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.
59. NÄNABUSHU FINDS CRANBERRIES AND BIG CHERRIES.
Nanabushu finds Cranberries and Big Cherries
Narrated by Mrs. Syrette — Series 8 (Nos. 57–63), Fort William (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) Mīdạc kägä‘t mindimōyä kā∙i∙jikuntạnk usi‘kwāgạn, mīdạc minawā kīⁿwäⁿ Nänabucu ạnibabimiba‘tōd änigu‘k; wīngä cayīgwa ā‘pidci aiyä‘kusi, mīgu kā∙i∙jipimiba‘tōd kījigạtînig kayä tibi‘kạtinig.
Mii dash geget mindimooye gaa-izhi-gondang ozikwaagan, mii dash miinawaa giiwenh Nenaboozhoo ani-babimibatood enigok; wiinge zhayiigwa aapiji ayekozi, mii go gaa-izhi-bimibatood giizhigadinig gaye dibikadinig.
And so truly, after the old woman had swallowed her spittle, then again they say that Nanabushu went running along at the top of his speed; ever so tired had he now become, for he had been running day and night.
Mii dash geget (and so truly) gaa-izhi-gondang ozikwaagan mindimooye (after the old woman had swallowed her spittle), mii dash miinawaa giiwenh (then again, it is told) Nenaboozhoo ani-babimibatood enigok (Nanabushu went running along at full speed); wiinge zhayiigwa aapiji ayekozi (utterly worn out he now was), mii go gaa-izhi-bimibatood (for he had been running) giizhigadinig gaye dibikadinig (by day and by night).
(2) Ningudingidạcigu ạnibabimiba‘tōd Nänabucu tibi‘katinigubạn, mīdạc kīⁿwäⁿ änändạnk: “Mīmāwīn cayīgwa wâsa tagwicinōwānän,” inändạm.
Ningoding idash igo ani-babimibatood Nenaboozhoo dibikadinigoban, mii dash giiwenh e-nendang: “Mii maawiin zhayiigwa waasa dagwishinoowaanen,” inendam.
And once while Nanabushu was running along, it happened to be in the night, whereupon it is said that he thought : “It is plain that I must now have come a long way,” he thought.
Ningoding idash igo (and once) ani-babimibatood Nenaboozhoo (while Nanabushu was running along) dibikadinigoban (it being night), mii dash giiwenh e-nendang (whereupon, it is told, he thought): “Mii maawiin zhayiigwa (“it must be that by now) waasa dagwishinoowaanen,” (I have come a long way,”) inendam (he thought).
(3) Nawạtcidạcigu anīgakipi‘tciba‘tō; mägwā dạc pabimusät, kägō uda‘ku‘kātānạn, tibickō asînīⁿsạg.
Nawaj idash igo aniigakipichibatoo; megwaa dash babimosed, gegoo odakokaadaanan, dibishkoo asiniinsag.
Slower then he ran; and while he was walking along, something he then stepped upon, it seemed like pebbles.
Nawaj idash igo aniigakipichibatoo (slower then he ran); megwaa dash babimosed (and while he was walking along), gegoo odakokaadaanan (something he stepped upon with his foot), dibishkoo asiniinsag (it seemed like little stones).
(4) Mīdạc ạnimānạk äji∙ạ∙ndōtcipitōd; mīdạc äjimi‘kōtcīnạng, udā‘pinạng.
Mii dash animaanag ezhi-andoojiibidood; mii dash ezhi-mikoojiinang, odaapinang.
And so, not making out what they were, he felt of them; and as he felt of them, he took them up.
Mii dash animaanag (and so, puzzled by them) ezhi-andoojiibidood (he felt about for them by hand); mii dash ezhi-mikoojiinang (and as he found them by touch), odaapinang (he took them up).
(5) “Nō‘komis, naskä kuca owä!
“Nookomis, nashke gosha owe!
“O my grandmother, do look at these!
“Nookomis (“my grandmother), nashke gosha owe! (just look at this!)
(6) Wägunän owä?” udinān.
“Wegonen owe?” odinaan.
What are these things?” he said to her.
“Wegonen owe?” (“what is this?”) odinaan (he said to her).
(7) Mīdạc mindimōyä ōdā‘pinạng.
Mii dash mindimooye odaapinang.
And then the old woman took them up.
Mii dash mindimooye odaapinang (and then the old woman took them up).
(8) “Maskīgimin iᵘ,” udinān; “unicicinōn mītcināniwạng,” udinān.
“Mashkiigimin iw,” odinaan; “onizhishinoon miijinaniwang,” odinaan.
“Cranberries these,” she said to him. “Good are they to eat,” she said to him.
“Mashkiigimin iw,” odinaan (“cranberries those,” she said to him); “onizhishinoon miijinaniwang,” odinaan (“they are good when one eats them,” she said to him).
(9) Ā‘pidci mạmāngiminagạtiniwạn.
Aapiji mamaangiminagadiniwan.
Very large were they in size.
Aapiji mamaangiminagadiniwan (very large in their berry-size they were).
(10) Mīdạc minawā mādcāwād, anipạbimusät minawā Nänabucū.
Mii dash miinawaa maajaawaad, ani-babimosed miinawaa Nenaboozhoo.
Thereupon again they started, on his way again went Nanabushu walking.
Mii dash miinawaa maajaawaad (thereupon again they set out), ani-babimosed miinawaa Nenaboozhoo (on his way again Nanabushu went walking).
(11) Anidātatagi‘kwänit, kägō ubi‘tā‘kuskānạn uskījigunk; mīdec äji∙ạ∙ndōtcipitcigät, mīnạngwana mînạn.
*Ani-daadadagikwenid, gegoo obi-taakoshkaanan oshkiizhigong; mii dash ezhi-andoojiibijiged, mii nangwana miinan.**
As he went along with his head lifted up, something touched him on the face ; and as he felt of them, they turned out to be berries.
Ani-daadadagikwenid (as he went along with head tilted up — stem flagged), gegoo obi-taakoshkaanan oshkiizhigong (something brushed against him on the eye/face); mii dash ezhi-andoojiibijiged (and as he felt about for them), mii nangwana miinan (they turned out to be berries).
(12) Mīdạc äji∙o∙dā‘pinạng, äjiwâbanda∙ā∙t ō‘kumisạn, ināt: “Wägunän owä?” udinān ō‘kumisạn wâbạnda∙ā∙t.
Mii dash ezhi-odaapinang, ezhi-waabanda’aad ookomisan, inaad: “Wegonen owe?” odinaan ookomisan waabanda’aad.
And as he picked them, he showed them to his grandmother, saying to her: “What are these things?” he said to his grand mother as he showed them to her.
Mii dash ezhi-odaapinang (and as he picked them), ezhi-waabanda’aad ookomisan (showing them to his grandmother), inaad: “Wegonen owe?” (saying: “what is this?”) odinaan ookomisan waabanda’aad (he said to his grandmother as he showed her).
(13) “Ōᵘ, ki‘tci∙ạ∙sisawäminạn,” udinān.
“Oow, gichi-asisaweminan,” odinaan.
“Why, big cherries,” she said to him.
“Oow, gichi-asisaweminan,” odinaan (“why, big cherries,” she said to him).
(14) “Onīcicinōn mīdcigātäg,” udigōn ō‘kumisạn.
“Onizhishinoon miijigaadeg,” odigoon ookomisan.
“Good are they to eat,” he was told by his grandmother.
“Onizhishinoon miijigaadeg,” odigoon ookomisan (“they are good when eaten,” he was told by his grandmother).
(15) “Mī cayīgwa tci∙a∙niandawâbạndạmạn käda∙ī∙ndaiyạng,” udigōn.
“Mii zhayiigwa ji-ani-andawaabandaman ged-ayindaayang,” odigoon.
“Soon shall you now look for a place where we are to dwell,” he was told.
“Mii zhayiigwa ji-ani-andawaabandaman (“now you shall go and seek out) ged-ayindaayang,” odigoon (where we are to dwell,” he was told — stem flagged).
(16) Mīdạc kägä‘t Nänabucu kī∙ạ∙nipagitciwanānāt ō‘kumisạn.
Mii dash geget Nenaboozhoo gii-ani-bagijiwanaanaad ookomisan.
And then truly did Nanabushu put his grandmother down from off his back.
Mii dash geget Nenaboozhoo (and then truly Nanabushu) gii-ani-bagijiwanaanaad ookomisan (let down his pack-burden, his grandmother, from his back).
(17) Mīdạc kī∙u∙cigät Nänabucu mägwä nängawi mini‘kāng, ānindi nībiwa kägō ni‘tāwiging māniwạng.
Mii dash gii-ozhiged Nenaboozhoo megwe-nengawiminikaang, aaniindi niibiwa gegoo nitaawiging maaniwang.
Thereupon did Nanabushu make a camp in among the sand-berries, in where there was an abundance of various kinds of berries growing in the ground.
Mii dash gii-ozhiged Nenaboozhoo (thereupon Nanabushu made camp) megwe-nengawiminikaang (in among the sand-berry patch), aaniindi niibiwa gegoo nitaawiging maaniwang (where many sorts of things were growing in abundance).
(18) Mī∙i∙mā kī∙u∙nābạndạnk tcitāwāt.
Mii imaa gii-onaabandang ji-daawaad.
And there he chose a place for them to live.
Mii imaa gii-onaabandang ji-daawaad (and there he chose the place for them to dwell).
(19) Mīdạc imạ kā∙a∙ī∙ndāwāt.
Mii dash imaa gaa-ayindaawaad.
So there was where they continued.
Mii dash imaa gaa-ayindaawaad (so there was where they came to dwell).