Hocąk Syllabic Text — A Mink Tricks Trickster

Hocąk Text — A Mink Tricks Trickster

Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912

Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake

Translation based on the interlinear of Oliver LaMère


Oliver LaMère, Translator		Winnebago V, #7: 364

For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.

English Translation

p. 364 —

w Lotto	tt Ko	Ay liAi L	de rKe.
"Warúc	jagú	haipira	žesge
"Food	that	I like best	[the kind]

A Ki Koo xitti Kette	e de.	Ai K L Ki deAe Le Lo dtt Ki di.
hagik’ųxjįkje,"	éže.	Hikara gišere-rušjągiži,
I will get my fill of,"	he said.	When he got through tending to it,

Ao A Ki ni de.	e Ki	te we L Ki.	tt tt Kiri Ke ni K.
hohąginįže.	Égi	tewéraki	Jająksigenįka
he put it on to boil already.	Then	unexpectedly	[Little] Mink*

*the word "weasel" has been crossed out and "mink" written after it. The translation has "the mink", but this is better treated as a proper name.

p. 365 —

ni tteAe tteLe K.	Ao Ae de.	Ao Ao	Ai roAoKo KiniKi A L.
nįcejerega	hohéže.	"Hohó,	hisųginikhara
on the edge of the water	he was coming.	"Oh my!	my little brother

e Ki	miKi	Ao we	owK deAe	tte L.
égi	mįk	howé	’uwąkše	jerá.
here	[lying]	going about	he is	[the one who is this].

Ao Le	Ai roAo Ki tti.	w Att y Ko Lo Ao n.
Huré	hisųgijį,	wahajaikuruhoną.
Come here	my younger brother,	I am about to eat.

p. 366 —

A K L Ki ttA Kette n.	e de.	Ai tt tti de.	Ai roAo Ki tti
Hakaragicakjeną,"	éže.	Hijájiže.	"Hisų́gijį́,
We shall eat together,"	he said.	There he did come.	"My younger brother,

w d	y Le n.	Ai Ki w no Ki di.	Ai d
wažą	yaréną.	Hįkiwanugiži.	Hižą
something	I think.	Let us run a race.	The one

w n tti riKi di.	e	Ao KL	Ae Le Kette n.	Ai tt ne tte K.
wanąjisgiži	e	hųgra	herekjeną.	Hijanejega
who wins [the race]	[he]	the chief	he will be.	The other

p. 367 —

e	wy re Kette n.	e de.	e Ki	n tti ri Le Ktt n Ae L.
e	waizekjeną,"	éže.	Égi	nąjisirekjanahera
[he]	shall dish out,"	he said.	Already	they would beat him

Ai leAe Le rn Ke.	wy re Ki di	e tt	Ki Koo xitti Ktte
hipéresnąke.	Waizegiži	éja	kik’ųxjįkje
he knew of it.	So when he did the dishing out	[there]	he could get his fill

Ai Le Ke	w nK deAe.	A A.	e de.	e Ki.
hirege	wanąkše.	"Hąhą́,"	éže.	"Égi
he thought	so he said it.	"Yes,"*	he said.	["Well]

*the translation has, "Now then".

Ai roAo Ki tti.	w d	mo	liAi	ttAo de.
hisų́gijį́,	wažą	mo	pį	cųže?
my younger brother,	[anything]	ground	good	there is?*

*wažąmo pį cųže is given the translation, "as there is no good grounds".

p. 368 —

no xeLe Ki	Ai o Ktt n Ae K tt	e de.	e tt.*	ni L tt n K w o nK deAe.
Nųxeregi	hi’ųkjanahegają,"	éže.	Éja	nirajanąkawa ’ųnąkše.
On the ice	we shall run,"	he said.	There	it was frozen.†

*the text actually repeats the word "e de" here again, but the translation reads "there".
†the translation adds "at that time."

e rKe	we de.	K tt K.	ni	Aoyi Lo ttA mi n Ki di.
Ésge	wéže.	Gająga	nį	hoirocąminągiži
That is why	he said it.	Now	river	to a place that was straight

e tt	Ao w Ly Le de.	e tt	Ko Ai Ai Le Ktt n Ae de.
éja	howaraíreže.	Éja	guhihirekjanaheže.
there	they went.	There	they were to start from.*

*the word "would" has been crossed out and "were to" has been written above it.

p. 369 —

w K L ni L.	wo A L.	e Le Ktt n Ae n.	Ai d	ttA ni.
"Wakaranira	wohą́ra	érekjanaheną.	Hižą	coni
"The goal	the pot	it is to be.*	The one	first

*the word "was" has been crossed out and the word "is" has been written above it.

wo A L	Ai Ki o Ki di.	e	Ae Le Ktt n Ae n.	e de.
wohą́ra	hiki’ógiži	e	herekjanaheną,"	éže.
the pot	he touches	the one	that will be,"	he said

w Ktt K K.	Aowo.	ay Le Ki di	no wK Ai Le de.	w Ktt K K.
Wakjąkaga.	"Howo!"	airegiži	nųwąkhireže.	Wakjąkaga
Trickster.	"All right!"	they said, so	they started to run.	Trickster

p. 370 —

too L n Ki Le de.	w Ktt K K.	ow Ki K tt.	e tt.
t’ųrnąkireže.	Wakjąkaga	uwagigają	éja
he was left behind.	Trickster	came on till he came to	[there]

no xo Lo reAe Le Ki d.	A w tti tti nK deAe.	Ai wo dA de.	we de.
nųxroseregižą	hawajijinąkše	hiwušaže.	Wéže,
a crack in the ice	very suddenly	he stopped.	He said,

p. 371 —

Ai rAo Ki tti	tt Ko	Ai dA n K.	no xo Lo reAe Le K KeLe	A L tal L
"Hisų́gijį́,	jagú	hišanąka	nųxroserekere	harat’ąpara
"My little brother,	what	do you say	that this crack in the ice	you jumped over

Ki Li Ke Le de.	e de.	we de.	tt tt Kiri Ke K.	no xo Lo reAe Le KL.
kírikéreže?"	éže.	Wéže,	Jająksigega,	"Nųxroserekra
to go on?"*	he asked.	Said	Mink,	"'You, crack in the ice,

*the translation has "and went on" with "went" inserted above the line with a caret.

xeAe te Le.	Ai A n K.	A tal dA n	e de.	w Ktt K K.
xetere,'	hihanąga	hat’apšaną,"	éže.	Wakjąkaga
become big,'	I said and	jumped over,"	he said.	Trickster

p. 372 —

e de.	no xo Lo reAe Le KL.	xeAe te Le.	a n K.
éže,	"Nųxroserekra	xetere,"	ánąga.
said,	"You, crack in the ice,	become big,"	he said.

tal Ko de.	K tt.	no xo Lo reAe Le K K.	xeAe te	tti l n K.
T’ąpguže,	gają	nųxroserekaga	xete	jįpanąga
He jumped	but	the crack in the ice	big	it became and

e tt	niye tt xA w ni tti Ao de.	e Ki.	no xo Lo reAe Le K K.
éja	niejawanijihože.	Égi	nųxroserekaga
there	he fell into the water instead.	Then	the crack in the ice

p. 373 —

di Ke	A Ki diAi Li Ki nili liKi.	e tt	w Ktt K K.
žigé	hakiširiginįpgi.	Éja	Wakjąkaga
again	it came together.	There	Trickster

noxo Ko A	Ao w Le de.	de Ko de.	tt tt Kiri Ke ni K.
nųxkųhą	howareže.	Žegų́že.	Jajakisgenįka
under the ice	he went.	Thus it was.	[Little] Mink

wo A L.	tt tti ne tt.	K Ly Le Ki ni de.	e tt	w Lo ttA
wohą́ra	jajineją	karaireginiže.	Éja	warúc
the food	already	[it was gone.]*	There	he ate

*translated as "it had [been] dished out."

p. 374 —

o xitti de.	w diAi	Lo ttA Ki	Koo xitti de.	e Ki.
ųxjį́že.	Wašį ´	rucagi	k’ųxjįže.	Égi
[he did] very much.	Fat	of eating	he got his fill.	Then

w Ktt K K.	noxo Ko A L.	Ao o ni A o.	Ai Ki tt ne Ki	Ki Li de
Wakjąkaga	nųxkųhąra	ho’ųnįha’ų	hikijąnegi	kiriže.
Trickster	under the ice	he kept going	until along side of him	[he came back].

Ai roAo Ki tti.	Ao tt.	wo A L.	i ne Ki	Ltt ttK tt.
"Hisų́gijį́,	hoją	wohą́ra	inéki	rajgają,
"My little brother,	[since]	the food	alone	as you have already eaten it,

ni Ke	niKi.	i	K nK Ai Ki Ki Le.	Ao diAi ni KL.
nįgé	nįk	i	kąnąkhikikire,	hošįnįgra,"
piece	little	mouth	put in for me,	a good [fat] piece,"

p. 375 —

e de.	no xo Lo reAe Le KLe Ki	A Ki Li.	we de.	Ki o de.
éže.	Nųxroseregaregi	hakirí	wéže.	Ki’ųže.
he said.	From under the crack in the ice	[he came back]	[to speak].	He did it for him.

*Nųxroseregaregi hakirí weže is translated as "Here under the crack in the ice he was speaking."

ni Ke	i	K nK Ki Ki de.	di Ke	e Ki di Ke
Nįgé	i	kąnąkikiže.	Žigé	egižige
A piece	mouth	he put in.	Again	he asked [again]

ni Ke	i	K nK Ki Ki de.	di Ki Ko	e Ki di
nįgé	i	kąnąkikiže.	Žigigų	egiži,
piece	mouth	he put in.	Again	he asked,

p. 376 —

di Ke	ni Ke	i	K nK Ki Ki de.	Ai tto l A L.
žigé	nįgé	i	kąnąkikiže.	Hijobą́hąrá
again	a piece	mouth	he put in.	The fourth time

e Ki.	ttAe li K tt	we de.	ni lA n L	deKe.
égi	cebigają	wéže.	Nipanara	ške
he asked	it was all eaten up	[he said].	The soup	also

L reKe l	n K w de.	e rKe.	Aotto.	w Ke Le.	ni Ke
rasgépa	nagawaže.	Ésge	hųj	wakere	nįgé
already	he had drunk.	So therefore	bear's	dung	a piece

iy tt	Ao Ki K nK dAe.	Aow	A K w d.
iyaja	hokikánakše.	"Howá,	hagáwažą
into his mouth	he dropped it.	"Ah!	what [quite]

p. 377 —

A Kd Kd	w o	diAi diAi Ktti tt ne.	tt Ko	dette Kette n.
hakšakša	wa’ų	šišikjijane.	Jagú	šjekjeną,"
he abuses me	[he does]	the bad fellow.	[How]	you will die,"

a n K.	de Ko	e tt.	no xL.	w ttoKo a
ánąga.	Žegų́	éja	nųxra	wajųk’a
he said.	Even	there	the ice	he broke through

tti nK deAe.	Lo xA	no ni Ke.	o tt o.	noxo
jinąkše.	ruxa	nųnįgé	ųja’ų	nųx
and came out.	He chased him	but	finally	ice

Ko A	Aoyi Ke we Ki di.	Lo Kd Le Ai de.	de Ko de.	A K w d
kųhą	hoikewegiži	rukšarehiže.	Žegų́že.	"Hagáwažą
under	it ran, and	got away from him.	Thus it was.	"How

p. 378 —

Ai Lo Ao tty d.	Ai Loyi Le	w Lo Ko Ko Ke L.	w d di	ni dK Ktt n Ae n.
Hirohojaiža	hiroire	warugųgųgera.	Wažaži	nišgakjanaheną.
he tricked me	the homely	coveter that he is.	Something	I will do to you yet.

A ttAo L w L Ke Le Kette de.	aK deAe.	de e tt.
hacora warakerekježe,"	akše.	Žeeja
You have no refuge to go to,"	he was saying.	There

w KidiKi	ttAi n Ki d.	mi n Ki	e tt.	Ao w Le de.
wąkšik	cinąkižą	mįną́k.	Éja	howareže.
human	a village	it sat.*	There	he went.

*translated as "that was".

p. 379 —

A Ko Le d.	wo to Ai ttAi	ni Ae Ki di.	e tt.
Hagorežą	wotohici	nįhegiži,	éja
One day	a son-in-law	where he had been,	there

tt tt Kiri Ke ni K	w d	Ki dK Kette	Ai Le Ke	w o de.
Jająkisgenįka	wažą	gįšgąkje	hirege	wa’ųže.
Mink	something	he would make him befall	he thought so	he did.

e tt.	doAo Ki d.	ni Ai Le Ki di.	Ai rKe tt	w Kiri ra de.
Éja	šųkižą	nihiregiži.	Hisgéja	wakis’aže.
There	a dog	they owned.	Really	it used to be a fighter.*

*translated as "a very good hunter it was".

p. 380 —

de e	Ao ntt Ai de.	e Ki.	de e	Ai ow n K.
Žee	honąchiže.	Égi	žee	hi’ųwanąga
That	he went to borrow.	Then	that	he used and

tt tt Kiri Ke ni K	Ao ni Ki Ki	no ni Ke.	noxo Ko Ay tt	Ai Ke
Jajągisgenįka	hųnįgigi	nųnįgé	nųxkųhaįją	hįké
[Little] Mink	he hunted	but	from under the ice	not

a tti nK ni de.	e rKe	A Ke	Ai e ni de.
ajinąknįže.	Ésge,	hąké	hi’enįže.
he would not come out.	So therefore,	not	he did not find him.

p. 381 —

Ai Ko tt rKe Ki di.	w d	Ki dK	Lo Ko de.
Higųjasgegiži	wažą	gįšgą	rogųže.
Whatever happened	something	he wished	to do to him.

Source:

Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 364-381.