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.
NAMÄ WÄDÄCKANIT.
NAME WEDESHKANID.
THE HORNED STURGEON.
Narrated by Penesi — Series 2 (Nos. 4–43), Fort William (per Jones Part II Introduction p. ix; not credited on the story page itself).
from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1919).
(1) Ninguding ạnicinābäg kī‘pōsiwạg nạndawâbạmāwād nạmäwạn; ạni‘tīn udayānāwān; mîcawạgān ijāwạg.
Ningoding anishinaabeg gii-booziwag nandawaabamaawaad namewan; anitiin odayaanaawaan; mishawagaan izhaawag.
Once some people got into (their canoes) to look for sturgeons; some spears they had; far out at sea they went.
Ningoding (once) anishinaabeg (the people) gii-booziwag (got into their canoes) nandawaabamaawaad (seeking to see) namewan (sturgeon); anitiin (spears) odayaanaawaan (they had them); mishawagaan (far out on the water) izhaawag (they went).
(2) Mī∙i∙dạc inābiwād ạnāmīndîm, ayā‘pīwâbạmāwān nạmäwạn, mī∙i∙´ᵘ pạcibawāwād nạmäwạn.
Mii idash inaabiwaad anaamiindim, ayaapii-waabamaawaan namewan, mii iw bazhibawaawaad namewan.
And while looking down into the water, every now and then they beheld a sturgeon, whereupon they thrust a spear at the sturgeon.
Mii idash (and so) inaabiwaad (as they looked) anaamiindim (down into the depths), ayaapii-waabamaawaan (every now and then they saw) namewan (a sturgeon), mii iw (whereupon) bazhibawaawaad (they speared) namewan (the sturgeon).
(3) Ninguding päᵉjik ạnicinābä mạdwägīgito: “Ō, naskä kuca’ äjināguzit waᵉa’ᵘ nạmä! Utäckạni indigu mōⁿsōnk äjināgusinit udäckạni!”
Ningoding bezhig anishinaabe madwe-giigido: “Oo, nashke gosha ezhinaagozid wa’aw name! Odeshkani indigo moonzoong ezhinaagozinid odeshkani!”
By and by a certain man was heard saying: “Oh, behold the form of this sturgeon! It has horns in the same manner as a moose!”
Ningoding (by and by) bezhig anishinaabe (one person) madwe-giigido (was heard saying): “Oo, nashke gosha (oh, just look) ezhinaagozid (how it looks) wa’aw name (this sturgeon)! Odeshkani (it has horns) indigo moonzoong (just like a moose) ezhinaagozinid (is how they look) odeshkani (its horns)!”
(4) Mī∙i∙dac ka‘kina kī‘pījāwād tcīmānạn tciwâbạmāwād äjināgusinit.
Mii idash gakina gii-bi-izhaawaad jiimaanan ji-waabamaawaad ezhinaagozinid.
Thereupon all came in canoes to see how (the sturgeon) looked.
Mii idash gakina (and then all) gii-bi-izhaawaad (came over) jiimaanan (in canoes) ji-waabamaawaad (to see it) ezhinaagozinid (how it looked).
(5) “Käᵉgä‘t udäckạni!” i‘kidōwạg.
“Geget odeshkani!” ikidowag.
“Verily, it is horned!” they said.
“Geget (truly) odeshkani (it has horns)!” ikidowag (they said).
(6) “Mīsaᵉ mạnidō nạmä!”
“Mii sa manidoo name!”
“That is a manitou sturgeon!”
“Mii sa (that is) manidoo name (a manidoo sturgeon)!”
(7) Mēdạc sạgaswāwād, sämān gayä gī∙a∙sāwād nibī‘kāng.
Mii dash zagaswaawaad, asemaan gaye gii-asaawaad nibiikaang.
Accordingly they smoked, some tobacco too they put into the water.
Mii dash zagaswaawaad (and so they smoked), asemaan gaye (and tobacco) gii-asaawaad (they placed him) nibiikaang (into the water).
(8) Kā∙i∙ckwāsạgaswāwād ingudci kī∙a∙ni∙i∙jāwag.
Gaa-ishkwaa-zagaswaawaad ingoji gii-ani-izhaawag.
When they had finished smoking, they went away.
Gaa-ishkwaa-zagaswaawaad (when they had finished smoking) ingoji (off somewhere) gii-ani-izhaawag (they went away).
(9) Päᵉjik idạc tcīmān mīnawā kī∙i∙jāwạg, mīnawā owâbạmāwān.
Bezhig idash jiimaan miinawaa gii-izhaawag, miinawaa owaabamaawaan.
Now, another canoe (of people) went thither, and they saw (the sturgeon).
Bezhig idash jiimaan (and another canoe) miinawaa gii-izhaawag (went there again), miinawaa owaabamaawaan (and again they saw it).
(10) Mī∙i∙´ᵘ äji∙o∙dā‘pinạng odạni‘t, ‘aᵉa´ᵘ ạnicinābä ogīpajibawān īni´ᵘ nạmäwạn.
Mii iw ezhi-odaapinang odanit, a’aw anishinaabe ogii-bazhibawaan iniw namewan.
Then, taking up his spear, (one of) the men thrust it into the sturgeon.
Mii iw ezhi-odaapinang (then taking up) odanit (his spear), a’aw anishinaabe (that man) ogii-bazhibawaan (speared) iniw namewan (the sturgeon).
(11) A‘pī∙i∙dac mwā‘kibwīnnāt¹ m∙ī∙´ᵘ wâbạmāt mīgisiwạn ạgu‘kyänit imāⁿ nạmä ustigwāning.
Apii idash mwaakibiinaad mii iw waabamaad migiziwan agokyenid imaa name oshtigwaaning.
And when they brought it up from the water, then they beheld a bald eagle clinging fast to the head of the sturgeon.
Apii idash (and when) mwaakibiinaad (he pulled it up out of the water) mii iw waabamaad (then he saw) migiziwan (a bald eagle) agokyenid (clinging fast) imaa name oshtigwaaning (there on the sturgeon’s head).
¹ Evidently an error. I cannot suggest the correct word. — T. M. (Michelson’s 1919 note; Jones printed “mwā‘kibwīnnāt”, read here as mookibiin- “pull s.o. up out of the water” with initial change.)
(12) Mīdạc kīkistcipā‘piwād ka‘kina ạnicinābäg.
Mii dash gii-gichi-baapiwaad gakina anishinaabeg.
Thereupon heartily did all the people laugh.
Mii dash (and then) gii-gichi-baapiwaad (heartily did they laugh) gakina anishinaabeg (all the people).