The Stone that Turned into a Frog

by George Ricehill


Interlinear Hotcâk-English Text

by Oliver LaMère


English Translation


This manuscript is written very clearly in the hand of Oliver LaMère.


p. 16 --

Hâhâ´, égi wodágikdjanènâ. Égi hagiréjâ wâgijâ.
Yes,. here a story I'll tell. And [one came?] a man.


Édja howé nañkíkara wâkcegádjâ. Níjura rokónoxdjîje
there [out?] hunting he was. Rain mighty hard was.


hosnáxdje édja uáñk'û wa'ûcgúni, gíji woruxuxutcgádjâ
Prairie there he was when it came, and so looking around


íni xedexdjî´je edjanâki kûhaî´dja minâkcgúni. Gádjâ
rock big it was there was under it he sat. And then


Wakâdjára mâcdjáxdjî k'oiregádjâ djâberácge jégû móidja,
the Thunderbird mighty thundered looked and as on earth,


p. 17 --

hirakére djikirikére hirecgúni gíji wâkcigenâka gi-ásguni.
connected they did they made it and so the people ran away.


Higû´ acgéniñk gigádjâ inixedènâka. Wakâ´dja
And close he got the big rock. Thunderbird


hodjînecgúni jégû howanánâ djihuhíre. Ini nihera
struck it and rolled it down they made it come. Stone ?


de[e] kéwaxgu xedéjâ wa'unâ´kce airenâ. Ini
this frog a big one it was [they said]. [Stone]


Hadjadjéra. Ini. kinâk'û herecgúni jésge aírenâ.
that saw it. Stone making itself at that time that kind [they said].


hisgexdjéje aírenâ jénûga
it was so [they said] that's all.


English Translation


Source:

George Ricehill, Tale of a Stone that Turned into a Frog, transcribed by Oliver LaMere, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #19, Freeman Number 3899 [1254] (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909) 16-17; George Ricehill, No Title, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman Number #3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1905 [revised, 1945]) Story XVI, p. 72.