Nänabushu and the Winged Startlers

Mii dash zhayiigwa ani-babimosed ningoting igo ogii-waabamaan awiya okoshininid.

“Gonige Gii-wiinzomwaadog?" ogii-inaan i’iw wayaabamaad.

"Mii nange," ogii-igoon; "o’ow nindizhinikaazomin, Goshkongesiinag, nindigoomin."

"Geget sa, mii nangwani iw ezhinikaazoyeg!" 

Mii dash gaa-izhi-miijinaad, o’ow dash gaa-izhi-inaad: “Wa’aw gosha eta Goshkongesii, ogow gosha eta,” ogii-inaan.

Mii dash gaa-ni-zhi-maajaad, gii-ani-babimosed.


Gaa-izhi-madaabiid i’iw Gichigami, ogii-waabandaan Gichi-giishkaabikaanig; inaabid, Geget naawi-naagwadini iwidi nibiikaang.

“Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ikwedog ataading, aapiji go dataakonjiigwaned.


Onjida maawiin nintaa-izhi-kwaashkwan: ‘Awegwen ge-izhi-kwaashkwanigwen?’ ikidong.

Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan."

Mii go imaa eko-giibaabikaanig niibawid.

O’ow dash doodam, miizan ezhi-waaninigaadenid.


Mii dash zhigwa gii-odisaad o’owedi gaa-miijinimind mii i'iw oniijaanisa’.

"Aaniin gaadiyeg?" odinaa' i'i'w oniijaanisa’.

“Gaa, nangwana Nenaboozhoo ningii-miijinigonaan.”


“Ningodanoo maawiin inaawegoban.”

“Gaawiin,” Gii-ikido a’aw bezhig i’imaa moowiing osibidood.

“Geget ninga-gwejimigonaan, ‘Aaniin ezhinikaazoyeg?’ ningii-igonaan

O’ow idash ningii-inaanaan, ‘Goshkongesiinag nindigoomin,’ ningii-inaanaan.

O’ow idash gii-ikido: ‘Naabisa Goshkongesi!’ ningii-igonaan; mii dash gaa-izhi-mamashkijishiyangid, mii dash gaa-ani-zhi-maajaad.”

Wa’aw idash weniijaanizit gaa-izhi-giziibiiginaad; gaa-ishkwaa-giziibiiginaad, zhigwa gaa-izhi-maajaad.

“Mishanim!” ogii-inaan Nenaboozhoowan.

Mii dash gaa-izhi-adimaad i’imaa giishkaabikaang, mii dash besho ogii-onzaabamaan.

Mii dash gaa-inenimaad: “Wiikaage sa miinawaa da-waaninigaadeni.”

Zhigwa Geget ombigaadeni Nenaboozhoo.

“Onjida sa nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ningodwaakwa’aagan ekwo-jiingwaned adaading.”

Mii dash gaa-izhi-bazigwa’od a’a’w bine, mii dash gaa-izhi-gwaashkwaninid i’imaa giishkaabikaang.

Mii dash i’imaa gaa-izhi-booniid ganawaabamaad animibizonid; mii dash i’iwidi nibiikaang gaa-izhi-bangishininid.

Mii dash i’imaa gaa-onzaabimaad, geget gabeya’ii gii-inaandiiwan i’imaa nibiikaang; wiikaa ayagoozid.


Onji-mookisewan, mii go iwidi gaa-bi-inaabinid; o’ow idash ogii-igoon: “Geget sa gi-goshkongesiw,” ogii-igoon.

Mii dash gaa-izhi-giiwed a’aw bine mii dash gaye wiin gaa-izhi-maajiiyaadagaad, mii sa gaa-izhi-agwaadaad.


Mii dash miinawaa gii-ani-maajaad.
And now, while he was walking along, he suddenly saw something lying (together) in a heap.

“I should like to know if perchance you have a name?” he said to the creatures which he saw.

“To be sure,” he was told; “this is our name, little winged startlers, such are we called.”

“Oh, indeed, so that is what you are called!” 

Whereupon, after he had eased himself upon them, this he then said to them: “This is really the only winged startler, this is the only thing,” he said to them.

Thereupon on his way he started, on his way he went walking.

When he came out upon the sea, he saw a very high cliff with steep sides; as he looked, truly far seemed the distance down to where the water was.

With good reason would I leap down if a woman were up for a prize, particularly if she were short from knee to groin.

With good reason would I leap down if some one should ask: “Who will jump down?”

With good reason then would I leap down.”

There on the very brink of the cliff he stood.

Now, this happened to him: as he started to jump, he lost his footing.

And so in the mean time (the mother) had come to where her young had been eased upon.

“What has happened to you?” she said to her children.

“Why, it was by that old Nanabushu that we were eased upon.”

Something or other must you have said to him.”

“Nay,” said one moving about there in the slush of the dung.

“Truly, we were asked, “What is your name? we were told.

And this was what we said to him, ‘Little winged startlers are we called,’ we said to him.

And this he said: ‘Like the deuce (you are) little winged frighteners!’ we were told by him; whereupon he squirted at us, after which he went his way.”

Then the mother washed them with water; and after she had finished washing them, she then started away.

“Confound him!” she said of Nanabushu.

And so after she had overtaken him yonder at the cliff, then close by she took a peep at him.

Now, this was her thought of him: “I wish that again he would swing his leg.”

Now, sure enough, up Nanabushu raised his leg.

“For a purpose would I leap if the object of the prize measured one span of the hand from groin to knee.”

Thereupon as up flew the ruffed grouse, then (Nanabushu) leaped off the steep cliff.

And so after she had alighted there (on the edge), she watched him as he went falling; and then yonger into the water he fell.

And so from there she kept watch of him, truly a long while was he gone in the water; a long time was she perched up there.

When he came to the surface, straightway at yonder place he cast a look; now this was she told by him: “Of a truth, you are a winged startler,” she was told.

Thereupon back home went the ruffed grouse; and as for himself he started swimming inshore, after which he then went out of the water.

Thereupon again he started on his way.