Hocąk Text — The Twins Kill a Waterspirit
collected by Sam Blowsnake
p. 27 —
Éki | Wanąǧínik’a | wežé, | "K’oté | Warorá, |
And | Little Ghost | he said, | "Say | Flesh, |
nį́ža | ’ekowéną, | ’éca | howaįrekcèną." | Hakoréža, |
a river | going here, | there | let's go." | Afterwards, |
’ųnąk’ų́, | nįxetéižą | hot’ą́pirèną.* | ’Éki | Wanaǧinik’a |
[finally,] | a big river | [they came to]. | And | [Little Ghost] |
wéže, | "Toík’ewehíną. | K’oté | Warorá, | nį’ákra |
he said, | "I am hungry. | Say | [Flesh,] | across the water |
p. 28 —
hòrawášeréki, | hišké | ’ak’éki* | ha’ų́kcéną. | Rap’ |
if you go, | me | across here | I will do. | Beaver |
honį́kceną." | Eki | Waroká | wežé,* | "’Eki† |
I will hunt." | [And] | [Flesh] | [he said,] | "Here |
rapíą* | ’ųkúnį | (ya)réną." | ’Éki | Wanąǧínik’a† |
a beaver | maybe he was, | I thought." | And | [Little Ghost] |
p. 29 —
kiwárehiže, | "Huré, | hací | horuǧúcre. | Rapížą |
he hollered, | "Come, | here | look! | A beaver |
’éki | ’ųkų́ni | yareną."* | ’Éki | kicáciže. |
here | he may be, | I think." | And | he came there. |
Horuǧúcki | p’įkcáneną. | Rapížą | wa’ų́ną. | Hocírá |
After he looked, | "That will be a good one. | A beaver | that was. | Where he lives |
honį́kce | nį́c’ecrá | ho’ų́nąk’ų." | ’Eca | nąšų́ra |
let's hunt | the edge of the water | to be around." | There | the path |
p. 30 —
hi’éreže. | ’Éki | c’i | ną́k’uni," | ’aíreže. |
they found. | "Here | he lives | he probably sits," | they said. |
Žigų* | ’ųnąk’`ų | nįké | ną́k’i | hip’érésireže. |
So | they kept doing this | where | they were | they found out. |
"’Éki | ną́kšana. | Warorá, | nąšų | uícreki |
"Here | he is. | [Flesh,] | runway | at the mouth |
hìraráp’eki | ’éki | k’ìriki | raisákikceną. | ’Éki |
if you wait, | here | if he comes, | you hit and kill him. | [Then] |
p. 31 —
c’ihéca | hopuáxànakcanéną, | žekúki | ’éki | k’írikcanéną." |
at his house | I can make it cave in, | so | here | he will come." |
’Éki | xé | hihákará | hòwaré | ške |
And | hill | the top | he went | and |
nąį́žą | hipozá | k’ik’ų́že, | ’éki | nąmác’eížą |
a stick | pounding in by force | he made himself, | and | a club |
’ųžé. | ’Éki | nąmą́cera | Waroká | hak’úžé. |
he made. | Then | the club | [Flesh] | he gave. |
p. 32 —
"Te’é | hiš’uánaka | raisakik’céną," | hiréžé. | ’Éki |
"This | you use | you kill by str[iking]," | he said. | Then |
xé | hihakara | howáranaka | raprá | hacícąnąk’i |
hill | the top | he went up and | the beaver | [where it was] |
’éca | hopoxánąže. | Žegú | hiánąka | níc’ecra |
there | he caved it in by pounding. | Then | he did it and | the water's edge |
p. 33 —
honųąkše. | Raprá | Waroká | honąžį́ceka | ’éca |
he ran. | The beaver | [Flesh] | where he stood | there |
kinúnike | ruką́žrehíže. | Nióxeterá | hokit’ápše, |
he arrived but | he missed it and it got away. | The Mississippi River | he arrived and jumped in, |
raprá | nįnarek’u | k’érežè. | Towe* | k’irúxe |
the beaver | waters downstream | he went back. | Going here | to run after each other |
hahaíreže. | ’Únak’`ų, | hahít’ehíreže. | ’Éca | ’ąt’ų́piránaka |
they went. | While doing it, | they arrived and killed it. | There | they took it out and |
p. 34 —
ną́stohíra | raprá | mąžéžé | hirežé. | Hižą́ |
they made a wood pile | the beaver | to cut it in pieces with a knife | they did. | One |
wežé, | "K’unik’áka | ’aškénįk | ’éki | c’íną, | ’Éwàwàtekcéną." |
he said, | "My grandmother | close | here | she lives, | I will go over there." |
’Éki | ’ehonuą́kšaną. | Xap’énį́k’ | k’írižé. | Rex |
And | he ran in there. | Very soon | he returned. | Basket |
p. 35 —
xetéžą́ | hanį́k’iriže. | ’Éki | Wanaǧinįk’a | wežé, |
a big one | he brought. | And | [Little Ghost] | said, |
"Warorá, | woréra | te’é | horuákrá | wakíkireną. |
"[Flesh] | work | this | the last | it is for us. |
’Éki | hįk’íwákaixikcéną, | ’é | Wąkšíkra | hacaírešunukcéną. |
Here | we will draw ourselves, | so | the Indians | they will sometimes see. |
’Éki | wanoíckiak’a* | wa’írá | hi’ų́įranaka | k’iwákáxirèžè. |
Then | that animal | the blood | they used and | they drew themselves. |
p. 36 —
Níš | hik’ic’kísk’ere | mįk’í, | ’éca | k’iwákaxirežè. |
Rocky | perpendicular | laying, | there | they drew themselves. |
Wanioíckiáka | wakahirekì | rorá | sérecšé. | ’Éki |
That animal | when they drew it, | the body | it was long. | Then |
sįcrá | serec’į́že. | Sįcrá | hokį́kį́x | t’ų́pireki, |
the tail | it was very long. | The tail | around | when they put, |
p. 37 —
rohą́ | hokį́kį́xše, | rorá. | ’Éki | sirá |
lots | it went around it, | the body. | And | the foot |
šukrowácku hįšék | sinískeže. | ’Éki | nąprá | c’axšép |
lion* | foot is like. | And | the forefeet | eagle |
sí’ųžé. | ’Éki | hec’ų́žé. | Herá | rukąnąkąnąpxcįžé. |
foot was made. | And | it had a horn. | The horn | it was shiny. |
’Éki | ’irá | wak’ą́ | ’inískeže. | Rezíraške |
And | the mouth | snake | it was like the mouth. | The tongue also |
p. 38 —
wikíwe | c’ųžé. | ’Éki | p’erá* | wąkšík |
stinger | it had. | And | the forehead | man |
p’enískeže, | ’éki | hišcasúra | p’écniskeže. | Že’é |
it was like the forehead, | and | the eyes | they were like fire. | That |
nįžéca | wakáxiréže. | Wa’írá | hi’ųį́ránaka | ’éki |
at the rock | they made marks. | The blood | they used and | and |
p. 39 —
c’oéca | Wanaǧinik’a | k’iwákaxše. | ’Éca | nąžíceže. |
there in front | [Little Ghost] | drew himself. | There | it stands. |
’Éki | hakéca | Waróká | hišké | k’iwákaxše. |
And | behind | [Flesh] | too | he drew himself. |
’Ak’íak’e | nąžį́nąkše.* | ’Éki | hąhą́ | Warorá, |
On both sides | they stood. | Then, | "Well | [Flesh,] |
te’éži žekúną. | Hįkuána | raprá | hohą́kceną." | P’ec’ot’ų́įranaka |
that's that. | Now | the beaver | we will cook." | They made a fire and |
p. 40 —
wohą́ną́ | hica | hak’eréreže. | Tuckíži, | ną́wašiš |
the bucket | there | they put. | When it was cooked, | small branches |
k’anákiranaka | wąnírá | kizéranaka | ’ak’iak’e | ciną́kiranaka |
they put and | the meat | they lifted out and | on both sides | they came and sat, and |
p. 41 —
warúcireže. | Nįp’anará | hicá | k’eréranaka, | "Hąhą́ |
they ate. | The soup | here | they put and, | "Now |
Warórá, | hicá ’ųxcią́ce, | caskéxcį | šąną | hįnuckácą, |
[Flesh,] | hustle, | as much as | each | after we eat, |
c’epíhįki | herekcáneną." | ’Éki | ’ų́ąciaraíreki, | hąk’é |
if we finish | that will do." | And | as they kept doing it, | not |
p. 42 —
s’inįže, | c’epíreze. | ’Éki | nį́p’anara | hica* |
it did not take long, | they finished it. | And | the soup | [there] |
hoišcákcákiránaka | raskepireže. |
they stirred it up to cool it and | they drank it. |
Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, Aug. 30 - Oct. 10, 1938) Book 3.27-42.