Gii-gimoodid ishkode Nenabosho / Nenabosho Steals Fire

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Ojibwe Only

Aaniish mii sa iw zhigwa gii-nitaawigi’aad a’aw mindimooyenh. 

Mii sa iw zhayiigwa(i) ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan: “Gaawiin ina ningoji anishinaabeg gi-kikenimaasiig ji-ayaawaad?”

“Eye,” ogii-igoon iniw ookomisan. “O’owidi agaami-kichigami ayaawag igiw anishinaabeg.”

“Gonage gaa odayaasiinaawaadog i’iw ishkode?”(ii)

“Eye,” ogii-igoon iniw ookomisan; “Geget odayaanaawaa i’iw ishkode.”

O’owidi dash ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan: “Ambe sa noo, ninga-naazikaan(iii) i’iw ishkode,” ogii-inaan ookomisan. 

O’owidi dash ogii-igoon iniw ookomisan: “Gaawiin gidaa-kashkitoosiin. 

Geget aapiji oganawendaanaawaa i’iw isa endaawaad. 


Akiwenzii i’imaa ayaa. 

Mii go apane dasing(iv) giizhigadinig asabiin ozhi’aad. 


Gaawiin wiikaa ningoji izhaasii, mii go apane imaa biindig ayaad. 

Niizhiwa idash i’iw odaanisa’, mii eta moozhag agwajing eyaanid.”(v)

O’ow idash ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan: “Maanoo ninga-izhaa,” ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan.

“Awawa,”(vi) ogii-igoon iniw ookomisan.

Aaniish mii sa apii zhigwa gaa-ikidod: “Ambe sa noo da-gashkadin(vii) o’ow gichigami, wiigwaasabakwaang da-wii-apiitadin o’ow gichigami.”

Mii sa geget gaa-izhiwebadinig iw isa gaa-ikidod.

“O’ow idash ninga-izhinaagos,” kii-ikido; “niindawaa ninga-waaboosoonsiw.” 

Aaniish mii sa geget gaa-izhinaagozid. 

Mii sa zhigwa gii-maajiiyaadagaakwad.(viii)

Mii sa geget gaawiin gii-dwaashizii.

Aaniish mii sa ogii-kikenimaan i’imaa ayaanid i’iw Anishinaabe. 

Mii dash gaa-izhi-dagwishing i’imaa wenda’ibiinid, o’ow idash gii-inendam: “Ambegish sa bi-nibi-naadid a’aw ikwe,” gii-inendam. 

O’ow idash gii-izhichige i’imaa waa-ogwaaba’iminid i’iw nibi, 

mii dash gaa-izhi-agwaaweba’ogod i’iw gichigami mii imaa gii-titiba’ogod mii imaa iniw kwewan ge-onji-gwaaba’ibiinid.


O’ow idash gii-ikido: “Ambe sa noo ninga-waawiiyadenimik.” 

Aaniish mii sa akawaabamaad ji-bi-naasibiinid.(ix)

Goniiginiin.(x) Geget ogii-waabamaan biidaasamosenid.

Mii dash zhigwa imaa dagwishinoon imaa sa ayaad, zhayigwa ogii-gwaaba’aminid.

Gaa-izhi-miikwaawaabamigod(xi) mii sa gaa-pi-izhi-debibinigod(1)

Mii dash i’iw gaa-izhi-siikoobiiginigod(xii) gaa-izhi-kiiwewinigod o’owidi gaa-izhi-piindoomowind(xiii) iw wiiyaw.(2) 

Mii sa gaa-izhi-piindiganigod geget ogii-waabamaan akiwenziiyan namadabinid.

Geget asabikewan.

O’ow idash ogii-inaan a’aw ikwe iniw omisenyan: “Nashke giniin,” ogii-inaan giimooch iniw omisenyan.

“Nashke giniin wa’aw gaa-mikawag, waaboozoons. 

Ambe eta waawiiyade[t]aagozi(xiv) wa’aw waaboozoons! 

Ambe sa noo geyegiin waawiiya[d]enim(xv) ni-misenh wa’aw isa waaboozoons.”

O’ow idash ogii-igoon iniw omisenyan: “Giga-ayaawigonaan koosinaan giga-onsomigonaan,(xvi)” ogii-igoon inow misenyan; 

giimooj idash ogii-igoon iniw omisenyan.

Mii dash i’iw gaa-izhi-nandobagwid(xvii) gaa-izhi-pagidinigod i’imaa jiigi-ishkode wii-pengwaawesagod. 


Mii dash i’iw baapi’aad igiw ikwewag wawiiya[n]enimaawaad iniw waabozoonsan.

Ezhi-kikenimigowaad iniw oosiwaan. “Gidoombiigizim,(xviii)” ogii-igoowaan iniw oosiwaan.

O’ow idash ogii-inaawaan iniw oosiwaan: “Nashke giniin,” ogii-inaawaan.

“Nashke giniin wa’aw waaboozoons.”

“she!” ogii-igowaan iniw oosiwaan.

“Gaawiin ina gigii-noondaziim igiw manidoog i’iw gii-niigiwaad?

Gaa na mii aw bezhig aawisiidog. Awi-asig,”(xix) ogii-igowaan iniw oosiwaan.

“Geget sa gii-gagiibaadizim i’iw isa gii-odaapineg.”

O’ow idash gii-ikido aw ikwe: “Etata gosha ni-wawiyadenimaa(xx) a’aw isa waaboozoons.” 

O’ow idash ogii-inaan iniw oosan: “Aaniin gegii-izhinaagwak(3) i’iw is age-waaboozoonsiwid a’aw manidoo?” ogii-inaan iniw oosan.

O’ow idash gii-ikido: “Geget sa gaawiin gi-nitaa-noondazii.


Gaawiin ina gi-waabamisii epiichinaagoziyaan?”(xxi)

O’ow idash gii-izhichige a’aw ikwe nawanj igo ogii-abizwaan(xxii) iniw waaboozoonsan; 

i’iw isa wii-pengwaaweswaad gaa-izhi-kwekwekishimaad(xxiii) imaa jiigishkode.

O’ow idash gii-inendam a’aw Nenabosho: “Mii maawiin iw zhigwa bengwaawesowaanen.”

Aaniish obaapi’aawaan igiw ikwewag.

O’ow idash gii-inendam: “Ambe sa noo ninga-pakines.”(xxiv)

Geget ezhi-pakinezod.

Gaa-izhinawadizod gaa-izhi-gichikwaashkwaanid.(xxv)

O’ow idash gii-ikidowag igiw ikwewag, “Nashke giniin, ozaagijibadwaadaan(xxvi) i’iw ishkode!” odinaawaan iniw oosiwaan.

“Ayii!” gii-ikido a’aw akiwenzii; 

“geget sa gaawiin gi-nitaa-noondaziim gegoo aano-igoyegin. 

Kaa na mii a’aw bezhig manidoo(4) bamakaminang(xxvii) iw gidishkodeminaan.”

Gaa-izhi-pazigonjised a’aw akiwenzii aanoo-giimawinadang(xxviii) i’iw ojiimaan.

Aano-gii-izhi-madabiiwebinang, mii dash gaa-izhi-mikwamiikaanig.(xxix)

Mii dash anishaa go gaa-izhi-ganawaabamaawaad mishawi-gichigami ani-ozhaawashkwaakonenid, 

mii dash biinish gaa-izhi-pishkwaabamaawaad.(xxx) 

Aaniish gii-gwiinawi-izhichigewag.(xxxi)

Mii dash zhigwa odebaabandaan endaawaad wo’ow idash ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan jibwaa-maajaad: 


“ashwiin, maagizhaa geget biidooyaan i’iw ishkode,” ogii-inaan iniw ookomisan.

Gaa-izhi-kanoonaad apii debaabandang i’iw endaawaad, o’ow ogii-inaan abi-baandigesed iniw ookomisan:


“aatawebishin ninjaagis, nookoo!”


Mii dash geget gaa-izhi-aatawebinaad a’aw mindimoyenh.


Mii dash i’iw imaa gaa-ondinamowaad i’iw ishkode.


O’ow idash gii-ikido a’aw Nenabosho: “Mii sa iw gaa-izhinaagozid a’aw waabooz i’iw ji-niibing.”(5)

So accordingly then did the old woman bring him up.


And so by and by he said to his grandmother: “Don't you know of a place where there are some people?”

“Yes,” he was told by his grandmother. “In yonder direction on the farther shore of the sea are some people.”

“I am curious to know if they do not possess fire.”

“Yes,” he was told by his grandmother; “truly, they do possess some fire.”

Now, this was what he said to his grandmother: “Please let me go fetch the fire,” he said to his grandmother.

And this was what he was told by his grandmother: “Not will you be able to succeed.

Truly, a very careful watch do they keep over it there where they dwell.

An old man at the place abides.

And all the while, as often as the day comes round, upon a net he works. 

Never anywhere does he go, but always there indoors he remains.

Now, two are those daughters of his, and only they are continually out of doors.” 

And this he said to his grandmother: “Nevertheless I will go," he said to his grandmother. 

“Very well,” he was told by his grandmother.

Now, this was what he then said afterwards: “I will that the sea shall freeze, as thick as the birch-bark covering of the lodge so let this sea freeze.”

It was true that it happened according as he had said.

“Now, this is the way I shall look,” he said; “I will that I become a hare.”
 
So accordingly that truly was the way he looked. 

Thereupon he then started on his way over the ice. 

It was true that he did not break through (the ice). 

Of course it was so that he knew that at yonder place the people were abiding. 

And so after he was come at the place where they drew water, this then he thought: “I wish that for water some woman would come,” he thought.

And this he did there where she intended to dip up water: 


that after he was washed up by the waves of the sea, then he was tossed rolling to the place from which the woman was to draw water. 

And this he said: “I wish that she would take me for a plaything.” 

So thereupon he lay in wait for her to come for water. 

Lo, truly he beheld her walking hitherward. 

Thereupon soon was she come at the place where he was, at once she dipped out the water.
 
As soon as he was discovered, forthwith was he seized upon. 

And after the water had been rubbed from him, then was he taken over there to her home; in the bosom of her garment she put the creature. 

And after he had been carried inside, truly he saw an old man that was seated (there).

Sure enough, he was at work making a net. 

And this said the woman to her elder sister: “I say,” said she in secret to her elder sister,

“see this creature that I have found, a little bunny!

Oh, such a cunning thing is this dear little bunny! 

I wish you would also think it cunning, elder sister, this little bunny.”

Now, this was she told by her elder sister: “We shall be scolded by our father, on account of it shall we be taken to task,” she was told by her elder sister; 

and in secret she was told by her elder sister. 

Accordingly, after she had searched in the bosom of her garment, then was he placed there beside the fire, that from the heat his hair might become dry. 

Thereupon laughed the women as they made a pet of the little bunny.

Then they were found out by their father. “You are noisy,” they were told by their father.

And this they said to their father: “See this,” they said to him, 

“see this little bunny!”

“Beware!” they were told by their father.

“Have you not heard of the manitous how they were born?


Perhaps this might be one of them. Go put it where you got it,” they were told by their father. 

“Truly, indeed, were you foolish to take it.” 

And this said the woman: “Such a precious pet do I think this little bunny!” 

And this she said to her father: “How is it possible for a manitou to be a little bunny?” she said to her father.


And this he said: “Truly, indeed, you are not heedful of what is told you. 

Do you not behold me, how far in years I am?” 

Now, this the woman did: in spite of what she was told, she exposed the little bunny to the heat of the fire; 

that she might dry its hair, she turned it over with its other side near the fire.

And this thought Nenabushu: “By this time surely must I be dry from the heat.”

Yet at him laughed the women. 

And this he thought: “I wish a spark would fall upon me.” 


Sure enough, a spark fell upon him. 

After he was set on fire, then out of doors he leaped.

And this said the women: “Look at him, out of doors is he running with the fire!” they said to their father. 


“Too bad!” said the old man.

“Truly, indeed, are you unheedful of what is told you.


Doubtless it is one of the manitous that has come to take away this fire of ours.” 

Then, leaping to his feet, the old man ran to his canoe; but it was of no avail. 

He flung his canoe into the water; but it was of no use, for it was frozen with ice.

And all they could do was to watch (the hare) far out on the great expanse burning with a blue flame,

(watching him) till they beheld him pass out of sight.

Of course they were helpless to do anything. 

And then presently he was coming in sight of his home. Now, this he had said to his grandmother before he started away: 

“Be prepared if perchance I truly happen to fetch the fire,” he (thus) had said to his grandmother.

Afterwards he addressed her when he was coming in sight of their home, and this he said to his grandmother when he came flying in:

“Rub the fire off from me, I am burning up, my grandmother!” 

Whereupon truly off from him did the old woman rub the fire. 

Therefore such was how they there came into possession of fire. 

And this said Nenabushu: “Therefore such shall be the look of the hare in the summer-time.”