Nanabush Flies with the Geese (Manitoulin Island Dialect)

Ningoding go  ni-babimosed zaag’igan zhi-mdaabiid, pane go nikag manoominikewag

Geget sa meskwenmaan, mii’sh ezhi-gnoonaad: “Ambe sa naa, ka-wiijiiwininim,” odinaan.

“Awawa, Nenaboozhoo,” odigoon. “Mii go iw kawe zhitoowaang waa-nwapoyaang.”

Mii’sh ezhi-bkobiid gewii Nenaboozhoo. Mii sa gaye wiin endoodamnid aano-doodang, mii sa gaawii omikoobiigaziin wi manoomin.

“Aaniin, Nenaboozhoo? indigoo gosha go g-bwaanwitoon wi mnoomin.”

“Enh, nimbwaanaawitoon.”

“Aa Aw, indawaa mii iw minik. Bebngiins i’iw manoomin.” idiwag iw nikag.

Ngoding go zhigwa digoon: “Mii sa waabang wii-maajaayaang.” odigoon wi nikan.

Mii dash gaa-naad: “Nigekaa gdaa-gshki’siim genii ji-bmibzowaambaa?”

“Nenaboozhoo, aanawi ka-gashki’igoo ji-mbibzoyan, gaawiin dash gdaa-bzindzii wi ge-goomba.”


“Oonh, maanoo, n-shiimensag, gdaa-zhi’im ji-bmibzoyaan!”

Mii dash geget aw gii-igoon: “Aangwaamzin dash wiin.  Maa aabtawiya’ii  anishinaabeg baatiinowag.

Pii imaa ni-dgoshinang, gegwa dbashiish naabken! Ka-zaasaakwaangonaanig. Aangwaamizin, gegwa dbashiish naabken! Mii go wi ji-bngishnan giishpin naabyan. Mii eta go imaa ezhi-gsigoowin,” odigoon.

Mii dash enchiwaad kina bebezhig omiigoniwaan gaa-izhi-miinaawaad.

“Daga shkomaa, gweji-gziken.”

Mii dash geget gaa-zhi-gziked, gaa-izhi-giiwtaabza zaag’igning.

“Mii sa iw ji-wiijiiwigooyan. Mii sa waabang ji-maajaaying.”


Zhigwa waabanini, zhigwa ni-gzikewaad aapji naanaawayii gii-zhinoo’amawaa wii-bmibzod.

“Mii omaa ji-bmibzoyan. Nawaj go jibwaa-naagshig ji-waabmangwaa giwi anishinaabeg.”

Zhigwa geget gnoonigoon: “Mii zhigwa debaamdamang imaa ayaawaad giwi anishinaabeg.”


Zhayiigwa geget mdwe-zaasaakwaanigowaan: “E e e, nikag! Nenaboozhoo owiijbizomaan!” mdwe-naan.


Gegapii mdwe-kidowan: “Gnawaabmik, nashke gsha bngishin!”

“Gegwa naabken, Nenboozhoo,” odigoon wi nikan.

Gegpii mdwe-ngamowag:

  “Nenboozhoo wiijbizomaan oshiimesan, oshiimesan. Da-bngishin.
   Nenboozhoo wiijbizomaan oshiimesan, oshiimesan. Da-bngishin.
  Nenboozhoo wiijbizomaan oshiimesan, oshiimesan. Da-bngishin.”

“Daga bina, nga-ke-naab,” nendam.

Ezhi-naabid, ataah, gchi-oodena! Wenesh ge-noondigba? Mii go eta mdwewenig otawganan.

Aano-daatganaabid, aazha waasa wiijiiwaaganag. Aapji myaa naanaaw’yii oodenaang gii-ni-bngishing.


Mii dash gaa-zhi-maanjigwapinind. “Ambe sa naa, miijinaadaa!” kidowag.


Mii sa geget gaa-zhi-miijnind, kina mnik maa waadetoonid miijnigoon.

Baapish zhigwa  ni-zaagjiishkweshin ni-zhiibdoonenid, ni-spidoonenid.

Wiya  noondawaan: “Aapiish gaa-miijnind? Aapiish e-yaad gaa-miijnigaazod” kidowag.

Mndimoowenyig, niizh giibiingwewag.

“Aapiish wa gaa-miijnind?” Bi-kidnid.


Ezhi-gnoonaad: “Omaa  ndayaa.” odinaan. Zhigwa odoodisgoon.

Zhayiigwa wii-miijnigoon niwi mndimooweyan, ezhi-gnoonaad: “bekaa,” dinaan; “Mii go wi waa-zhi-miijzhiyan? Njida go naa ko ntam aabskobnigoowaanh waa-miijnigowaanin.”

“Oonh,” odigoon. “Gegaa g-mji-doodwaanaa wa gaa-miijnind.”

Mii sa geget ezhi-aabskobnigod gnawaabmaad; gaa-maamoowaabdenid go wi mndimooweyan.

Gaa-giizhiikaagod ezhi-baapaangndibewaad, ntam bezhig, mii’sh miinwaa bezhig.

Eni-zhi-maajaad omaa.

Ni-babmosed zaag’igan eni-biiskaad gii-ni-mdaabii, mii dash gii-ni-bkobiid, ezhi-gziibiigzhed.

Gnawaamdang  wi nbi mii go wi ezhi-bmaaboodeg wi moo.


Gaa-gwaadged, mii dash e-kdod: “Ge-zhinkaadmowaad anishinaabeg n-zhisheyig, Wiinibiig!’ Da-zhinkaade wi zaag’igan.”
Now, once while walking along, out upon a lake he came, and everywhere were Geese feeding on rice.

Truly much he envied them, so he then addressed them saying: “I pray you, let me in among you,” he said to them.

“Very well, Nanabushu,” he was told. “But we first are laying in store the food that we shall eat on the way.”

So into the water went Nanabushu too. And what they did he tried to do too, but he found no rice in the water.


“What, Nanabushu? Seemingly, indeed, are you without success in finding rice.”

“Ay, I am not successful.”

“There, now, that is enough. Each (of us) now has a small bit of rice,” to one another said the Geese.

And presently then he was told: “Therefore on the morrow shall we expect to start,” he was told by the Geese.

And this he then said to them: “I want to know if you could fix me up so that I too might fly.”

“Nanabushu, it is quite within our power to fix you up so that you can fly, but you would not listen to what would be told you.”

“Do please, my little brothers, fix me up so that I may fly!”

Whereupon truly he was told: “Take care that you do it! Off here about halfway are many people.

When we are coming there, don’t you look down, for we shall be whooped at. Do you be careful, don’t you look down; for you will surely fall if you look down. That is the only thing we fear you might do,” he was told.

Accordingly by every one that was there was he given a feather.

“Therefore, now, just you try to fly up.”

Thereupon truly up he rose on the wing, then round over the lake he flew.

“Therefore now you may go with us. Now, tomorrow is when we shall start.”

As soon as it was morning, now was when they flew away; in the very centre was he given a place where to fly.

“It is here you are to fly. Along towards evening shall we see the people.”

Sure enough, was he addressed by one saying: “Soon, now, are we coming into view of the place where the people are.”

Already could they truly hear (the people) whooping at them: “Halloo, Geese! Nanabushu is flying along with them!” was the sound of them speaking to him.

At last he heard them saying: “Why, look, he is really falling!”

“Don’t you look, Nanabushu,” he was told by the Geese.

Finally he heard them sing:

  “Nanabushu flies in company with his little brothers, with his little brothers. May he fall.
  Nanabushu flies in company with his little brothers, with his little brothers. May he fall.
  Nanabushu flies in company with his little brothers, with his little brothers. May he fall.”

“I say, really, I will take a look,” he thought.

When he looked, oh, what a great town! Then what was he to hear but a continuous whizzing in his ears.

In vain he tried keeping his look upwards, but already afar (had gone) his companions. In the very centre of the town was where he fell.

Thereupon was he then thoroughly bound with cords. “Come on, let us ease ourselves [crap] upon him!” they said.

Whereupon truly was he then eased upon, by everyone there in the town was he eased upon.

In the course of time he became engulfed so deep in the dung that he had to purse his lips.

Somebody he heard (asking): “Where is he who was eased upon?” they were saying.

Lo, (there were) some old women, two that were blind.

“Where is he that was eased upon?” they said as they came.

Then he spoke to them, saying: “Here I am,” he said to them. Then to where he was they came.

Already was he desired by an old woman to ease herself upon when he addressed her: “Wait,” he said to her; “really, now, is this the position you mean to relieve yourself upon me? Usually I am first unbound before I am relieved upon.”

“Really,” he was told. “Nearly did we do a mistake to him who has been eased upon.”

And so truly, while being unbound, was he watching them; (he saw that) the old women had dung in their teeth.

When he was set free, then he clubbed them to death, first one, then the other.

Then on his way he continued from this place.

As he went walking along, out upon a lake he came, whereupon into the water he went (and) washed himself.

While looking at the water, he then saw the dung floating thereon.

When he came out of the water , this then he said: “The name which the people my uncles shall call it – ‘ah, filthy water! such shall be the name of the lake.”