The Omahas who turned into Snakes

narrated (and probably translated) by George Ricehill

English Translation

This text was collected very early (< 1909) inasmuch as it contains the letter 'L' (here uniformly replaced by 'R'), which was almost immediately dropped by Radin once he became independent of Dorsey's immediate influence.

Expressions in brackets [ ] are translations supplied by the editor (Richard Dieterle) from other sources.

p. 17 --

Omâhô´na uáñgera s'átcâ hikiwáre. Haraírenâ Câhô´na.
[The Omaha] [people five went visiting. [They went] [against the] Sioux.

Hijâ´ hadjaíregi t'e-hírekdjége ásge wa'uâraíreje. Gádjâ
One if? they saw that they might kill [and so] why they went. [But]

hañké wajâ hadjaíranije äsge jégû hagu'ireje.
[not] any they did not see [and so] [thus] so they came back.

p. 18 --

Gádjâ acgéniñk hakiríregádjâ dokéwehira rokónainegi, ä´sge
But when near they came back hungry much they were, [and so]

ni ratcgaî nekdjége, â´sge mâíjâ edja
[water] to drink they wished, [and so] a spring there

djeje édja hahíregádjâ. Édja wak'aí´jâ 'uáñkiji
was [there] they went to. [There] a snake was

huradjópce aírenâ. Hijâ´ wëjé "Kode! "hinútcawínâ t'ehiníge."
had four legs they said. [One] [he said,] "Kode! let us eat it let us kill."

Hijâ roghícgune, "Cicik kani." "Kodé, jegû
[One] forbade it, "Bad it must be." "Kodé, [but]

t'ehákdjonénâ. Doikéwehige wahádjenâ." Jegû t'ehícguné. Jegû
I'm going to kill it anyhow. I'm hungry is why I say it." Then he killed it. Thus

p. 19 --

hi[rho =? ánañga]. Nañksík hagúhiánañga. Wasúnucgúni égi dûtcgíghi,
he did. Sticks he went after. He boiled it [and] when heated,

rutcgúni. "Kode, asánu." Niñge rudjwíre henâ´tc
he ate it. "Say, it's delicious." [Piece] eat [all]

'uìnecgúni. Hijâkíra k'e 'ûnícgune. Hijâ´ watcóju wa'uáñkiji
[they did?]. One only not did [he] do it. [One] that was leader of them

hitcûcge higíji. Éwa'ûcgune k'eniñge rudjeníc?gune. Tcëbiregádjâ
his nephew [he had?]. [He] was the one that would not eat it. When they ate it up

'uañgenáñka hidjóbike jégû róra wajâ´ 'uádjaraíreje
[those men] [four of them] [now] some thing began to happen to them.

p. 20 --

Wanioítcge rúdjiréga jégû jesgaíreje. Watcójuáka wëcgúne,
[Animal] that they had eaten [thus] they became like. The leader [he said],

"Hitcûcgé Homahâ´na wogídagádja dokíg?i dejedjánañgi hîcdjáradjíkdjawinâ,
"[Nephew] [the Omaha?] tell them next summer at this time you may come and see me,

[alpha] ha'ûhahaiñkdjenáwinâ. Mádjobohâ jésge hákdjenáwinâ Ép'â
[and?] we will be here. Four years [thus] he will do. [Since that time]

hawíñdjowarekíga hañkága hîcdjaniñkdjenáwinâ. Jegû´na deécge hirágera
from that on [near] will you see me again. [Now then?] that is the last time

hit'et'éra naíñnaxgû´winâ jegû´na koránane. Jenága.
talk you have heard me. [Therefore?] go home now. [The end].

English Translation

Source:

George Ricehill, [no title], in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #19, Freeman Number 3899 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, prior to 1909) 19b-2, 17-20.