´
you will not do it." "Little uncle, there a little something cane


hakerénâ." Erés'áre hokúrughutccgùnigádjâ. Édja
I am coming back." Perhaps it was he who looked at him. There


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


ghokéwigi'ûcgùnigádjâ. Ni-ôpcgúni "Kúnika hatcidékdjenâ."
he began scratching him (?). He was alive. "Grandmother he will live."


p. 53 --

"Hâhâ´ jedjuñgá recgúni." Wázira nûpíwi
"Yes now he is gone." The pines two


hisagû´ kik'ûcgúni. Hidjá hîcgúni. "Hahó
cane he made for himself. There he went. "Okay


hi'uñkdjenâ. Nicgé nisagû´ hakéreconùnâ." Jédjuñga,
I will do it. I too -- cane I usually go home." Now then,


uáñkdjega hisagû´ hakérecgùni. T'ehirecgúni. "Jédjuñga,
the man cane he went home. They killed him. "Now then,


piñkdjanénâ. Kunika, t'ehánâ. Hidégeniwahàra
it will be good. Grandmother, I killed him. My uncles


hiuníniñgwahàra t'éwahidjèra. Hicgé t'ehánâ. Kúnika,
my aunts he killed many. Therefore, I killed him. Grandmother,


p. 55 --

djágu hiraréje?" "Hitcûcgéniñkàxdjî, pînánâ.
what do you wish to do?" "My dear little grandson, it is good.


Hidégeniñgwàraga hiuníniñkwaragá waragíkik'atcânâ pî.
Your uncles your aunts [you have done for them ?] good.


Uañkcik ínekdjanènâ." "Kuniká, pîhágadjâ
Humans [will be left alone]." "Grandmother, that I have done well


hicegádjâ."
you have said it."


English Translation


Source:

Jacob Russell, Stories from the Trickster and Hare Cycles, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #14, Freeman #3893 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) 49-55. Phonetic text only.