Nanabushu and the Buzzard - Manitoulin Island Dialect
Mii dash ezhi-maajaad, gii-bbaamsed.
And so he started away, round about he travelled. | |
Ngoding go bbaamsed naabid shpiming wiya gii-waabmaan nmadbinid aankwadong.
Now, once while journeying about, he looked above (and) saw some one seated upon a cloud. | |
Geget misawnawaan. “Ambe dash genii,” Gii-nendam gaa-zhi-gnoonaad: “Gaawiin na gdaa-bi-zhaasii, n-shiime sa?” gii-naan.
Truly envious was he of him. “Would that I (could) too,” he thought, after which he addressed him, saying: “Would you not come down, my little brother?” he said to him. | |
Mii dash gaa-igod: “Gaawiin,” gii-igoon.
Upon which he was told: “No,” he was told. | |
“Aanii gegii zhinaagwag mnik wiya gaa-waabmag giin dash wi ji-bzindwisiiwaambane?”
“How would it look, (in view of) as many as I have seen, for you not to heed me?” | |
“Nenaboozhoo, G-gosin.”
“Nanabushu, I am afraid of you.” | |
“Gaawiin gdaa-gsha-sii,” dinaan.
“You have no cause to fear me.” he said to him. | |
Mii dash gaa-zhi-giibaazmaad, aaniish mii sa gaa-gnoongwad: “Ambe sa naa, g-zhaawenmin. Gnige naa waasa gdakwaabnaadog,” dinaan.
And so after (Nanabushu) had deceived him, then was he brought into conversation with him. “Oh, really, I am so envious of you! I fancy that afar must you be able to see,” he said to him. | |
“Enh, Geget.”
“Yes, truly so.” | |
“Ahaaw,” dinaan. Mii dash gaa-zhi-naad: “Ambe sa naa, ga-wiijiiwin.”
“Good,” he said to him. Upon which he then said to him: “Pray, let me bear you company.” | |
“Awawa,” gii-igoon. Mii dash gaa-zhi-mbindiwaad imaa aankwadong.
“Certainly,” he was told. Whereupon up they went to yonder cloud. | |
Mii dash ezhi-maajaawaad, maajiiyaasninig iw aankwad.
And so when they started away, with the wind went wafting the cloud. | |
Gmaapiich gaawii debaabminaagsinoo wi ki. Zhigwa dinenmigoon. “Mii go naa pane wiya gaa-bmi-doodwaad bmi-wezhsoohaad. Nongo dash nga-wezhsahaa,” gii-nendam.
By and by hardly was the earth to be seen. Then thoughts concerning him did the other entertain. “Apparently he is ever playing a trick on some one. Now, I will play a trick on him,” (thus) he thought. | |
Mii dash gaa-zhi-bkweyaasninig iw aankwad.
Thereupon apart then broke the cloud by reason of the wind. | |
Miinwaa ezhi-bkweyaasininig; eshkam go gaachnini wi aankwad niwi yaawaad.
Again it broke apart on account of the wind; gradually smaller grew the space where they were. | |
Gegpii gegaa go enigokbiwaad, enigokdiyewaad inigkwaani.
At last almost space enough for them to sit on was how much that yet remained. | |
Ngoding go gaa-zhi-daashkaanig bebkaan gii-nmadbiwag.
And anon when it was rent asunder, then in different places they sat. | |
Aaniish miinwaa ezhi-daashkaasininig gewii maaba gii-ni-gzike, ezhi-booniid wedi eni-mchaanig wi aankwad.
So when again it blew apart, then away flew the other, alighting upon yonder place where there was a bigger cloud. | |
Mii dash daano-gnoonaan: “Aaniish ge-ni-zhwebziyaan, nishiimens?” gii-naan.
Whereupon in vain he tried to speak to him, saying: “What will become of me, my little brother?” he said to him. | |
Mii zhigwa gii-waabndang ji-bngishing. Zhigwa miinwaa bkweyaasinini mii imaa yaad; gegpii go biigwaasnini.
So then he knew that he was going to fall. Then again apart flew the place where he was; and in the end it broke completely. | |
Gaawaanh go debaabndaan zhaawshkwaakmigaanig.
Faintly could he see the green of the landscape. | |
Ezhi-bngishing gbeyiing go gii-bi-njibzo naawgiizhig.
When he fell, a long while was he falling through the air. | |
Nongwa kina e-zhi-debaabndang ki gchi-mtigkaani waa-ni-zhi-bngishing.
Now, when he came in full sight (of the earth, he saw) how so dreadfully wooded was the place into which he was to fall. | |
Mii gsha niinwenh gaa-zhi-biinjsed gchi-mtigoon wiimbanakzinid.
Then down he fell into a great tree that was hollow. | |
Mii sa gaa-zhi-biindnaksed, mii sa ezhi-bwaa’aanwitood.
Thereupon when he had dropped into the hollow, then was he unable (to get out). | |
Aano-wiikwaji’o wiya gii-noondwaan, bibaapinid kwewag, mii dash gaa-kidnid: “Mii sa omaa ngoji endaad gaa-kidong waabigaag,” ikidowag iw kwewag.
While vainly trying (to get out), he heard some one, those were women coming laughing; and this was what they were saying: “Now, somewhere hereabouts lives a Gray Porcupine, so they say,” said the women. | |
Ezhi-giigdod: “Waab-gaag ndaaw, mii maa endaayaan.”
Then up he spoke, saying: “I am the Gray Porcupine that dwells here.” | |
Ow dash kidwag: “Gnige go naa mikawang wa waabigaag, n-shiime,” ogii-naan mii wa mjiikwewis.
And this they said: “At least we should find the Gray Porcupine, my little sister,” to the other said she that was older. | |
“Gaa na giin g-noondwaasii?” digoon niwi shiimeyan. “G-mikwaanaa, gnimaa.”
“And did you not hear him?” she was asked by her little sister. “We have found him, maybe.” | |
Mii dash mii maa miinwaa gaa-zhi-gnoonaad: “Waabigaag ndaaw, mii maa endaayaan,” gii-naan. Mii dash gii-maajiigowaakweyaad maa mtigoon.
And so what he said before, he said to them again: “ I am the Gray Porcupine that dwells (here),” he said to them. Whereupon they began felling the tree he was in. | |
“N-shiime, gii-gwaakwe’ang, wegwen na ge-yaanigwen ge-mkawaagwen, mii aw ge-naabemid,” gii-naan niwi shiimeyan. Mii sa nishaa zhigwa geget aano-giishkaakgwe’aad.
“My little sister, when we have felled the tree, then whosoever is there, (and) whichever the one that finds him, she will be the one to have him for a husband,” she said to her little sister. And so they truly chopped away unavailingly. | |
“Begish eshkiniiged maa yaapa,” gii-nendam wa Nenboozhoo.
“ I wish the younger one would be there,” thought Nanabushu. | |
Zhigwa sa daashkgowaawaan mtigoon wii-ndanewaawaad, biinish mjiikwewis kina gii-piigoga’namaad; gaawii gii-waabmaasiin.
Now, (the women) began splitting a tree in an effort to find him, (keeping it up) till the elder sister had it all in pieces; but she had failed to see him. | |
Mii sa wa kwe weshiime’id imaa eyaad gegpii gaa-zhi-booksidood wi waagaakwad.
And then the younger sister yonder, where she was, finally broke her axe. | |
“N-shiime,” dinaan pii gaa-booksidoonid wi waagaakwadini; “Mii sa niin ji-naabemiyaan,” gii-naan niwi oshiimeyan.
“My little sister,” (the elder sister) said to her after she had broken her axe, “so it will be I who will have a husband,” she said to her little sister. | |
“Gewii daa-zhwebzi.” Ow dash gii-nendam: “Ambe sa naa, mii eta go ngoding wii-wepdowaapa wi waagaakwad,” dinenmaan.
“Would the same happen to her too!” And this he thought: “Now, would that only once she might strike (the tree) with her axe,” was the thought he had of her. | |
Mii sa gii-kowaabmaad; zhigwa geget odaashkiga’ogoon; ezhi-bzigonjised.
Then he watched for her; presently was the tree really split up by her; then up he leaped. | |
Nenboozhoowan niwi onji-bzigonjisewan, ni-gwaawaapwan. “Gegeti go waabigaag endaad nendamoog!”
And there was Nanabushu leaping away, falling headlong with laughter as he went. “That it actually was the home of a Gray Porcupine they thought!” | |
Mii sa gaa-ni-zhi-mamaajaad Nenboozhoo. “Amanji ge-zhichgewaanen,” gii-nendam; “Aaniish genii ge-zhi-aazhtoowagiba?” dinenmaan niwi bnesiwan.
And so upon his way continued Nanabushu. “I wonder what I shall do,” he thought, “in order that I may play a trick on him too!” such was his thought of the bird. | |
Ezhi-mdaabiid zaag’igan, mii dash imaa mizhisha mkwamiing gaa-zhi-zhngishing. “Ambe sa naa, nga-amogoog anooj, bnesiwag,” gii-nendam.
When he came out upon a lake, then far out there on the ice he went and lay down, “Now, I shall be eaten by all kinds of birds,” he willed. | |
Owiikwadenimaan waa-zhi-aazhtoowaawaad wa gaa-doodaagod.
He formed a scheme to get the one that had done him a trick. | |
Zhigwa geget odamogoon aandegwan anooj sa go bnesiwag.
Then truly was he eaten by crows and by various kinds of birds. | |
Mii dash gaa-naad: “Gego wiin iwidi n-diyaashing omashkego,” ogii-naan.
Then this he said to them: “Don’t you eat upon me yonder at my buttocks,” he said to them. | |
Mii dash geget gaa-zhichgenid, aaniish pane go gaa-dnwewetoonid.
Whereupon truly such was what they did, and a continuous din did they keep up. | |
Zhigwa sa waabmaan bbaamaashinid niwi bnesiwan. “Aah, mii sa gaawiin bi-zhaasiiwan!” aaniish owiikwadenmaan ji-bi-zhaanid.
At last he then saw the bird sailing about through the air. “Alas, he is not coming!” for he longed in his mind for him to come. | |
Bwaadmaach giizhgadoon bimibdenoon, eshkam beshnaagziwan, gegpii ezhi-booniinid; naagewaasa go iwidi bngishing odoozaabmigoon.
Gradually as the days came and went, nearer it could be seen, till at last it then alighted; and a good way off from yonder place where it came down was (Nanabushu) observed. | |
Mii dash geget aapji gsigoon. Zhigwa sa wiikaa bi-naaskaagoon.
And it was true that much was he feared (by the bird). Then after a while to where he was came (the bird). | |
eni-zhi-wiijgaadenid, ezhi-gwaashkwegwaashkninid.
As he raised the muscle on his calf, away went the other hopping. | |
Mii dash zhigwa eshkam go gaawiin doo-gsisiin gegpii go wawaangwenmigoon.
And then presently it gradually became less afraid, till at last (Nanabushu) was made free and easy with. | |
Gegpii go ow kidwan: “Aaniinda giinwaa enji-mwaasiweg owidi gaaj-bkwanaang enji-wiinnod?” Mii sa geget widi wenji-amagwad.
Then finally this it said: “Why do you not eat of him from the small of the back, where he is fat?” Thereupon truly from that place was he eaten. | |
Zhigwa eshkam go waasa zhi-biindkwenowan imaa odiyaashing, gegpii go gaawiin zaagdikwenisiiwan.
Presently farther into the anus yonder it put its neck, then at last it did not take its neck out from there. | |
Ezhi-bzigonjised gii-gshkimaakdiyetaad odibaang.
Then up he sprang closing his anus tight over the other’s head. | |
“Aashiish maajii! Nenboozhoo, ngii-gagwaansag’ig!”
“Confound Nanabushu, by him am I frightfully treated!” | |
Mii dash Nenboozhoo bmi-tibaazhgaamebtood wi zaag’iganing. Aaniish aano-bmi-wiikdiskiid.
While(Nanabushu)went running along the lake, naturally the other tried in vain to get free | |
Mii sa zhigwa beshwaabndang e-kwaagamiing wi zaag’igan ezhi-bgijidiyaamaad, mii dash gaa-zhi-bngishninid maa mkwamiing.
And then presently, when nearing the far end of the lake, (Nanabushu) freed (the bird) from his anus, whereupon down it fell on the ice. | |
Mii dash gaa-naad: “Wiinaange ka-zhinkan’goo biinish ji-ni-shkwaa-kiiwang,” gii-naan. “ga-wiinenmig wa anishinaabe.”
And this was what was said to it: “Buzzard shall you be called till the end of the world,” he said to it. “For your filth will you be loathed by the people.” |