Nenabosho and the Woodpecker (1)

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Zhigwa bakadewag aapiji, mii sa ezhi-maajaad Nenabosho.


Zhigwa, miinawaa odishiwe.

Mii sa miinawaa ezhi-nawaad anishinaabe, niizhiwa oniijaanisini.

Gaawiin gegoo waabandamawaasiin; wekwaagaan i’iw endaanid.

“Wegodogwenigish maajiiwaagwen!” inendam.

“Zhigwa, aaniin dash naa iw giige-aasiwang a’aw gibiiwideminaan?” 

Mii sa geget zhigwa ozhiitaawan iiniw ininiwan; wawezhi’oowan ogatigwaning, odishishimaani iiniw miskoosaanamanan; miinawaa odoonjibidoonini biiwaabik aapiji gaa-zhi-boodeni.

Aaniish, onisitawinaan eyaawaninig, miinangwana i’iw izhichigewaad iiniw okonaasanwiin(2) zhegonaanid i’imaa oshangwanaaning aaniish megwaa go gii-namadabinid.

Apii gaa-giizhi’onid, baanimaa go wanjinawatinaanid iiniw mitigoon bedakisonid i’imaa endaanid; noondaagosiwan.


“Kokok, kokok!” inwewan.

Aaniish inaabid Nenabosho, memen owaabamaan; zhigwa odanigwekwenibaabamaani iiniw mitigoon.


Zhigo ko odanikojisagawaani; mii go ezhi-gokweninid(3) i’imaa jiigaatig.

Aaniish, biinish igo i’iwidi shpiming ani-ayaawan, abijiinag (abiijinaag) iiniw zhayiigwa maajikwe’igewan.

Mii dash ningoding igo, inikwenininid, esibanan bimibatoowan, mii sa miinawaa bezhig bimibisoowan.


Mii sa niizh gii-nisaad i’iw esibana, baa-izhi-niisaakwashimoononid.

Mii sa ezhi-mamoonid i’imaa gaa-atoonid oshangwanaaning i’iw biiwaabik.

Mii sa ezhi-gabadawind i’iw esibana; zhigwa agwaa’amawaa ji-wiisinid.

Mii sa zhigwa gii-wiisinid, zhigwa ganoonaa; “Aaniish mii sa ge-zhi-kiiwewidawadwaa giniijaanisag minik eshkwanjigeyan,” gii-inaa.

Mii sa miinawaa wanimook, igo imaa gaa-onji-shegoondaginaad miinawaa i’iw ogii-shoode’ona.

Mii sa miinawaa ani-maajaad.

Baanimaa go madwe-piibaagi, “Ay!” medwe’ikidowan.


“Giwanishigaagome!” madwe-ikidowan.

“Aaniish, wegodogwenigish?” ikidowan ininiwan.

Miinangwana gosha geget gaabonid i’iw ogiizhoode’ona.


“Waasa go onji-webinamawik.

Gego wiin i’iwidi beshoshaakegon,” odinaa i’iw oniijaanisa.

“Gaye go debiwebinamaweg mii imaa apii onji-webinamawik,” odinaa i’iw oniijaanisa.

Anishaa geget zhigwa o’ow idash odinaa i’iw oniijaanisa: “Gaawiin ningodinoo gii-ga-bwaa’igosiiwaa.”

Zhigwa sa geget odaanawi-apagidawaawaan, o’ow idash odinaa Nenabosho: “Gego gaawanaagonewebinaawaag.” 


Mii dash geget gaa-izhi-miinaawaad.

Aanawi bimaajiba’idiwag iigiw gwiiwizhenshag gaa-izhi-inaad: “Akawe, i’imaa ayaayog!” 

O’ow dash odinaa: “Geget isa gibakademwaasa,” odinaa.


“Mii gosha wiini iw bebaadaashiikewaad iigiw giijikiwe’iwaag; mii go bimide bebaa’opagamaaganiwaad bebaadashiikewaad iigiw giijikiweniwaag, i’iw mashkawajibimide.

Ambe sa noo, apii waabang koosiwaa da-bii-izhaa,” odinaa.


Mii sa eni-maajaad.

Degoshing endaawaad, ozhiitaa mitigoon; obadakinaan endaawaad, wekwaagaan ogii-ozhitoon gaye.


Mii dash egod iiniw wiiwan: “Indashke miinawaa gaa-izhi-nawaagwen awiya,” odigoon iiniw wiiwan.


“Amanjig isa, ezhimiwanen gegoo aanawi zhichigeyaanin?” odinaan iiniw wiiwan.

Aaniish, ogii-oninaan gaye iiniw osaanamanan gaye iiniw okanaasanwiin.

Mii sa gii-giizhiitaad zhayiigwa giigidoowa oniijaanisa: “Biiwide!” ikidoowa.

Aaniish mii sa ezhi-piindigaagowaad iiniw biiwiden.

Miingwana dash iiniw memen, aaniish, miiwaniniw dinowan gaa-odisaad.

Zhigwa sa oganoonaan iiniw wiiwan: “Aaniin dash inaa iw ambe, gige-aasiwang a’aw biiwide?” odinaan iiniw wiiwan.

Zhigwa oganoonigoon: “Wegoneshi iw eyaayang gegiige’iweyang?”

Aaniish onishkimigoon iiniw wiiwan.

“Zhayiigwa sa biija’onagoosh a’aw akik,” odinaan iiniw wiiwan.

Mii sa geget a’aw ikwe anagoonaad iiniw odakikoon.

Aaniish, mii sa zhayiigwa waweshi’od Nenabosho, ezhi-miskonang i’iw oshangwan.

Aaniishi, zhigwa, miinawaa oshegwanaan i’iw biiwaabik i’imaa ashangwanaang.

Megwaa sa go namadabid weji-basingwijised nawadinaad iiniw mitigoon gaa-padakinaad; ani-akwaandawed.

Zhayiigwa noondaagozi: “Gokok, gokok, gokok, gokok,” inwe.

Zhayiigwa sa aaniish gaa-izhi-nawaadigo izhichige, zhigwa sa owiipaakwewaan iiniw mitigoon.

Bijiinag aabiding enikwenid, ezhi-padakishkaagod, pane mii igo gii-bimibizo; bangishing pane go gaa-bidigokamigishing.


Aaniish, miskwi oshangwanaang.

Mii sa ekidonid iiniw obiiwidemiwaan: “Aaniinaa iw mayaawibinaasiwaad?” iiniw maawan iiniw ikwewan.

Mii sa geget ezhi-mayaawibinaad a’aw ikwe.

O’ow idash odigoon iiniw biiwidemiwaan: “Odishkonaan maawiin iiniw osaanamanan.

Ambe sa noo biish,: odigoon.

Mii dash geget, ezhi-miinaad, ezhi-miskonamid i’iw ogatigoni.

Miinawaa odibaabandamowaanini gaa-giizhegonang imaa shingwanaang.

Geget, ezhi-wiikobidawaad, ezhi-miinaad iiniw biiwidemiwaan.

Megwaa go namadabinid, baanimaa go onji-noondaagozinid memen; ezhi-nawadinaanid iiniw mitigoon, mii sa odanikwekwenibaabamaani, aandigwago* ani-gakwaadigwe’igewan.

Zhigwa sa maadikwe’igewan, esibanan gii-bimibizoowan aazha miinawaa bezhig; mii sa niizh gii-nisaanid, ba-izhi-niisaakoshimoonanid.

Aaniish mii iw zhigwa gii-mikawid Nenabosho odigoon: “Mii iw da-zhi-wiisiniyug giniijaanisag,” odigoon.


Mii sa geget ani-zhi-maajaanid, mii sa naa gii-wiisiniwaad.

So were they much in need of food, whereupon off went Nenabosho.

Now, again was he a-visiting.

And so again they whom he saw seemed like people, (and) they had two children.

He saw nothing of what they had; a long lodge they occupied for a home.

“Wonder what in the world they eat!” he thought.

“Now, what had we better feed our visitor?” 


Thereupon truly the man began getting ready; he painted himself on the forehead, the kind of paint he used was red; furthermore, he took up a piece of metal, with a very keen edge due to filing.

Now, (Nenabosho) recognized what it was, for the thing that they did was to put the bone-pointed spear into the nostrils while he was seated there.

When he had finished painting himself, he suddenly made for a post that was standing there where they lived; the sound of his cry could be heard.

“Kokok, kokok!” was his cry.

Now, when Nenabosho looked, he saw the red-head (woodpecker); and (the bird) kept busily nodding his head to see where to find something on the post.

At last he began to try pecking the post; and occasionally, cesaing from his work, he held his head close to the post.

Now, by degrees he began making his way upward, every now and then he would begin pecking away.

And so by and by, as he pecked, (Nenabosho saw) a raccoon come running (out), and then another came falling down.

And so, after killing the raccoons, he came down from the post.

Thereupon he removed the metal which he had placed there in his nose.

And then the raccoons were cooked for (Nenabosho); then they were dipped out for him to eat.

And so then was he eating when he was addressed: “Now, therefore, do you carry back to your children as much as you do not not eat,” he was told.

Thereupon again, without being seen, he slipped his mittens (in the balsam boughs under the mat).

So then again he set out on his way.

After a while he heard somebody calling aloud: “Hey!” he heard someone saying.

“You have forgotten something!” he heard him say.

“Why, what in the world is it?”(4) said the man.

It was really true that where (Nenabosho) had been were his mittens.

“From afar do you fling them to him.

Do not go near to him,” he said to (his boys).

And from as far as you can throw is the distance you fling them to him,” he said to his children.

Now, really, for fun only did he say this to his children: “In no way will he refrain from saying something to you.”

When they were really in earnest about throwing them to him, then this Nenabosho said to them: “Do not fling them lest they become lost in the snow.”

Whereupon they truly went and handed them to him.

In the act of starting to run away were the boys when (this) he said to them: “Hold, wait there!”

And this he said to them: “Really, you must be pretty hungry,” he said to them.

“That is exactly the way of your brothers wherever they are; it is grease that your brothers give so bountifully wherever they are, the hard frozen grease.


Pray, when the morrow comes, let your father come over,” he said to them.

And then on his way he went.

When he arrived at where they lived, he made ready for a post; he placed it standing in (the place) where they lived, for he too had made a long lodge.

And this he was told by his wife: “No doubt but that he must have seen somebody else doing that,” he was told by his wife.

“Now, why should you want to dissuade me from something I wish to do?” he said to his wife.

Now, he put in order for use his paint and his bone spear.


And so by the time he was ready, then he said his children: “A visitor!” they said.

So thereupon in where they were came the visitor.

It happened to be the red-head, why, the very same one whom he had visited.

Then he spoke to his wife saying: “Why is it, pray, we don’t feed the guest?” he said to his wife. 

Then he was answered: “What on earth have we to feed him?”

Naturally he was angered by his wife (for speaking so).

“Now, you hang up the kettle,” he said to his wife.


Thereupon truly the woman hung up her kettle.

So it was then that Nenabosho began painting himself, painting his nose red.

Now, then, next he stuck the metal in his nose.


And while seated, up from there he leaped, seizing the post that he had put up; on up the post he went.

Presently he was heard uttering: “Gokok, gokok, gokok, gokok,” (such) was the cry he uttered.

Now, what he had previously seen them do he was doing now, he was now pecking the post.

At the first peck he made, he was pierced by the metal, whereupon down he fell; when he fell; he struck the ground with a thud.

Well, his nose was bleeding.

Thereupon said their visitor: “Why do you not lift and set him up?” was what he said to the woman.

Thereupon truly the woman lifted and set him up.

And this she was told by their visitor: “Doubtless he may have left unused some of his paint.

Pray give it to me,” she was told.

And so truly, when she gave it to him, he painted the forehead (of her husband) red.

Furthermore, she examined what he had stuck into his nose.

Truly, when she pulled it out, she then gave it to their visitor.

And while seated, of a sudden the red-head began calling; when he seized the post, he examined place after place as if, as he went along, he was testing where to peck.


Presently, when he beginning to peck, a raccoon came tumbling out, then later another; whereupon, on killing two of them, he then came down from the post.

Well, so when back to consciousness came Nenabosho, he was told: “Therefore do you and your children eat,” he was told.

Thereupon truly when the other set forth on his way, then did they eat.