Hotcâk Text -- Little Fox is Invited to a Feast

narrated by Charlie Houghton

translated by Oliver LaMère

English Translation (Little Fox and the Ghost, Verson 2)

p. 147 --

Wacerekénika hikarókera édja hakaraík tcinônkcgúni. Jégû
Little Fox* his gr. mother [there] living together they were. [And so]

*LaMère translates this as "Coyote" throughout, but the name is "Little Fox."

hâhegácanâ égi nañkíkera s'áje. Hagaréjâ wérakirakùni
night time only [here] hunt he would. [After this, at one time] wérakirakûni

uañkcigíjâ wéje, "Wacerekénigro éje, "Ho-o-o-o! niñgoírenâ."
a man said, "Little Fox," he said, Ho-o-o-o! you're invited."

"Djagú kigoíreje?" Égi, "Warúsgu,*" aírenâ. "Ho-o-o-o!"
"What he is going to a feast [on]?" [And,] "Corn," they [said]. "Ho-o-o-o!"

*a certain preparation of corn (Radin).

p. 148 --

hañka 'unínâ jésgeconûnâ, ásge hañka 'unínâ."
[Not] do not do it that way, and so not do not do it."

Jigé hiraréxdjiniñkàdjâ, "Wacerekénigro, niñgoírenâ." "Djagú kikoíreje?"
[Again] after a short time, "O Mr. Little Fox, you're invited." "What will they feast on?"

Égi, "Tca kikigoíre." "Hohó hañka 'unínâ.
[And,] "Deer they feasted on." "Hoho not do not do it.

Jésge hatcgá paxcícik hi'ûconúnâ." Jigé hiraréxdjiniñgàdjâ,
[That way] when I eat bad stomach (physic) I get." Again after a short time,

"Wacerekénigro, niñgoírenâ. "Ho-o-o-o! djagú kikoiréje." Égi
"O Little Fox they invite you." "Ho-o-o-o! what will they feast on?" [And,]

p. 149 --

wagúdje cícik égi wakéredja égi tcaroxíwi*
mocassins bad [and] dung [and] hair

*at the bottom of page 150, Radin has written, "tcaroxíwi - hair, dandruff, etc. that remains in a comb."

jejénuñga kikigoírenâ." "Ho, haipínâ. Jédjuñga, wasgéra
that many they feast on." "Ho, I like it. Now then the dish

kuruzánañga dekdjonénâ." Égi hikarókera wëcgúni, "Hâ hâ,
take it I will." [And] his gr. mother said, "[Yes indeed,]

wowáñkcigeniñgrà. Hañké raníne. Niñgis'ági hî´nekdjonènâ. Núnige
wild bad fellows. [Not] go. Kill you they will." But

jégû réje. Hicgúni. "Ho, Wacerekénika djínâ."
any how he went. He arrived. "Ho, Little Fox has come."

p. 150 --

Girukówire, aíreje. Ásge édja mináñgere. Édja
They made room for him, [they say]. And so [there] sit down. [There]

mináñkce. Wérakirakùni, "Hâhâ hâ, gisagwíre." Jégû Wacerekénika.
he sat. Wérakirakùni, ["Yes indeed, yes,] kill him." Anyhow [or, and so, thus, then] Little Fox

hiwak'ók'o hagihinópce. Jégû ruxaíreje, núnige hikarókera
skipped about and ran out. Anyhow [Then, and so, thus] they ran after him, but his gr. mother

édja hokáwagikère. égi dokéningenòñka wejé, "Wowañkcícik
[there] ran in he did. [And] the old woman said, "Bad, wild boy, you

tcokoícgera t'ehírekdjènâ," éje. Jégû mâ djobóhâ édja
they might have killed you," [she said.] [So] 4 years [there]

p. 151 --

mináñkce. Hagaréjâ gádjuñga hihinópce. Édja howaréje
he sat. [At one time] now he went out. [There] he went

gádjâ, wérakirakúni, de tci rexírigra* edjanáñkce.
& wérakirakúni, these abode old there they were.

*Radin has written at the top of the page, "rexírik = old."

Jégû édja howé worupónapona djéje. Higû´
Anyhow [And so] [there] about he smelled he did. Just

higaréxdjiniñk édja wanañghíomiñk édja náñkce. Édja
a little way there graves there they were. [There]

hicgúni. Jégû howé woruponapónadje égi gucgúni
he went. Anyhow [And so] about smelling he was [and] came back

p. 152 --

tcirexírigedja kiricgúni, gádjâ werakirakúni, Wacerekénigro howá
at the old abode get back to & werakirakúni, Little Fox here

huré. Asge hidjáhije. "Carakénigra donikéwehije?" "Hâhâ´â."
came on. & so he went there. "You, fox, are you hungry?" "Yes."

égi, "Djagú radjíkdjeje?" Égi, "Tcarániñge égi
And, "What will you eat?" And, "Piece of deer and

jigé hûtc rániñge." "Hodjá." Jésge hok'ûcgúni.
[also] bear a piece." "All right." That kind he gave him.

Jégû warutcgúni égi rucdjoñgíji jigé wecgúni,
[And then] he ate and when he got through [again] he said,

"Pedjenína hisgé datcgoñkdjénâ." "Hodjá." Égi hisgé
"Fire-water some I would drink." "All right." And some

p. 153 --

ratcgâcgúni. "Wacerekénigra mani dée égi hakikítcikdjènâ." "Hodjá"
he drank. Little Fox you the winter this here let us live." "All right."

Asge wacerekénigra édja tcí-omanaìjâ edja tcíje.
& so little fox, you there an empty abode [at] he lived.

"Hogû´ djadjónegi hâbakírigi, Wacerekénigro, djagú radjikdjéje?"
"Anyhow even now when daylight comes, Little Fox, what will you eat?"

Égi "Hûdjerúhi hadjíkdje." "Hodjá, hadji-agúree." Ásge
And, "Bear ribs I will eat." "All right," come after it." And so

haguhíje. Jigé, "Pedjenína hisgé datcgoñkdjénâ." "Dja."
he went after. [Again] "Fire-water some I would drink." "Yes."

p. 154 --

Wárutc rucdjáñgi jégû gucgúni. Hagaréjâ jigé
Eat got through anyhow [or, and then] he came back. [At one time] again,

"Wacerekénigro-o-o-o, djagú iponáje?" "Égi hinúñgeniñk tcektcokdjâ´
"Coyoooote, what do I smell like?" "Well [or, And] a little woman first menses

tcawíhana ponánâ." "Ho-o-o, hadji-agúre." Ásge, ho,
is my wife smells like. "Hooo," come after it." & so, ho,

hidjá. Jegûhó aírudi, kiricgúni. égi haîséretcî
there. Anyhow leading her by the hand, he came back. [And] all night long

p. 155 --

hinúñk kanañkcgúni. Jédjuñga hagaréjâ wenâcgúnije, Wacerekénika
the woman he was married to. Now that [in time] it was spring, Little Fox

c'íñxdjiñge. Hagaréjâ, "Wacerekénigra, owí, djágu hiponáje?"
was very fat. Once, "Little Fox, owí, what do I smell like?"

"Djagúcge nipónokdje wanáñghi? Hicdjok'óp niponánâ," ánañga.
"What should you smell like but a ghost/corpse?"* A hollow face you smell like," he said.

*"ghost" is written above "corpse" with a curved line joining them on their right side.

Jégû nuñgiwáñkce. "Wée, wée, hiró-ere cicíkdjinâ,
& then he ran. "Wée, wée, you naughty/homely* bad one,
*"naughty" is written above "homely" with a curved line joining them on their right side.

tcaroxíwi rutcgé cicíkdjenâ, c'djénâ wacacáwañka! Ruxexcgúni.
head-refuse eater, bad one, you're a dead one you saying this!" (The corpse) chased him.*

*the parentheses are those of Radin.

p. 156 --

Hagaréjâ jédjuñga hañká wajâ`. Jeskaníje. Édja
[In time] [then] not anything.* He was done for. [There]

*connected to this word with an arrow is the following at the top of the page: "he was out of strength".

mopóxijâ édja hoikáwanañkce. Síndjera rúkonokcgùni. "Hâhâ´,
a hole in the ground [there] he ran into. His tail he broke off. ["All right,]

higû´ djadjaínxdjî hirahíconopgi, cdjekdjonénâ. Édja hapenihéje.
now mind you, anytime you come out* die you will. [There] he waited for him.

*"anytime you come out" is written above "what have you been doing th..." which is crossed out.

Jeguñkága hihinóbenije. Hagaréjâ mâdjobóhâ gádjâ égi
Now never not did he come out. [In time] four years it was [and]

gádjuñga hihinóbce. Jeguñké, niñgé wajâ´ hadjánije.
[now] he came out. Anyhow, not anything anywhere* he did not see.

*"not anything anywhere" is more literally rendered, "not a thing."

p. 157 --

Ásge jédjuñga kéreje gádjâ. Werakirakúni de
& so [now] he went home [.] Werakirakúni here

síndjera niñgé háñka wajínije. Ghakcgúni. Édja hûwaíjâ
his tail a piece it was nowhere. He cried. [There] an elk

nâjî´djeje: "Hitcûcgé, djagú'û?" "Déga, síndjera hinukúnuk
was standing: "My gr-son [or, nephew], why?" "Uncle, tail they broke off from me

hirénâ, ásge wahamáñkcanâ." "Hitcûcgé, sintc hanína
they did, and so I am crying/saying."* "My gr.son [or, nephew], tail mine

*"crying" is written above "saying," and the two are held together by a bracket on their right side.

honiñk'únâ," éje. "Ho! epínâ." Ásge ruzánañga.
I give you," he said. "Ho! that's good." & so he took it.

p. 158 --

Éjee sinctc wánañga. Kíri. "Hohó, kunika,
That one tail wore (used). [He] came back. "Hohó, gr.mother,

wowañgeníñgera wajâ wakít'ûdènâ." "Djásgeraràdje gádjâ?" Égi
quite wild something I got into." "What have you been doing that you did?" [And]

hinúñk hakonoñgrá. Édja wakik'únâ. Hatcuñgére hakicípcanâ."
woman I married. [There] I did it for myself. With great effort I got away."

"*Hagagasgéjâ jesgegédjeni roniñgighínâ." "Hâhâ´ kunika, jénuñga
It always was thus, that is the reason [that] I objected." "Yes gr.mother, that's all

*"an expression of distress" (asterisk is Radin's).

hinúñk hakonaíñkdjonènâ. Neconóniñk haniñkórani há'uñkdjonènâ," éje,
woman I will marry. You only I will keep I will always," he said,

p. 159 --

aírenâ. Ásge épa híkarokeràcanâ hákarakitcìje, aírenâ.
[they said.] & so from then on gr.mother only lived with her, [they said.]

Hâhâ´ jedjánâ.
[Yes,] that's it.

English Translation (Little Fox and the Ghost, Verson 2)

Source:

[1] Charlie Houghton, Coyote is Invited to a Feast, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #9, Freeman Number 3894 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) 147- 159.