Nanabushu and the Buzzard - Classic

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Ojibwe Only

Mii dash ezhi-maajaad, gii-babaamosed.

Ningoding igo babaamosed inaabid ishpiming  awiya ogii-waabamaan namadabinid aanakwadong.

Geget omisawinawaan. “Ambe dash gaye niin,” Gii-inendam gaa-izhi-ganoonaad: “Gaawiin ina  gidaa-bi-izhaasii, nishiimisa?” ogii-inaan.

Mii dash gaa-igod: “Gaawiin,” ogii-igoon.

“Aaniin gegii-izhinaagwag minik awiya gaa-waabamag giin idash i’iw ji-bizindawisiiwaambanen?”

“Nenaboozhoo, Gi-gosin.”

“Gaawiin gidaagwashisii,” odinaan.

Mii dash gaa-izhi-wayeshimaad, aanish mii sa  gaa-ganoonigod: “Ambe sa noo, geget sa gi-misawinawin. Gonige naa waasa gidakwaabimidog,” odinaan.


“Eye’,  Geget.”

“aw,” odinaan. Mii dash gaa-izhi-inaad: “Ambe sa noo, giga-wiijiiwin.”

“Awawa,” ogii-igoon. Mii dash gaa-izhi-ombiiwaad  i’imaa  aanakwadong.

Mii dash ezhi-maajaawaad, maajiiyaasinig i’iw aanakwad.


Ningoding agaawaa debinaagwadini i’iw aki zhigwa odinenimigoon. “indashiidog waawiyazh nendaginitaadoodawaad. Ambe sa noo, wawiyazh ninga-doodawaa,” Gii-inendam.

Mii dash gaa-izhi-bakweyaasininig i’iw aanakwad.


Miinawaa ezhi-bakweyaasininig; eshkam igo agaasaani inaa ayaawaad.

Gegapii gegaa go enigokwabiwaad inigokwaani.


Ningoding igo gaa-izhi-daashkikaanig bebakaan gii-namadabiwag.

Aanish miinawaa ezhi-daashkaasininig ezhi-bazigwa’onid, ezhi-booniinid i’iwedi  eni-michaanig i’iw aanakwad.


Mii dash odaano-ganoonaan: “Aaniin gediyaan, nishiimisa” ogii-inaan.

Mii zhigwa gii-waabandang ji-bangishing. Zhigwa miinawaa bakweyaasinini mii imaa ayaad;  gegapii igo bigoshkaani.


Agaawaa odebaabandaan ozhaawashkwaakamigaanig.

Ezhi-bangishing apane ii ban babimibizod. 

Zhigwa  e-zhi-debaabandang edaadaa  gichi-mitigokaani  ge-izhi-bangishing.


Zhayiigwa  gaa-izhi-biinjised gichi-mitigoon wiimbizinid.

Mii sa gaa-izhi-biinjinikised, mii sa ezhi-bwaabwaanawi’od.


Aano-wiikwaji’od awiiya  ogii-noondawaa, bibaapinid  ikwewa’,  mii dash gaa-ikidonid: “Mii sa o’omaa ningoji endaad gaa-ikidong waabigaag,” ikidowa’  i’
iw ikwewa’.

Ezhi-giigidod: “Waabigaagoowiyaan endaayaan.”


O’ow dash ikidowa’: “Gonogena  mikawang  a’aw  waabigaag, nishiim,” ogii-inaan mii aw majiikwewis.


“Gaa na giin gi-noondawaasii?” odigoon iniw oshimeyan. “Gi-mikawaanaan, maawiin.”

Mii dash mii imaa miinawaa gaa-izhi-ganoonaad: “Waabigaagoowiyaan endaayaan,” ogii-inaan.  Mii dash gaa-izhi-maajikawa’ogod.

“Nishiim, gii-kawawang, awegwenina  ge-ayaanigwen ge-mikawaagwen, mii aw ge-onaabemid,” ogii-inaan  iniw oshiimeyan. Mii sa zhigwa  geget odaano-giishkikaa’ogon.



“Wiikaage sa  i’imaa  dayaawi  a’aw  weshiime’im aawid,” gii-inendam aw Nenaboozhoo.

Zhigwa sa odaashkika’ogoon  i’iw nandogaa’ogod, biinish majiikwewis  gakina gaa-piigoga’ang;  mii sa gaa-izhi-gwiinawaabamaad.

Mii sa aw ikwe weshiimemaawid i’imaa  eyaad gegapii gaa-izhi-bookwisdood i’iw  owaagaakwad.

“Nishiim,” odinaan  apii gaa-bookwisidoonid i’iw owaagaakwadooni; “Mii sa niin ji-onaabemiyaan,” ogii-inaan iniw oshimeyan.

“wekaage sa  gaye wiin.” O’ow dash gii-inendam: “Ambe sa noo, mii eta go aabiding ji-biyaabaagidood  i’iw  owaagaakwad,” odinenimaan.

Ezhi-aazhoowinaad; zhigwa geget odaashkika’ogoon; ezhi-bazigonjised.

Nenaboozhoowan iniw  onji-bazigonjisewan, ani-gagawaabiwan. “Gegeti go  waabigaag endaad inendamoog!”

Mii sa gaa-ani-izhi-mamaajaad Nenaboozhoo. “Amanjigizh ge-izhichigewaanen,” Gii-inendam; “wawiyazh  ji-doodawag  gaye wiin?” odinenimaan  iniw binesiwan.

Ezhi-madaabiid zaaga’igan, mii dash i’imaa  mishawikwam gaa-izhi-ozhishing. “Ambe sa noo, ninga- amogoog anooj, binesiwag,” Gii-inendam.

Owiikwadenimaan iniw  wawiyazh  gaa-doodaagod.


Zhigwa geget odamogoo’  andegwa’  enooji sa go binesiwa’.

Mii dash gaa-inaad: “Gego wiin  i’iwidi  ninjiiding  ondamishikegon,” ogii-inaa’.

Mii dash geget gaa-izhichigenid, aaniish bane go gaa-danwewetoonid.

Zhigwa sa owaabamaan obabaamaasimoononid iniw binesiwan. “Aa, mii sa gaawiin bi-izhaasiiwan!” aanish owiikwadenimaan ji-bi-izhaanid.

Eshkam igo dasing gaazhigadinigin beshonaagoziwan, gegapii ezhi-booniinid; naagewaasa go i’iwidi  bangishing  odoonzaabamigoon.


Mii dash geget aapiji ogosigoon. Zhigwa sa wiikaa  obi-naazikaagoon.

e-zhi-bakiiwagiid, e-zhi-gwaashkwaashkwaninid.


Mii dash zhigwa eshkam igo gaawiin doondansiiwan gegapii igo owawangawenimigoon.

Gegapii igo o’ow ikidowan: “Aaniinde giinawaa ondamaasiweg  o’owidi wiininwaakoshiiganed?” Mii sa geget i’iwidi  wendamigod.

Zhigwa eshkam igo waasa izhi-biindikwenowan i’imaa ojiiding, gegapii go gaawiin zaagidikwenisiiwan.

Ezhi-bazigonjised gashkidiyaandamawaad i’iw oshtigwaanini.

“mishanim  Nenaboozhoo, ningii-gagwaanisagi’ig!”

Maajiibatood i’iw zaaga’igan. Aaniish aano-bimiwiikwaji’onid.

Mii sa zhigwa beshwaabandang wekwaagamiiwaninig  i’iw zaaga’igan  ezhi-bagijidiyaamaad, mii dash gaa-izhi-bangishininid imaa  michaya’ii.

Mii dash gaa-inaad: “Wiinaange giga-igoo ji-ani-akiiwang,” ogii-inaan. “Giga-wiinenimig aw  anishinaabe.”

And so he started away, round about he travelled.

Now, once while journeying about, he looked above (and) saw some one seated upon a cloud.

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.

Upon which he was told: “No,” he was told.

“How would it look, (in view of) as many as I have seen, for you not to heed me?”

“Nanabushu, I am afraid of you.”

“You have no cause to fear me.” he said to him.

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.

“Yes, (that is) true.”

“Good,” he said to him. Upon which he then said to him: “Pray, let me bear you company.”

“Certainly,” he was told. Whereupon up they went to yonder cloud.

And so when they started away, with the wind went wafting the cloud.

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.

Thereupon apart then broke the cloud by reason of the wind.

Again it broke apart on account of the wind; gradually smaller grew the space where they were.

At last almost space enough for them to sit on was how much that yet remained.

And anon when it was rent asunder, then in different places they sat.

So when again it blew apart, then away flew the other, alighting upon yonder place where there was a bigger cloud.

Whereupon in vain he tried to speak to him, saying: “What will become of me, my little brother?” he said to him.

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.

Faintly could he see the green of the landscape.

When he fell, a long while was he falling through the air.

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.

Then down he fell into a great tree that was hollow.

Thereupon when he had dropped into the hollow, then was he unable (to get out).

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.

Then up he spoke, saying: “I am the Gray Porcupine that dwells here.”

And this they said: “Suppose we should find the Gray Porcupine, my little sister,” to the other said she that was older.

“And did you not hear him?” she was asked by her little sister. “We have found him, maybe.”

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.

“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.

“ I wish the younger one would be there,” thought Nanabushu.

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 find him.

And then the younger women yonder, where she was, finally broke her axe.

“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.

“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.

Then he watched for her; presently was the tree really split up by her; then up he leaped.

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!”

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.

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.

He formed a scheme to get the one that had done him a trick.

Then truly was he eaten by crows and by various kinds of birds.

Then this he said to them: “Don’t you eat upon me yonder at my buttocks,” he said to them.

Whereupon truly such was what they did, and a continuous din did they keep up.

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.

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.

And it was true that much was he feared (by the bird). Then after a while to where he was came (the bird).

As he raised the muscle on his calf, away went the other hopping.

And then presently it gradually became less afraid, till at last (Nanabushu) was made free and easy with.

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.

Presently farther into the anus yonder it put its neck, then at last it did not take its neck out from there.

Then up he sprang closing his anus tight over the other’s head.

“Confound Nanabushu, by him am I frightfully treated!”

While(Nanabushu)went running along the lake,naturally the other tried in vain to get free

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.

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.”