Nänabushu and the Winged Startlers
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Mii dash zhayiigwa ani-babimosed ningoting igo ogii-waabamaan awiya okoshininid.
And now, while he was walking along, he suddenly saw something lying (together) in a heap.
“Gonige Gii-wiinzomwaadog?" ogii-inaan i’iw wayaabamaad.
“I should like to know if perchance you have a name?” he said to the creatures which he saw.
"Mii nange," ogii-igoon; "o’ow nindizhinikaazomin, Goshkongesiinag, nindigoomin."
“To be sure,” he was told; “this is our name, little winged startlers, such are we called.”
"Geget sa, mii nangwani iw ezhinikaazoyeg!"
“Oh, indeed, so that is what you are called!”
Mii dash gaa-izhi-miijinaad, o’ow dash gaa-izhi-inaad: “Wa’aw gosha eta Goshkongesii, ogow gosha eta,” ogii-inaan.
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.
Mii dash gaa-ni-zhi-maajaad, gii-ani-babimosed.
Thereupon on his way he started, on his way he went walking.
Gaa-izhi-madaabiid i’iw Gichigami, ogii-waabandaan Gichi-giishkaabikaanig; inaabid, Geget naawi-naagwadini iwidi nibiikaang.
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.
“Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ikwedog ataading, aapiji go dataakonjiigwaned.
With good reason would I leap down if a woman were up for a prize, particularly if she were short from knee to groin.
Onjida maawiin nintaa-izhi-kwaashkwan: ‘Awegwen ge-izhi-kwaashkwanigwen?’ ikidong.
With good reason would I leap down if some one should ask: “Who will jump down?”
Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan."
With good reason then would I leap down.”
Mii go imaa eko-giibaabikaanig niibawid.
There on the very brink of the cliff he stood.
O’ow dash doodam, miizan ezhi-waaninigaadenid.
Now, this happened to him: as he started to jump, he lost his footing.
Mii dash zhigwa gii-odisaad o’owedi gaa-miijinimind mii i'iw oniijaanisa’.
And so in the mean time (the mother) had come to where her young had been eased upon.
"Aaniin gaadiyeg?" odinaa' i'i'w oniijaanisa’.
“What has happened to you?” she said to her children.
“Gaa, nangwana Nenaboozhoo ningii-miijinigonaan.”
“Why, it was by that old Nanabushu that we were eased upon.”
“Ningodanoo maawiin inaawegoban.”
Something or other must you have said to him.”
“Gaawiin,” Gii-ikido a’aw bezhig i’imaa moowiing osibidood.
“Nay,” said one moving about there in the slush of the dung.
“Geget ninga-gwejimigonaan, ‘Aaniin ezhinikaazoyeg?’ ningii-igonaan
“Truly, we were asked, “What is your name? we were told.
O’ow idash ningii-inaanaan, ‘Goshkongesiinag nindigoomin,’ ningii-inaanaan.
And this was what we said to him, ‘Little winged startlers are we called,’ we said to him.
O’ow idash gii-ikido: ‘Naabisa Goshkongesi!’ ningii-igonaan; mii dash gaa-izhi-mamashkijishiyangid, mii dash gaa-ani-zhi-maajaad.”
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.”
Wa’aw idash weniijaanizit gaa-izhi-giziibiiginaad; gaa-ishkwaa-giziibiiginaad, zhigwa gaa-izhi-maajaad.
Then the mother washed them with water; and after she had finished washing them, she then started away.
“Mishanim!” ogii-inaan Nenaboozhoowan.
“Confound him!” she said of Nanabushu.
Mii dash gaa-izhi-adimaad i’imaa giishkaabikaang, mii dash besho ogii-onzaabamaan.
And so after she had overtaken him yonder at the cliff, then close by she took a peep at him.
Mii dash gaa-inenimaad: “Wiikaage sa miinawaa da-waaninigaadeni.”
Now, this was her thought of him: “I wish that again he would swing his leg.”
Zhigwa Geget ombigaadeni Nenaboozhoo.
Now, sure enough, up Nanabushu raised his leg.
“Onjida sa nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ningodwaakwa’aagan ekwo-jiingwaned adaading.”
“For a purpose would I leap if the object of the prize measured one span of the hand from groin to knee.”
Mii dash gaa-izhi-bazigwa’od a’a’w bine, mii dash gaa-izhi-gwaashkwaninid i’imaa giishkaabikaang.
Thereupon as up flew the ruffed grouse, then (Nanabushu) leaped off the steep cliff.
Mii dash i’imaa gaa-izhi-booniid ganawaabamaad animibizonid; mii dash i’iwidi nibiikaang gaa-izhi-bangishininid.
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.
Mii dash i’imaa gaa-onzaabimaad, geget gabeya’ii gii-inaandiiwan i’imaa nibiikaang; wiikaa ayagoozid.
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.
Onji-mookisewan, mii go iwidi gaa-bi-inaabinid; o’ow idash ogii-igoon: “Geget sa gi-goshkongesiw,” ogii-igoon.
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.
Mii dash gaa-izhi-giiwed a’aw bine mii dash gaye wiin gaa-izhi-maajiiyaadagaad, mii sa gaa-izhi-agwaadaad.
Thereupon back home went the ruffed grouse; and as for himself he started swimming inshore, after which he then went out of the water.
Mii dash miinawaa gii-ani-maajaad.
Thereupon again he started on his way.
And now, while he was walking along, he suddenly saw something lying (together) in a heap.
“Gonige Gii-wiinzomwaadog?" ogii-inaan i’iw wayaabamaad.
“I should like to know if perchance you have a name?” he said to the creatures which he saw.
"Mii nange," ogii-igoon; "o’ow nindizhinikaazomin, Goshkongesiinag, nindigoomin."
“To be sure,” he was told; “this is our name, little winged startlers, such are we called.”
"Geget sa, mii nangwani iw ezhinikaazoyeg!"
“Oh, indeed, so that is what you are called!”
Mii dash gaa-izhi-miijinaad, o’ow dash gaa-izhi-inaad: “Wa’aw gosha eta Goshkongesii, ogow gosha eta,” ogii-inaan.
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.
Mii dash gaa-ni-zhi-maajaad, gii-ani-babimosed.
Thereupon on his way he started, on his way he went walking.
Gaa-izhi-madaabiid i’iw Gichigami, ogii-waabandaan Gichi-giishkaabikaanig; inaabid, Geget naawi-naagwadini iwidi nibiikaang.
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.
“Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ikwedog ataading, aapiji go dataakonjiigwaned.
With good reason would I leap down if a woman were up for a prize, particularly if she were short from knee to groin.
Onjida maawiin nintaa-izhi-kwaashkwan: ‘Awegwen ge-izhi-kwaashkwanigwen?’ ikidong.
With good reason would I leap down if some one should ask: “Who will jump down?”
Onjida maawiin nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan."
With good reason then would I leap down.”
Mii go imaa eko-giibaabikaanig niibawid.
There on the very brink of the cliff he stood.
O’ow dash doodam, miizan ezhi-waaninigaadenid.
Now, this happened to him: as he started to jump, he lost his footing.
Mii dash zhigwa gii-odisaad o’owedi gaa-miijinimind mii i'iw oniijaanisa’.
And so in the mean time (the mother) had come to where her young had been eased upon.
"Aaniin gaadiyeg?" odinaa' i'i'w oniijaanisa’.
“What has happened to you?” she said to her children.
“Gaa, nangwana Nenaboozhoo ningii-miijinigonaan.”
“Why, it was by that old Nanabushu that we were eased upon.”
“Ningodanoo maawiin inaawegoban.”
Something or other must you have said to him.”
“Gaawiin,” Gii-ikido a’aw bezhig i’imaa moowiing osibidood.
“Nay,” said one moving about there in the slush of the dung.
“Geget ninga-gwejimigonaan, ‘Aaniin ezhinikaazoyeg?’ ningii-igonaan
“Truly, we were asked, “What is your name? we were told.
O’ow idash ningii-inaanaan, ‘Goshkongesiinag nindigoomin,’ ningii-inaanaan.
And this was what we said to him, ‘Little winged startlers are we called,’ we said to him.
O’ow idash gii-ikido: ‘Naabisa Goshkongesi!’ ningii-igonaan; mii dash gaa-izhi-mamashkijishiyangid, mii dash gaa-ani-zhi-maajaad.”
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.”
Wa’aw idash weniijaanizit gaa-izhi-giziibiiginaad; gaa-ishkwaa-giziibiiginaad, zhigwa gaa-izhi-maajaad.
Then the mother washed them with water; and after she had finished washing them, she then started away.
“Mishanim!” ogii-inaan Nenaboozhoowan.
“Confound him!” she said of Nanabushu.
Mii dash gaa-izhi-adimaad i’imaa giishkaabikaang, mii dash besho ogii-onzaabamaan.
And so after she had overtaken him yonder at the cliff, then close by she took a peep at him.
Mii dash gaa-inenimaad: “Wiikaage sa miinawaa da-waaninigaadeni.”
Now, this was her thought of him: “I wish that again he would swing his leg.”
Zhigwa Geget ombigaadeni Nenaboozhoo.
Now, sure enough, up Nanabushu raised his leg.
“Onjida sa nindaa-izhi-kwaashkwan ningodwaakwa’aagan ekwo-jiingwaned adaading.”
“For a purpose would I leap if the object of the prize measured one span of the hand from groin to knee.”
Mii dash gaa-izhi-bazigwa’od a’a’w bine, mii dash gaa-izhi-gwaashkwaninid i’imaa giishkaabikaang.
Thereupon as up flew the ruffed grouse, then (Nanabushu) leaped off the steep cliff.
Mii dash i’imaa gaa-izhi-booniid ganawaabamaad animibizonid; mii dash i’iwidi nibiikaang gaa-izhi-bangishininid.
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.
Mii dash i’imaa gaa-onzaabimaad, geget gabeya’ii gii-inaandiiwan i’imaa nibiikaang; wiikaa ayagoozid.
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.
Onji-mookisewan, mii go iwidi gaa-bi-inaabinid; o’ow idash ogii-igoon: “Geget sa gi-goshkongesiw,” ogii-igoon.
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.
Mii dash gaa-izhi-giiwed a’aw bine mii dash gaye wiin gaa-izhi-maajiiyaadagaad, mii sa gaa-izhi-agwaadaad.
Thereupon back home went the ruffed grouse; and as for himself he started swimming inshore, after which he then went out of the water.
Mii dash miinawaa gii-ani-maajaad.
Thereupon again he started on his way.
