Hocąk Text — The Scenting Contest

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: 404

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

English Translation

 

p. 404 —
e Ki. w Ktt K K. e tt Ao we owK deAe.
Égi Wakjąkaga éja howé ’uwąkše.
Then Trickster [there] was going about [he was].

 

 

e tt w deAe Le Ke ni K. A Ki tt de. we de. Ao Ao
Éja Wašerekénįka hagijaže. Wéže, "Ho ho,
There Little Fox* he came across. He said, "Oh my!

*translated by LaMère as "Coyote". For a discussion of the identity of Wašerekénįka, see Little Fox.

 

 

p. 405 —
Ao we deKe n tte ni K tt. Ai roAoKo niK. A L. e Ki
howešge nąjénįgają hisųknįk hara égi
it is not possible to go about it seems, but little brother my here

 

 

Ao we owK. e de. Ai roAo Ki tti. w d
howé ’uwąk," éže. "Hisųgijį, wažą
going about he is," he said. "Little brother, something

 

 

y Le n. xeAe n KLe. Ai A Ke tt. Ao wy Le Kette n. e Ki di.
yaréną. Xenąkre hihagéja howairékjeną," egíži.
I think. That hill on the top of it let us go," he said.

 

 

p. 406 —
xeAe L Ao ti Le de. Ai A Ke tt A Ai Le Ki di. m L
xera hotireže. Hihagéja hahíregíži, mąrá
The hill they climbed up. On top when they got, country

 

 

Ao Ki Kixi A ntt ttA tii de. A A. Ai rAo Ki tti.
hogigįx´ haną́c cąt’įže. "Hąhą́, hisųgijį,
surrounding all it was visible. "Now then! my little brother,

 

 

e Ki. w lA leAe Lere Ai o Kette n. w lA leAe Lere L Ki Ki doAo no n.
égi Wapaperes hi’ųkjeną. Wapaperes ragigišųnųną.
here Keen Scenter we will play. A keen scenter you always let on to be."

 

 

p. 407 —
Ai deKe de rKe A L n Ki Kii doAo no n. A ttiAi tt.
Hišgé žésge haranagik’išųnųną. Hacį́ja
Also that way I always think of myself. Where

 

 

p. 408 —
w K diKi Ai wo roAotto Ai L ni Ae Ki di. Ai wo Lo lA n Kette n.
wąkšik hiwusųc´ hiranihegiži, hiwurupąnąkjeną,"
people near if there are we shall scent them,"

 

 

e de. e tt Ki lA A xA L. A ni L n K.
éže. Éjagi pa haxará haniranąga
he said. So then noses they held up they had and

 

 

wo L ri ri Ki Le de. w deAe Le Ke ni K Lo K n de. Ai Ko Ai deKe
worazizįgireže. Wašerekénįka rokánaže. higų hišgé
began to smell. Little Fox was very much.* [Now] also

*for "much" the translation has "diligent".

 

 

w Ktt K K. A Ke w di Lo K n Ai ni de. w Ktt K K.
Wakjąkaga hąké wažį́ rokána hiniže. Wakjąkaga
Trickster not anything very much [he did].* Trickster

*hąké wažį́ rokána hiniže, has been incorrectly translated as, "[he] was very diligent."

 

 

Ao rKe xitti w o nK deAe. Ao rKe w deAe Le Ke ni K
hosgéxjį wa’ųnąkše. Hosgé Wašerekénįka
very much was it not so that he could do it.* Just Little Fox

*the translation has for hosgéxjį wa’ųnąkše, "[he] was unable to scent anything but he did thus."

 

 

p. 409 —
we rAi wi w o nK deAe. Ai Ko de e e tt.
wesįwį wa’ųnąkše. higų že’e éja
to observe is why he did it. [Now] [this] there

 

 

rii Ai wo dA ra de. lAtt e tt mi n Ki di e tt.
s’i hiwušas’aže. Pajeja minąkiži éja.
for some time he would stop. Forest it sat there.*

*the translation renders this as, "It was in the direction of a timber that was there."

 

 

e tt w di L n i n Ko ni Ai Le de. e rKe
éja wažįra ną’įgųnį, hireže. Ésge
There something [he might try,]* he thought. So

*the translation has, "he must scent".

 

 

p. 410 —
w Ktt K K. we de. Ai roAo Ki tti. lAtt n K. e tt
Wakjąkaga wéže, "Hisųgijį, pajnąka éja
Trickster said, "My little brother, that timber there

 

 

Ai rKe ttAi nK dA n. Ai roAo Ki tti Ao doAo Lo ttiri rK tt
hisgé cinąkšąną. Hisųgijį hošurujisgają
some there are living. My younger brother I am equal (to you)

 

 

wo Lo lA n L e de. A Ke w di leAe rini nK
wurupąnąra," éže. Hąké wažį́ pesinįnąk
the scenting,"* he said. Not anything he did not know of,

*hošurujisgają wurupąnąra, is translated in the MS as, "you cannot scent as well as I can".

 

 

p. 411 —
no ni Ke. Ao rKe. w deAe Le Ke ni K. e tt w do we riAi wi Ki di.
nųnįgé hosgé Wašerekénįka éja wažó wesįwįgiži
but just because Little Fox there something [perceive]* and

*the translation has "scent".

 

 

wi ttA tii Ki di e rKe we de. tt A a. Ai roAo Ki tti
wicąt’įgiži, ésge wéže. "Jáha-á! hisųgijį,
he showed it in his actions, that is why he said it. "Well! my little brother,

 

 

Ai dKe A Ke deKe ni Ke w do
hišgé hąké ške nįgé wažó
also not also someplace something

 

 

p. 412 —
deAe we rAi wi ni de Ai Ke de. Ai dKe w L Ke K. e tt
šewesįwįnįže," higeže. Hišgé waragéga, "éja
don't you perceive?" he asked him. Also he said, "There

 

 

w d Ko ni y Le n. e de. Ao Ao. Ai roAo Ki tti
wažągųnį yaréną," éže. "Hoho, hisųgijį,
something [perhaps] I think," he said. "Ah! my little brother,

 

 

Ai Ko Ai deKe di. wo doAo Lo lA n niKi L tte de tte L.
higų hišgéži wušurupąnąnįkra ježejera,"
still also you can scent a little [the one who is],"

 

 

p. 413 —
e de. A Ao. Ai rAo Ki tti. e Ki w w te Ktt ne n.
éže. "Hoho, hisųgijį, égi wawátekjaneną."
he said. "Hoho, my little brother, there I will be going to."

 

 

e Ki. w K n K e tt Ao w Le de. Ai tt Ai K tt.
Égi wagánąk éja howareže. hijahigają,
Then to what he meant there he went. When he got there,

 

 

Ao w Le L. w KidiKi ttAi n Ki d e tt nK dAe.
howarera wąkšik cinąkižą éja nąkše.
sure enough human a village there it was.

 

 

e tt. A Ai Ao LoKo o de. A Ko Le d deKe
Éja hahíhorók’ųže. Hagoréžą ške
There he went and stayed. Finally, [also]

 

 

p. 414 —
Ai noKo K nK deAe. e Ki. de e. A Ko Ley d. rii de.
hinųkąnąkše. Égi že’e. Hagoreižą s’iže.
he got married. Then, thus it was. Time had passed long.

 

 

ni KttK deKe ttAo de. e Ki. ttA ni Ki xA n A Ay Le Ki di.
Nįkjąkške cųže. Égi canįgixana hahairegiži,
Child [also] he had. Then the fall moving when they went,*

*translated as, "was on."

 

 

Ai deKe i ne Ki ni Ke A Ai ttAi de. e tt.
hišgé inéki nįgé hahíciže. Éja
so alone in a certain place he went and lived. There

 

 

p. 415 —
de Ko ttAinK ra de. de Ko Ai rKe xitti e tt
žegų́ cinąks’aže. Žegų́ hisgéxjį éja
[now] he would be. [Now] [truly] there

 

 

m ttiAi de. A Ke A Ktt ttiAi n Ke tt
mącíže. Hąké hakja cinąkeja
he made his permanent home.* Not back to the village

*mącí means more precisely "to winter".

 

 

A K Ki ni de. e Ki de e A Ko Le d. we de.
hakaginįže. Égi že’e hagoréžą wéže,
he would not move back. Then [this one] finally said,

 

 

p. 416 —
Ai roAoKo A L. de tt ny xitti Ao m K L Ki ni te Ktt n Ae n e de.
"Hisųkhara, žejánaíxjį homąkrakinitekjanaheną," éže.
"My younger brother, about now I will go and visit," he said.

 

Source:

"Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 404-416. A translation has been published in Paul Radin, The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology (New York: Schocken Books, 1956) 40-41.