Hotcâk Syllabic Text -- Trickster's Tail

Translated by Oliver LaMre

English Translation

p. 349 --
de e
A Ko se d.
e tt.
ni tteAe tte tt.
te we s Ki.
Jee
hagoréjâ,
Ždja
nîtcedjedja,
dewŽraki,
Then
one day,
there
at the edge of the water,
unexpectedly,

Ae Ke K.
Ao we o tte de.
w d
teeKe
Ao ni
Hegega
howe'ždjeje.
Waj‰
t'ek
honi
[Buzzard]*
he was going about.
Something
dead & decaying
to look for
*the translation has "Hawk", but as the story makes clear later on, this is Buzzard, the same individual that had fooled Trickster before, and upon whom Trickster is anxious to avenge himself. This same word is elsewhere always translated as "buzzard", and is nowhere translated as "hawk".

w o tte de.
Ai soyi se diAi diAi Kitti
w doo s tte K.
w d
wa'ždjeje.
"Hiroirecicikdj”
wac'uradjega,
waj‰
he was.
"The homely fellow
that you are,*
something
*the translation has "that he is that you are" with "he is" lined out.

p. 350 --
Ai s dK s.
Ai deKe
ni Ki o Ktt
y se d s
e de.
hirackara.
hicgé
n”giÕžkdja,
yarejara,"
Žje.
you did to me.
Also
I would do something back to you,
I thought,"
he said.

e tt
ni Ai tteAe tte tt.
ni wy dA dA Ki leAy tt.
ƒdja
nihitcedjedja
niwaicacagipehaidja
There
on the edge of the water
where the waves come up to

miKi deAe.
ttA xeAe teyi.
tee
w owK deAe.
Ke ni
m”kce.
Tcaxede”
t'e
wa'žw‰kce.
keni
he laid.
As a buck deer
dead
he was.
But not

p. 351 --
teeKe Ktti ni de.
w A s
deKe.
Ai tt
o n Ki ni de.
t'ekdj”n”je.
Wahara
cke
hidja
'žn‰k”n”je,
he was not decayed.
The crows
[also]
there
already they were,

no ni Ke
A so Kere n Kede.
A Ke
ni Ke
Ao so s.
nunige
harugesn‰keje.
H‰kŽ
n”ge
horora
but
he only longed for it.
Not
anywhere
the flesh

sotto
so xoAo soKo ni nK deAe.
xoAo s.
rutc
ruxorukon”n‰kce.
xúra
to eat*
[they could not open it up.]**
The hide
*before the word "eat", the word "get" has been crossed out.
**the translation reads, "could they eat and of the flesh".

dtt Ke.
Ke ni
tee Kini Ke.
e tt.
Ae Ke K.
cdj‰ge,
keni
t'ek”n”ge.
ƒdja
Hegega
it was tough,
not
it had not yet decayed.
There
[Buzzard]

p. 352 --
Ao we
ow Ki di
Ki wy se de.
w A nK Kese.
howe
'žwagiji,
giwaíreje,
wahan‰kere.
going about
(as) he was,
they shouted at him,
these crows.

Ki w wi se
ay se Ke.
e dA n
m Ai
lA Ai
"Giwawire,"
aírege,
"écanâ
m‰hi
pah’
"Call him,"
because they said,
"he alone
knife
sharp

A ni doAo no n.
ay se Ke.
wy se de.
A Ko sey d
hanicžnžn‰,"
a’rege.
Waireje.
Hagorej‰,
he usually has,"
they said.
They called him.
Finally,

p. 353 --
tti de.
A Ke
w di
so K n
Ai ni de.
djije.
H‰kŽ
waj”
rokana
hin”je.
He came.
[Not]
[anything]
[much]
[he did not do.]*
*translated as, "very active he was".

Ai Ko
de Ko
Aoyi ri ritti deAe.
o tt o
w o de.
Higž
jegž
hois”s”djce.
'ódja'ž,
wa'žje.
[Still]
[then]
he went all around looking at it.
Finally,
[he did it.]

diAi tte tt
Ai de.
o di s.
Ai Ki deAe se de.
C”djedja
hije.
Ujira
higicereje.
To the hind end
he got around to it.
Rectum
he worked at it.

w Ktt K K.
Ki riKi se Ki di.
ttAo we no
wK n ra de.
Wakdj‰kaga
gisg”regiji,
tcoweno
wakanas'aje.
Trickster
when they hurt him by pecking,
nearly
he would jump.

p. 354 --
o tt o
lA s.
Ai se Ai de.
e tt
ni Ke s
'ódja'ž,
para
hirehije.
ƒdja
n”gera
Finally,
his head
he got it in.
[There]
piece

Ko li Kette Ke
w o de.
lA s
Ai se Ai Ki di.
e tt.
gupikdjege
wa'žje.
Para
hirehigiji,
Ždja
he might bite off*
[he did].
His head
when he got it in,
there
*the translation adds, "from the inside".

o di A s.
liiri Ai de.
n di de.
A A a.
Ae Ke s.
ujihara
p'”shije.
nâjîje.
"H‰h‰-‰
Hegera,
his rectum
he closed tight on him.
He got up.
"Ah yes
[Buzzard,]*
*translated as, "you hawk".

p. 355 --
w d
Ai sy dK s.
Ai deKe
A Ko se d.
w d
waj‰
hiraicakara.
hicgé
hagoréjâ
waj‰
[something]
you harmed me.
Also
some day
something

Ki o
liAi s ni doKo ni de
y se d s.
a n K.
ki'ž
p”ranickunije.
yarejara,"
an‰ga.
to do
[I might do well]
I thought,"
he said.

de Ko
to w se de.*
Ai tt.
Ki diAili
n i ni Ae de.
Jegû
dowareje.
Hidja
gicip
na'îniheje,
[Then]
on he went.
There
to get free
he tried,
*the /t/ is written over what appears to be an erased /A/.

356 --
no ni Ke.
tt Ko Kette.
Ki diAi ls
so daK deAe.
nunige
djagukdje.
Gicipra
roc'akce.
but
it was of no avail.
To get free,
he could not (do it).

ttAe Ke tt.
a Ao s.*
xoKo ni Ae Ki di.
de tt K.
tcegédja
ahura
xuknihegiji,
jedjâga
At the start
his wings
they were flapping, but
now
*the /a/ is written over an erased /A/.

A Ky s dA n.
a Ao s.
Ki w tti Ke se ra de.
ow Koo.
hagairacânâ
ahura
giwadjikeres'aje.
'Ûwâk'û,
only once in awhile
his wings
they would flap.
As thus he did,

p. 357 --
te we s Ki.
e tt.
Ao tti d
A Ki tti de.
we de.
dewéraki,
édja
hûdjijâ
hagidjije.
Wéje,
unexpectedly,
there
a bear
he came upon.
It said,

Ao Ao.
Ko no
A K w d
riAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d
"Hohó
Kunu,
hagáwajâ
sîtcra
hiranikiragijâ,"
"Oh my!
Cunu,*
how
the tail
it becomes you,"
*actually written "cu nu" in parallel with the syllabic spelling. The name Kunu is given to the first born male.

e de.
A Ke
deKe
xA lini de.
Ai Ko
éje.
Hâké
cke
xapinîje.
Higû
he said.
Not
[also]
he did not say anything.*
Still
*the translation adds, "to the remark".

owK deAe.
di Ki Ko
e de.
Ko no
A K w d
'ûwâkce.
Jigigû
éje,
"Kunu,
hagáwajâ
he kept on.
Again
he said,
"Cunu,
how

p. 358 --
rAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d.
e ny xitti
dey rKe
dey di
sîtcra
hiranikiragijâ.
Enaîxdjî
jeisge,
jeiji,"
the tail
it becomes you.
[I were ?]*
that way,
I wish,"
*this whole quotation is rendered as, "If I only were that way".

e de.
Ai tto l A s
we de.
Ko no
A K w d
éje.
Hidjobâ´hârá
wéje,
"Kunu,
hagáwajâ
he said.
The [fourth] time
he said,
"Cunu,
how

riAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d.
e ny xitti
w do o
liAi Ki di.
sîtcra
hiranikiragijâ.
Enaîxdjî
wac'û
pigiji
the tail
it becomes you.
[I were ?]
[to do this]
if it were possible,*
*more literally, it would be, "if it were good".

p. 359 --
dey rKe
dey di
e de.
Ko s.
Ai Ko
jeisge,
jeiji,"
éje.
"Korá,
higû
that way,
I wish,"
he said.
"Say!
[still]

de ni rKe doAo no n.
Ao
Ai tt
tt Ko
wo ttAe xiAi de.
jenisgecûnûnâ.
Ho,
hidja
djagu
wotcexije.
you are always thus.
[Ho,]
[there]
what
difficulty it is.*
*this sentence is translated as, "What difficulty is there in having one".

Ai dtt Ke
de rKe
Ki liAi s ni n.
te e
deKe.
Hicdjâge,
jesge
gipiraninâ.
Dee
cke,
[Well then,]
[that kind]
[I liked it.]*
[This]
[also,]
*this sentence is inexplicably translated as, "Why don't you make one for yourself?".

de rKe
w ttA s.
w Ki liAi s.
de rKe
Ai Ki Ki se n.
jesge
watcara,
wagipira.
Jesge
hîgigirenâ.
that way
I saw some,
I liked it.
[This kind]
they made for me.

p. 360 --
so Ko s.
o liAi n.
e de.
Ao tt
Ko no
Rogûra,
'ûpinâ,"
éje.
"Hodjá
Kunu,
If one wished it,
he can do it,"
he said.
"All right
Cunu,

de rKi deAe Ki di.
Ai s Ki doo n
y se Ke
jesgicegiji,
hîragic'ûnâ,
yarége
if you say thus,
you might make me one,
I thought

w Ae n
e de.
A Ao.
e Ki.
ni Ki o Kette n.
wahénâ,"
éje.
"Hâhó,
égi
nîgi'ûkdjenâ,"
it is why I said it,"
he said.
"All right,
then,
I will do it for you,"

p. 361 --
e de.
Ao so xo ttese.
Ai d
A K
ni Ki liAi Ki di.
éje.
"Horughudjere.
Hijâ
haka
nîgipigiji,
he said.
"Look at it.
One
whenever
if he likes it,*
*the translation has, "likes it for you".

te de rKe s Kette n.
Ai Ke de.
A ni Ko de.
A Ao.
dejesgerakdjenâ,"
higeje.
Hanikuje.
"Hâhó,
thus you can do it,"
he said to him.
He brought it forth.
"Now then!

riAi tts
di Ki d
so Ko Ai se n.
Ai d
A Ko s se
sîtcra
jigijâ
rogûhirenâ.
Hijâ
hagorare,"
tail
another one
it is wished for.*
One
go after,"
*the word "is" is written above "they" which has been crossed out. This exemplifies the indefinite third person plural which acts like the passive voice.

p. 362 --
Ai K n K.
Ki so dtt se Ai de.
lA n s.
n roAo s.*
higanâga
girucdjâ´ rehíje.
Panara.
nâsúra
he said to it and
he turned it loose.
It stunk.
The head
*the /r/ is written over an erasure.

A ntt
de lese de.
Ae Ke K.*
to w Ke se de.
e Ki
hanâtc´
jepereje.
Hegega
dowagereje.
Égi
all
it came off.
[Buzzard]
he went on home.
Then
*an /e/ at the end of this word has been erased.

Ao tte K
w Ke de.
Ai Kow n
Ai tt
ni Ki o A tte Kette n.
hûdjega
wageje,
"Higûwânâ
hidja
nîgi'ûhadjekdjenâ,
the bear
he said,
"Even now
[there]
let me fix it for you,*
*before the word "let", the words "I can" have been crossed out. The translation reads, "let me be fixing it for you".

p. 363 --
e
Ai Kow n Ki si Ki di.
Ai tt
ni Ki Ke se Kette n
e
higûwânâkirigiji,
hidja
nîgikerekdjenâ,"
he
when he comes back,
[there]
I can place it in for you,"

Ai Ke de.
m Ai s.
Ko so r n K.
o di s.
higeje.
Mahira
kurusanâga
ujira
he said to him.
His knife
he took and
its rectum

m doAo sotto deAe.
diAi ls.
so xoKo Ki
tee de.
mâcorutcce.
Cipra
ruxoki,
t'eje.
he cut it out.
Intestines
[when] he pulled out of him,
he died.

e tt
leAe tto tow n K.
A t dA s Ai de.
A A.
Édja
pedjotûwanâga
hadacarahîje.
"Hâhâ´,
There
he built a fire and
singed it.
"Now then,

p. 364 --
A K m ni Ae s.
w sotto
tt Ko
Ay liAi s
de rKe.
hakamanihera.
warútc
djagu
haipira,
jesge
it's been so long.
The food
which
I like best,
[that kind]

A Ki Koo xitti Kette
e de.
hakik'ûxdjîkdje,"
éje.
I will get my fill of,"
he said.

English Translation

Source:

Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakdjukaga," in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 349-364.