Gii-gimoodid ishkode Nenabosho / Nenabosho Steals Fire
Aaniish mii sa iw zhigwa gii-ntaawginaad, gii-bi-kognaad wa mindimooyenh.
Mii sa iw gmaapiich gii-naan niwi ookmisan: “Gaawiin na ngoji anishinaabeg gi-gkenmaasiig ji-yaawaad?” “Enh,” gii-igoon niwi ookmisan. “Oodi gaami-gchigami yaawag giwi anishinaabeg.” “Gaa na gnage odahaaziinaawaadig wi shkode?” “Enh,” gii-igoon niwi ookmisan; “Geget odahaanaawaa wi shkode.” Oodi dash gii-inaan niwi ookmisan: “Ambe sa naa, nga-naazkaan iw shkode,” gii-naan ookmisan. Oodi dash gii-igoon niwi ookmisan: “Gaawiin gdaa-gshkitoosiin. Geget, aapji weweni wi e-kwaamdamwaad oodi wi endaawaad, Kiwenzii maa yaa. Mii go pane enso-giizhgag sabiin zhi’aad. Gaawii wiikaa ngoji zhaasii, mii go pane maa biindig yaad. Niizhwag dash iw odaanisag, mii eta pane gwajing eyaajig.” Ow dash ogii-naan niwi ookomisan: “Maanoo nga-zhaa,” gii-naan niwi ookomisan. “Nahaaw dash,” gii-igoon niwi ookomisan. Aaniish mii sa gmaapiich gaa-kidod: “Ambe sa naa ji-gbading ow gichigami, wiigwaasabakwaang da-wii-piitadin ow gichigami.” Mii sa geget gaa-zhiwebdinig wi sa gaa-kidod. “Ow dash nga-zhinaagos,” gii-kido; “ndawaach nga-waaboozoonsiw. Waaboozoong nga-zhinaagos” Aaniish mii sa geget gaa-zhinaagozid. Mii sa zhigwa gii-maajiikowad. Mii sa geget gaawiin gii-dwaashizii. Aaniish mii sa gii-gkenmaan imaa yaanid wi Anishinaabe. Mii dash gaa-zhi-dgoshing imaa wenda’ibiinid, ow dash gii-nendam: “Ambegish sa bi-nbi-naadid aw kwe,” gii-nendam. Ow dash gii-zhichge imaa waa-gwaaba’iminid wi nbi, mii dash gaa-zhi-gwaaweb’ogod wi gchi-gami mii imaa gii-titibaweba’agod mii imaa niwi kwewan ge-nji-binaad’abiinid. Ow dash gii-kido: “Aabdeg sa naa gnimaa nga-waawnenmig.” Aaniish mii sa kawaabmaad ji-bi-naadoobiinid. Geget gii-waabmaan biidaasmosenid. Mii dash zhigwa imaa dgoshinoon imaa sa yaad, zhigwa gii-gwaaba’biinid. Gaa-izhi-miikwaawaabmigod mii sa gaa-bi-zhi-debibinigod Mii dash wi gaa-zhi-siikoobiignigod, gaa-bengwaad, gaa-zhi-giiwewnigod oodi gaa-zhi-biindoomawind iw wiiyaw. Mii sa gaa-zhi-biindganigod geget gii-waabmaan kiwenziiyan nmadbinid. Geget asabkewan. Ow dash gii-naan wa kwe niwi misenyan: “Nashke niin,” ogii-naan giimooch niwi misenyan. “Nashke niin wa gaa-mkawag, waaboozoons. Ambe eta waawninaagzi wa waaboozoons! Ambe sa naa gegiin waawnenim n-misenh wa sa waaboozoons.” Ow dash gii-igoon niwi misenyan: “Ga-nchii’gonaa koosinaa maanda nji,” ogii-igoon niwi misenyan; giimooj dash gii-igoon niwi misenyan. Mii dash wi gaa-zhi-ndobagwid gaa-zhi-bgidinigod imaa jiigi-shkode wii-baasigwad. Mii dash wi baap’aad giwi kwewag waawnenmaawaad niwi waaboozoonsan. Ezhi-gkenmigowaad niwi ooswaan. “Gdoo-mbiigizim,” gii-igoowaan niwi ooswaan. Ow dash gii-naawaan niwi ooswaan: “Nashke maaba,” gii-naawaan. “Nashke maaba waaboozoons.” “She!” gii-igoowaan niwi ooswaan. “Gaawiin na kii-noondziim giwi manidoog wi gii-niigi’aad? Gaa na mii wa bezhig aawsiidog. Neyaab awi-asig,” gii-igoowaan niwi ooswaan. “Geget sa gii-giibaadzim wi sa gii-daapneg.” Ow dash gii-kido wa kwe: “Eta gsha n-waawnenmaa wa sa waaboozoons.” Ow dash gii-naan niwi oosan: “Aaniish ge-zhi-aawpa mnidoo waaboozoonswid?” gii-naan niwi oosan. Ow dash gii-kido: “Geget sa gaawiin g-nitaa-noondzii. Gaawiin na g-waabamisii epiitziyaan?” Ow dash gii-zhichge wa kwe noonj go gii-baaswaan niwi waaboozoonsan; wi sa wii-bengwaaweswaad gaa-zhi-gwekwekishmaad imaa jiigishkode. Ow dash gii-nendam wa Nenabozhoo: “Mii aabdeg wi pii bengwaawesowaanen.” Aaniish baap’aawaan giwi kwewag. Ow dash gii-nendam: “Ambe sa naa ndaa-bskaakne, ji-bskaneyaash.” Geget ezhi-jiisaakzod. Gaa-shkwaa-nwadizod gaa-zhi-zaagjigwaashkonid. Ow dash gii-kidwag giwi kwewag, “Nashke maaba, zaagjibtawaadaan wi shkode!” dinaawaan niwi ooswaan. “Ayii!” gii-kido wa kiwenzii; “geget sa gaawiin g-nitaa-babaamtaziinaawaa gegoo aano-wiindmaagooyeg. Kaa na mii wa bezhig manidoo bi-mkamigoonaa wi gdi-shkodemnaa.” Gaa-zhi-bzigonjised wa kiwenzii aanwi-patoo wi jiimaan. Aano-gii-zhi-bkobiiwebnang, mii dash gaa-zhi-mkwamiikaanig. Mii dash go eta go gaa-zhi-gnawaabmaawaad mishawi-gichigami ni-zhaawashkwaakonenid, mii dash gmaapiich gaa-zhi-gwiinwaabmaawaad. Aaniish gii-gwiinwi-zhichgewag. Mii dash zhigwa debaabndaan endaawaad wi dash gii-naan niwi ookomisan jibwaa-maajaad: And then presently he was coming in sight of his home. “ashwiin, gmaage geget biidooyaan wi shkode,” gii-naan niwi ookomisan. Gaa-zhi-gnoonaad pii debaabndang wi endaawaad, ow gii-naan bi-baandgesed niwi ookomisan: “aate’ebinishin n-jaagis, nookoo!” Mii dash geget gaa-zhi-aatwebinaad wa mdimoowenh. Mii dash wi imaa gaa-ndinmowaad wi shkode. Ow dash gii-kido wa Nenaboozhoo: “Mii sa wi gaa-zhinaagzid wa waabooz wi ji-niibing.” |
So accordingly then did the old woman brought him up.
And so by and by he said to his grandmother: “Don't you know of a place where there are some people?” “Yes,” he was told by his grandmother. “In yonder direction on the farther shore of the sea are some people.” “I am curious to know if they do not possess fire.” “Yes,” he was told by his grandmother; “truly, they do possess some fire.” Now, this was what he said to his grandmother: “Please let me go fetch the fire,” he said to his grandmother. And this was what he was told by his grandmother: “Not will you be able to succeed. Truly, a very careful watch do they keep over it there where they dwell. An old man at the place abides. And all the while, as often as the day comes round, upon a net he works. Never anywhere does he go, but always there indoors he remains. Now, two are those daughters of his, and only they are continually out of doors.” And this he said to his grandmother: “Nevertheless I will go," he said to his grandmother. “Very well,” he was told by his grandmother. Now, this was what he then said afterwards: “I will that the sea shall freeze, as thick as the birch-bark covering of the lodge so let this sea freeze.” It was true that it happened according as he had said. “Now, this is the way I shall look,” he said; “I will that I become a hare.” So accordingly that truly was the way he looked. Thereupon he then started on his way over the ice. It was true that he did not break through (the ice). Of course it was so that he knew that at yonder place the people were abiding. And so after he was come at the place where they drew water, this then he thought: “I wish that for water some woman would come,” he thought. And this he did there where she intended to dip up water: that after he was washed up by the waves of the sea, then he was tossed rolling to the place from which the woman was to draw water. And this he said: “I wish that she would take me for a plaything.” So thereupon he lay in wait for her to come for water. Lo, truly he beheld her walking hitherward. Thereupon soon was she come at the place where he was, at once she dipped out the water. As soon as he was discovered, forthwith was he seized upon. And after the water had wrung him out, rubbed him dry, then was he taken over there to her home; in the bosom of her garment she put the creature. And after he had been carried inside, truly he saw an old man that was seated (there). Sure enough, he was at work making a net. And this said the woman to her elder sister: “I say,” said she in secret to her elder sister, “see this creature that I have found, a little bunny! Oh, such a cunning thing is this dear little bunny! I wish you would also think it cunning, elder sister, this little bunny.” Now, this was she told by her elder sister: “We shall be scolded by our father, on account of it shall we be taken to task,” she was told by her elder sister; and in secret she was told by her elder sister. Accordingly, after she had searched in the bosom of her garment, then was he placed there beside the fire, that from the heat his hair might become dry. Thereupon laughed the women as they made a pet of the little bunny. Then they were found out by their father. “You are noisy,” they were told by their father. And this they said to their father: “See this,” they said to him, “see this little bunny!” “Beware!” they were told by their father. “Have you not heard of the manitous how they were born? Perhaps this might be one of them. Go put it where you got it,” they were told by their father. “Truly, indeed, were you foolish to take it.” And this said the woman: “Such a precious pet do I think this little bunny!” And this she said to her father: “How is it possible for a manitou to be a little bunny?”she said to her father. And this he said: “Truly, indeed, you are not heedful of what is told you. Do you not behold me, how far in years I am?” Now, this the woman did: in spite of what she was told, she exposed the little bunny to the heat of the fire; that she might dry its hair, she turned it over with its other side near the fire. And this thought Nenabushu: “By this time surely must I be dry from the heat.” Yet at him laughed the women. And this he thought: “I wish a spark would fall upon me.” Sure enough, a spark fell upon him. After he was set on fire, then out of doors he leaped. And this said the women: “Look at him, out of doors is he running with the fire!” they said to their father. “Too bad!” said the old man. “Truly, indeed, are you unheedful of what is told you. Doubtless it is one of the manitous that has come to take away this fire of ours.” Then, leaping to his feet, the old man ran to his canoe; but it was of no avail. He flung his canoe into the water; but it was of no use, for it was frozen with ice. And all they could do was to watch (the hare) far out on the great expanse burning with a blue flame, (watching him) till they beheld him pass out of sight. Of course they were helpless to do anything. Now, this he had said to his grandmother before he started away: “Be prepared if perchance I truly happen to fetch the fire,” he (thus) had said to his grandmother. Afterwards he addressed her when he was coming in sight of their home, and this he said to his grandmother when he came flying in: “Rub the fire off from me, I am burning up, my grandmother!” Whereupon truly off from him did the old woman rub the fire. Therefore such was how they there came into possession of fire. And this said Nenabushu: “Therefore such shall be the look of the hare in the summer-time.” |