Read the entry note first. Not a fable — an Anishinaabe ontology carried as story. Come in to wonder.
⚠️ Draft — under many eyes. Converted and readable; not yet finally vetted, and it will wear the word draft for a good while, on purpose. Living, not final.
27. NÄNABUSHU COMFORTS HIS GRANDMOTHER.
Nenabozh comforts his grandmother
Nanabushu Comforts His Grandmother
Narrated by probably Midāsugaⁿj (Michelson’s own hedge, carried) — Series 2 (Nos. 19–32), Bois Fort (per Michelson’s roster, Part I Preface p. XX; not credited on the story page itself).
from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1917).
(1) Ningutingsa anipapimosät cigwasa udäbābạndān ō‘kumisạn kāpi∙u∙ntcikạnā‘pạn. Kägä‘t käyābi kī∙a∙‘täni utcīmānini. Kägä‘tsa minwäntạm Nänabuc tayōc ‘iᵉi´ᵘ pimādisinit. Ạnigu‘pītä∙i∙tāg mạdwämawiwạn: “Nōjis!” mạdwä∙i∙nạtämowạn. Änida‘pābit ‘iᵉi´wä ändānsiwit, kuniginin, kīcingicinōn, ämi‘kwān kigicinōn. Nänabucu äjikanōnāt: “Nō‘kō, nintạgwicin.”
*Ningoding sa ani-babimosed zhigwa sa odebaabandaan ookomisan gaa-bi-onji-ganaaban. Geget geyaabi gii-ate-ni odjiimaanini. Geget sa minwendam Nenabozh dayoozh i’iw bimaadizinid. Anigo bi-de-i-taag madwe-mawiwan: “Noozhis!” madwe-inademowan. Ani-dapaabid i’iwe endaansiwid, goniginin, gizhingishinoon, emikwaan gizhingishinoon. Nenabozh ezhi-ganoonaad: “Nookoo, nindagwishin.”**
Once, while travelling along, he came in sight of where he had left his grandmother. To be sure, there still was her canoe. Truly pleased was Nänabushu that she was still alive. When he went up from the shore, at that moment he caught the sound of her voice crying: “O my dear grandchild!” was the sound of her voice crying.
Ningoding sa (once) ∙ ani-babimosed (as he went walking along) ∙ zhigwa sa odebaabandaan (then he came in sight of it) ∙ ookomisan (his grandmother) ∙ gaa-bi-onji-ganaaban (the place she had come from / where he had left her) ∙ geget geyaabi (truly still) ∙ gii-ate-ni odjiimaanini (her canoe was there, hers) ∙ geget sa minwendam Nenabozh (truly glad was Nenabozh) ∙ dayoozh i’iw bimaadizinid (that she was still living) ∙ anigo bi-de-i-taag (at that moment he caught the sound of it coming) ∙ madwe-mawiwan (the sound of her crying) ∙ “Noozhis!” (“My grandchild!”) ∙ madwe-inademowan* (the sound of her saying it — stem flagged) ∙ ani-dapaabid (as he peeped in) ∙ i’iwe endaansiwid (into her little dwelling) ∙ goniginin (lo, behold) ∙ gizhingishinoon (there she lay) ∙ emikwaan gizhingishinoon (by a spoon she lay) ∙ Nenabozh ezhi-ganoonaad (Nenabozh then spoke to her) ∙ “Nookoo, nindagwishin” (“My grandmother, I have arrived”).
(2) Kā‘kwābatawạngā∙i∙gänit ‘iᵉi´ᵘ utämi‘kwānini upī∙a∙pạgitōni. “Cicī, mạtci∙ạ∙nimōg! Ningīgagwānisạgänimāg īgi´ᵘ mạtciwâbicäcīwicạg wīnanāpagānsumiwāt.”
*Gaa-gwaabadawangaa-i-genid i’iw odemikwaanini obi-a-bagidoonii. “Zhizhii, maji-animoog! Ningii-gagwaanisagenimaag igi’iw maji-waabizheshiiwizhag wiinanaabagaansomiwaad.”**
When he went up (and) peeped into her little dwelling, lo, there she lay, by a spoon she lay. Nänabushu then addressed her, saying: “O my grandmother! I am come.” Dipping up some ashes with her spoon, she threw them toward (the speaker). “Begone, vile creature! I thoroughly loathe those wicked martins that wish to sadden me.”
gaa-gwaabadawangaa-i-genid (when she scooped up ashes) ∙ i’iw odemikwaanini (with her spoon) ∙ obi-a-bagidoonii (she threw it toward him) ∙ “Zhizhii, maji-animoog!” (“Begone, bad dogs!”) ∙ ningii-gagwaanisagenimaag (I greatly detest them) ∙ igi’iw maji-waabizheshiiwizhag (those bad martins) ∙ wiinanaabagaansomiwaad* (who would sadden me — stem flagged).
(3) Äjikạnōnāt mīnawā: “Nō‘kō, kägä‘t kuca nintạgwicin.” Nänabucu ōmā äni∙i∙jipīndigät; udạni∙u∙di‘tinān. “Nō‘kō, kägä‘t kucagu nintạgwicin.” Wägunänīwinän wäwänigu udābi‘tōtcīnān, ā‘pidcigu wīnisiwạn, kayä imā uskīcigunink mi‘tāwangōwiwạn. Mīdạc äjisāgisi∙ā∙t Nänabucu ō‘kumisạn, ạgạmīng ijiwināt. “Nō‘kō, intawā misawä kabingwācāgitōbinin.” Kägä‘t wawīngä ugi‘tcikunayä∙ā∙n; äcikisīyābāwạnāt, ā‘pidcigu upini∙ā∙n. Kā‘pīni∙ā∙t äji∙i∙jāt äntāt. Ka‘kina ucki∙a∙yi∙ī∙n ubīsi‘kōnān. “Nō‘kō, mī∙i´∙ᵘ icikīwätā imā äntānsiyạng.” Mīsa´ kātạgwicinuwāt ändāwāt ugạnōnigōn ō‘kumisạn: “Nōcis, kāwīn wīn nimpa‘kạdäsī. Maga‘kuckwämạg päjik nạnta wâbạntcikän, mī∙i∙māⁿ tcimi‘kạmạn wänicicing wīsiniwin.”
*Ezhi-ganoonaad miinawaa: “Nookoo, geget gosha nindagwishin.” Nenabozh oomaa ani-i-zhi-biindiged; odani-o-ditinaan. “Nookoo, geget gosha go nindagwishin.” Wegonen iiwinen wewenigo odaabitoojiinaan, aapiji go wiiniziwan, gaye imaa oshkiizhigoning mitaawangoowiwan. Mii dash ezhi-saagizi-aad Nenabozh ookomisan, agamiing izhiwinaad. “Nookoo, indawaa misawaa ga-bingwaashaagidoobinin.” Geget wawiinge ogichi-gonaye’aan; ezhi-giziiyaabaawanaad, aapiji go obini-aan. Gaa-bini-aad ezhi-i-zhaad endaad. Gakina oshki-a-ya’iin obiizikonaan. “Nookoo, mii-i-iw izhi-giiwedaa imaa endaansiyang.” Mii sa gaa-dagwishinowaad endaawaad oganoonigoon ookomisan: “Noozhis, gaawiin wiin nimbakadesii. Makakoshkwemag bezhig nanda-waabanjigen, mii-i-imaa ji-mikaman wenizhishing wiisiniwin.”**
Then he spoke to her again, saying: “My grandmother, in reality have I come.” Nänabushu at that moment went on in; he went over and took hold of her. “My grandmother, in reality have I come.” At last he put his arms tenderly around her waist, and she was very unclean, and there in her eyes was sand. Thereupon out of doors Nänabushu took his grandmother, to the shore was where he took her. “My grandmother, therefore entirely of all your clothes will I strip you.” Really of every single piece of clothing he stripped her; then by washing he made her clean, and very clean he made her. After he had made her clean, then he went home. With clothes all new he dressed her. “My grandmother, now let us return to the little place where we dwell.”
Ezhi-ganoonaad miinawaa (he spoke to her again) ∙ “Nookoo, geget gosha nindagwishin” (“Grandmother, truly indeed I have come”) ∙ Nenabozh oomaa ani-i-zhi-biindiged (Nenabozh then went on inside here) ∙ odani-o-ditinaan (he went over and took hold of her) ∙ “Nookoo, geget gosha go nindagwishin” (“Grandmother, truly indeed I have come”) ∙ wegonen iiwinen (whatever it was) ∙ wewenigo odaabitoojiinaan (carefully he put his arms about her waist) ∙ aapiji go wiiniziwan* (and she was very dirty — stem flagged) ∙ gaye imaa oshkiizhigoning (and there in her eyes) ∙ mitaawangoowiwan (was sand) ∙ mii dash ezhi-saagizi-aad (and so then he took her out) ∙ Nenabozh ookomisan (Nenabozh, his grandmother) ∙ agamiing izhiwinaad (to the shore he took her) ∙ “Nookoo, indawaa misawaa ga-bingwaashaagidoobinin” (“Grandmother, therefore I will strip all your clothes off you”) ∙ geget wawiinge ogichi-gonaye’aan (truly entirely he undressed her) ∙ ezhi-giziiyaabaawanaad (then by washing he cleaned her) ∙ aapiji go obini-aan (and very clean he made her) ∙ gaa-bini-aad (after he had cleaned her) ∙ ezhi-i-zhaad endaad (then he went home) ∙ gakina oshki-a-ya’iin obiizikonaan (with all new things he dressed her) ∙ “Nookoo, mii-i-iw izhi-giiwedaa imaa endaansiyang” (“Grandmother, now let us go back there to the little place where we dwell”) ∙ Mii sa gaa-dagwishinowaad endaawaad (and so when they came to where they dwell) ∙ oganoonigoon ookomisan (he was spoken to by his grandmother) ∙ “Noozhis, gaawiin wiin nimbakadesii” (“My grandchild, I am not hungry myself”) ∙ makakoshkwemag bezhig (in one of the birch-bark boxes) ∙ nanda-waabanjigen (do you search) ∙ mii-i-imaa ji-mikaman (for there you will find) ∙ wenizhishing wiisiniwin (food that is good).
(4) Nänabucu ugā‘kikipitōn ‘iᵉi´ᵘ mạga‘kuckwämạg. Ä‘tiwä, ānīn kä∙i∙cinạnk picicig ‘iᵉi´ᵘ pimitä kayä wīyās! “Nō‘ko, kägä‘tigu kīgaminowīsinimin.” Nänabucu mīsạnā iᵘ pitcīnạg minowīsinit.
*Nenabozh ogaakigibidoon i’iw makakoshkwemag. Etiwe, aaniin ge-i-zhinang bizhizhig i’iw bimide gaye wiiyaas! “Nookoo, geget igo gii-ga-mino-wiisinimin.” Nenabozh mii sa naa iw bijiinag mino-wiisinid.**
And so when they were come at their home, he was addressed by his grandmother, saying: “My grandchild, I am not hungry myself. In one of the birch-bark boxes do you search, for there will you find some food that is nice.” Nänabushu ripped open the birch-bark box. My! what should he behold but a vast store of grease and meat! “My grandmother, in truth, shall we be well supplied with food.” Nänabushu then for the first time in a long while ate a hearty meal.
Nenabozh ogaakigibidoon* (Nenabozh ripped it open) ∙ i’iw makakoshkwemag (that birch-bark box) ∙ Etiwe! (My!) ∙ aaniin ge-i-zhinang (what should he behold) ∙ bizhizhig i’iw bimide gaye wiiyaas (a great heap of that grease and meat) ∙ “Nookoo, geget igo gii-ga-mino-wiisinimin” (“Grandmother, truly indeed we shall eat well”) ∙ Nenabozh mii sa naa iw bijiinag mino-wiisinid (Nenabozh then for the first time in a long while ate a good meal).