Nanabushu and the Moose-Head

Transliteration by: Robin McLeod

Mii dash gii-ani-maajaad.
Thereupon he started on his way.

Mii dash gii-nagishkawaad ininiwan, aapiji onizhishiwan.
And then he met with a man, very handsome was he.

Aa, miigwana’ oshtigwaaning!
Ah, the feathers upon his head!

Nenaboozhoo oganoonaan: “Aa, niijii, aaniindi ezhaayan?”
Nanabushu spoke to him, saying: "Well, my friend, whither are you bound?"

“Aa, anishaa sa go nimbabaamaadis; giin idash, aaniindi ezhaayan?” (1)
"Oh, I am just simply travelling about; and you, where are you going?"

“Gaa, anishaa go naa gaye niin nimbabaamaadis.”
"Oh, I too am simply wandering aimlessly about."

Mitigwaabiin odakonaan a’aw inini, Nenaboozhoo dash oganoonaan: “Daa, niijii geget sa onizhishi gi-mitigwaab.
A bow the man held in his hand, and Nanabushu addressed him, saying: "Why, my friend, truly handsome is your bow.

Shkomaa biish, ninga-gagwedaagibiinaa.”
Just you hand it over to me, I want to see how it pulls."

“Aa, gaawiin! Gaa wiikaa awiya nindawi’aasii.”
"Ah, no! never do I turn it over to any one."

“Aa, maanoo, niijii, gaa na gegoo ajina!”
"Oh, please, my friend, just only for a moment!"

Ginwenzh ogii-dashimaan.
A long while, he coaxed him.

Gegapii ogii-miinigoon iniw mitigwaabiin, Nenaboozhoo dash ogagwedaagibiinaan mitigwaabiin.
At last he was given the bow, and Nanabushu tested the spring of the bow.

“Taa geget sa minwaagizi.
Why, to be sure, it pulls finely.

Shkomaa wiin i’iwe gidasawaan.”
Just (hand me) over that arrow of yours."

Ginwenzh aanawi ogii-saagitaagoon, gegapii ogii-miinigoon.
With all his pleading, yet a long while was it withheld from him, but finally it was given to him.

Mii idash gaa-izhi-naabisidood i’imaa ajaabiing; mii idash gagwedaagibiinaad Nenaboozhoo mitigwaabiin, mii iw gaa-izhi-bimwaad iniw iniwan gaa-nagishkawaapan.
Thereupon he fitted it in place on the bowstring ; and when Nanabushu pulled upon the bow, he thereupon shot the man whom he had met.

Moonzong gii-izhinaagoziwan apii gaa-nisaad; aapiji wiininoowan.
Like a moose he looked, after (Nanabushu) had slain him ; he was ever so fat.

Gichi-minwendam Nenaboozhoo gichi-wiisinid.
Highly pleased was Nanabushu to have a great heap of food.

Mii idash gaa-izhi-pi-gishkizhwaad iniw moozoon, aapiji dash wenizhishing wiiyaas ogii-kiizhizaan waa-miijid; bimide gaye.
Accordingly he cut the moose up into pieces, and very nice was the meat he cooked to eat ; and the grease too (was savory).

Gaa-giizhidenig, mii dash gii-agwaa’izekwed.
When it was done, he accordingly took it out of the kettle.

Zhigwa wii-maadanjiged, giziibaakwad.
Just as he was on the point of eating, there was a creaking noise.

“Ji’iin, ji’iin,” inwenig.
"Tci?n, tci?n!" was the way it sounded.

Gaawiin ominotanziin.
He did not like the sound.

“Ishte, bizaan daga!”
"Now, do you keep silent !"

Eshkam igo gizhiiwe i’iw giziibaakwad.
Still louder grew the noise of the creaking.

Nenaboozhoodazh gii-pasigwii, ogii-manizhaan bangii ozhoobiin.
Nanabushu rose to his feet, sliced off a little bit of (fatty) tenderloin.

Mii dash edang i’iw giziibaakwad: “Geget sa gidoombiigis.
And then he said to the creaking noise : "Really, too much of a noise are you making.

Gii-wanishkwem wii-wiisiniyaan.
You are annoying me when I want to eat.

Owe gaye giin miijin.”
This too do you eat."

Mii dash Nenaboozhoo atood i’iw bimide giziibaakwad ogii-dakwamigon.
And when Nanabushu placed the fat in where the creaking noise was made, he was caught fast.

Mii imaa gii-agoojing gichi-ginwenzh, biinish anooj awesiiyag – ma’iinganag; gwiingwa’aageg, ojiigag, waagoshag – gii-dagwishinoog gii-amwaawaad moozoon; gaagaagiwag gaye.
Accordingly there he hung for a great while, until all sorts of game-folk – wolves, martens, fishers, foxes – arrived to eat the moose; ravens too (arrived).

Baanimaa gakina gaa-gidamond a’aw mooz mii iw bijiinag, gii-pagidamigod Nenaboozhoo i’iw giziibaakwad.
Not till the whole of the moose was eaten up, was Nanabushu freed from the grip of the creaking place.

Aapiji wii-wiisini gii-izhaa i’imaa abinipan iniw moozoon.
Very eager was he to eat, and he went over to where the moose had been.

Mii eta okanan etenig, oshtigwaanigegan gaye ateni.
Only its bones were left, its skull was there too.

Mii dash ezhi-waabamaad wawaabiganoojiiya’ biindigenid imaan mooz oshtigwaaning.
Thereupon he saw some mice (2) go into the head of the moose.

Owaabandaan bangii atenig wiinindib.
He saw that a little bit of the brains was left.

“Apegish miijiyaan!” inendam mii dash ezhi-ganoonaad waawaabiganoojiiya’: “Gidaa-gashkitoonaawaa na gaye niin i’iw ji-iniginiyaan eyaniginiyeg?”
"Would that I might eat it !" he thought. Thereupon he spoke to the mice, saying : " Could you bring it about so that I might be of the same size as you ?"

“Aa, gaawiin!” odigoon.
"Ah, no!" he was told.

“Ozaam gi-mindid,” odigoon.
"Of too large a size are you," he was told.

“Aa, maanoo gaye niin niwii-piindige imaa mooz oshtigwaaning!”
"Ah, please let me go into the head of the moose too!"

“Ahaaw isa,” odigoon. 
"All right, then," he was told. 

“Omaa eta gi-shtigwaaning giga-dagaashiiniy”
"Only here at your head will you be made small."

Mii dash waawaabiganoojiiying gii-inikogo ishtigwaaned.
Thereupon like unto the head of a mouse was the size of his head.

Mii dash gii-piindikwenid, “Bekaa go wiisinin,” odigoon.
And so when he stuck his head in, "Slowly do you eat," he was told.

“Gego ombikweniken,” odigoon.
"Do not lift your head," he was told.

Ozaam idash Nenaboozhoo gii-ombikweni, mii dash gaa-izhi-michaanig oshtigwaan.
Now, too high Nanabushu lifted his head, whereupon the size of his head enlarged.

Gaawiin gii-gashki’osii ji-giichigotaad.
He was unable to get (his head) free.

Mii dash gaa-izhi-maajaad dibi e-zhaagwenh, gaawiin owaabandanziin e-zhaad.
Thereupon he started off, not knowing whither he was going ; he did not see whither he was bound.

Gakina mitigoon betaakoshing ogagwejimaan: “Awenen giin?”
Every tree he bumped against he asked of it : " Who are you ?"

Mina’ig naaningodinoo; wiigwaas naaniingodinoo; azaadiwan ningoding.
A tamarack (it was) sometimes ; a birch (it was) sometimes ; a poplar once.

Miinawaa mitigoon obitaakoshkawaan, “Awenen giin?” odinaan.
Another tree he bumped against. "Who are you?" he said to it.

Giizhik sa.
A cedar (it was).

“Mii sa besho jiigibiig indayaamidog,” inendam.
"Then close to the edge of the water I must be," he thought.

Wiipago geget nibi odakogaadaan.
Soon then really into the water he stepped.

Mii dash igo gwayak gaa-ani-izhi-niiminaasiid, gii-ani-bimaadage gwayak igo e-zhaad.
Thereupon, when straight into the water he went, off he went swimming towards the way he was bound.

Awiya onoondawaan biipaaginid anishinaaben: “E’ii, nashke gosha, mooz bemaadaged! Aaw! Mawinanaadaa!”
Some people he heard calling aloud : " Hey ! Just look ! a moose is swimming by ! Come on ! Let us go for him !"

Mii dash geget ezhi-pooziwad anishinaabeg wii-nisaawaad moozoon.
Thereupon truly into their canoes went the people, in the hope of killing the moose.

Nenaboozhoo dash gii-washkibagizo.
Nanabushu then quickly turned about.

“E’ii! Aazha washkaadage!”
"Hey! He is turning back!"

Nenaboozhoo enigok bimaadage.
Nanabushu was swimming fast.

Anishinaabeg zhigwa besho bi-ayaawag.
The people now were coming close.

Mii dash Nenaboozhoo zhigwa debakiinang, mii dash ezhi-maajiibatood bagwana, gaawiin owaabandanziin e-patood.
And when Nanabushu touched bottom, then off he started running without knowing where ; he did not see whither he was running.

Mii dash gii-ozhashaabikishing, mii idash gii-paasesing i’iw moozoo-shtigwaanish.
And then he stumbled and fell, where upon he cracked that wretched head of the moose.

Mii idash bijiinag gii-waabid.
And that was when he could see.

Mii iw gii-ani-maajiibatood.
Accordingly away he started running.

Nenaboozhoon wiin gaa-izhinaagozinid; mii apane dibi e-patoogwen Nenaboozhoo.
Nanabushu then took on his own form ; and off he ran, no one knew where.

Mii sa ekoozid.
And that is the end of (the story).