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.
(Ojibwe title not printed in 1919 — left for M.)
WHY DOGS FIGHT, AND WHY PEOPLE ARE ENVIOUS.
Narrated by Maajiigaaboo (Mādcīgābō) of Leech Lake
from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1919).
(1) Päcig aᵘ inini māminunäntạm: “Taga, ningasạgaswä∙ā∙g anicinābäg.”
Bezhig aw inini maaminonendam: “Daga, ninga-zagaswe’aag anishinaabeg.”
A certain man was revolving matters over in his mind: “Now, I am going to invite the people for a smoke.”
Bezhig aw inini (a certain man) maaminonendam (was turning things over in his mind): “Daga (now then), ninga-zagaswe’aag (I will invite to a smoke) anishinaabeg (the people).”
Jones’s printed footnote ¹, at the foot of the Ojibwe p.754 and anchored to this story’s title — RESTORED 2026-09-02 (the record carried it only in metadata): “Told by Mādcīgābō of Leech Lake.” Layer-1 note 2026-09-02: this story’s heading on p.754 l.7 carries no Ojibwe title — titleJones is right to say so.
(2) Mīsa kā∙i∙cinạntumāt īni’ᵘ ininiwạn, o∙ō∙widac udinān: “Wäntcisagaswä∙i∙nagu‘k kāwīn kīnawint kitōgimāwisīmin. Ka‘kina kītcipimādisīnān ugimāwi. Agatạga, unā‘kunititā ạgi∙u∙gimāwit. O∙ō∙widac kigaca‘kamōnānān ạgi∙u∙gimāwit, o∙o∙ ä‘täg.”
Mii sa gaa-izhi-nandomaad iniw ininiwan, o’ow idash odinaan: “Wenji-zagaswe’inagok gaawiin giinawind gidoogimaawisiimin. Gakina giiji-bimaadiziinaan ogimaawi. Aga daga, onaakonidiidaa ge-ogimaawid. O’ow idash giga-zhakamoonaanaan ge-ogimaawid, o’o eteg.”
Whereupon he sent for the men, and this he said to them: “The cause of my inviting you for a smoke is that you and I have no chief. All that live (on earth) with you and me have a chief. Therefore let us decree among ourselves who shall be chief. And this we will give him to swallow who is to be the chief, this thing that is here.”
Mii sa gaa-izhi-nandomaad (and so he summoned) iniw ininiwan (the men), o’ow idash odinaan (and this he said to them): “Wenji-zagaswe’inagok (the reason I invite you to smoke is) gaawiin giinawind gidoogimaawisiimin (you and I have no chief). Gakina giiji-bimaadiziinaan (all our fellow living beings) ogimaawi (have a chief). Aga daga (come then), onaakonidiidaa (let us decree among ourselves) ge-ogimaawid (who shall be chief). O’ow idash (and this thing) giga-zhakamoonaanaan (we shall put into the mouth of) ge-ogimaawid (the one who is to be chief), o’o eteg (this that lies here).”
(3) “Ānīc, waᵉa´wisa ta∙u∙gimāwi.”
“Aaniish, wa’aw isa da-ogimaawi.”
“Why, let that one yonder be chief!”
“Aaniish (why), wa’aw isa (that one there) da-ogimaawi (let him be chief)!”
(4) Päcig mīnawa inini kāgīgitut: “Kikīpādisi, kāwīn tā∙u∙gimāwisī aᵉa´ᵘ. Ānīc, waᵉawisa ta∙u∙gimāwi, mī waᵉa´ᵘ näbwā‘kāt.”
Bezhig miinawaa inini gaagiigidod: “Gigiibaadizi, gaawiin daa-ogimaawisii a’aw. Aaniish, wa’aw isa da-ogimaawi, mii wa’aw nebwaakaad.”
Another man spoke, saying: “He is a fool, a chief that one could not be. Why, let that one yonder be chief, he that is wise!”
Bezhig miinawaa inini (another man) gaagiigidod (spoke, saying): “Gigiibaadizi (he is foolish), gaawiin daa-ogimaawisii (he could not be chief) a’aw (that one). Aaniish, wa’aw isa da-ogimaawi (why, let that one be chief), mii wa’aw nebwaakaad (the one who is wise).”
(5) Pānimā∙u∙gu päjig inini wändcipạsingutcisät äjinawandạndạn iᵉiᵘ waca‘kạmūnitiwāt.
Baanimaa go bezhig inini wenji-bazigonjised ezhi-nawadandang i’iw waa-zhakamoonidiwaad.
Then of a sudden one of the men, leaping up from his place, seized in his mouth that which they had to be swallowed.
Baanimaa go (then suddenly) bezhig inini (one man) wenji-bazigonjised (leaping up from his place) ezhi-nawadandang (seized in his mouth) i’iw waa-zhakamoonidiwaad (the thing they were to give one another to swallow).
(6) Äjinawantamint kīwäⁿ, aᵉa´ᵘ kānawandandạnk.
Ezhi-nawadamind giiwenh, a’aw gaa-nawadandang.
Then it is said some one fastened teeth on him, on him that had swallowed it.
Ezhi-nawadamind (then teeth were fastened on him) giiwenh (so they say), a’aw gaa-nawadandang (the one who had seized it in his mouth).
(7) Mīsa kīwä kā∙i∙cikidiskanusät ‘iᵉi´ᵘ näwundandangibạn.
Mii sa giiwe gaa-izhi-gidiskanozed i’iw newondandangiban.
Thereupon he quickly dropped from his mouth that which he was going to swallow;
Mii sa giiwe (and so, they say) gaa-izhi-gidiskanozed (he let drop from his mouth) i’iw newondandangiban (that which he had been about to swallow — newondandangiban flagged).
(8) Ningutci kīwäⁿ kībimi∙a∙‘täni ‘iᵉi´ᵘ näwandandangibạn.
Ningoji giiwenh gii-bimi-ateni i’iw newandandangiban.
aside then, they say, lay that which he was going to swallow.
Ningoji giiwenh (off to one side, they say) gii-bimi-ateni (there it lay) i’iw newandandangiban (the thing he would have swallowed).
(9) Mīsa´ kīwäⁿ kā∙i∙jimīgātiwāt äjiga‘kinaku imā äyāwāt.
Mii sa giiwenh gaa-izhi-miigaadiwaad ezhi-gakina go imaa eyaawaad.
Accordingly, so the story goes, one with another began fighting, all they that were there at the time.
Mii sa giiwenh (and so, the story goes) gaa-izhi-miigaadiwaad (they fought one another) ezhi-gakina go (all of them) imaa eyaawaad (who were there).
(10) Mīsa kā∙i∙jipōni∙i∙tiwāt.
Mii sa gaa-izhi-booni’idiwaad.
And then they left one another alone.
Mii sa gaa-izhi-booni’idiwaad (and then they let one another be).
(11) “Mīsa kinawint iᵉi´ᵘ tcikakībātisiyạng, mīsa´ kīnawint ạnimuc kīgatigōmin. Mīsa’ kīnawint tcimāmawikībātisiyạnk. Mīdạc igu nä‘kwä‘kutātiyạngin tcimīkātiyạng. Kāwīn wīn awiya tatōtātisī. Mīdạc iᵉ∙i∙´ᵘ kīnawint kīkakībātisiwininān ändōtāguyạng.” Mīdạc iᵉi‘ᵘ wändcimīgātiwāt īgi‘ᵘ ạnimucạg wâbamạngwā; mīdạc kīwäⁿ iᵉ∙i∙´ᵘ wäntcimīgātiwāt nä‘kwäckutātiwāt īgi‘ᵘ ạnimucạg. Awägwän kā‘kuntamugwän ‘iᵉi‘ᵘ wäntcī‘kutātiwāt. Mīsa‘pạnä kātan∙i∙ciwäba‘k. Mīdạc kīⁿwäⁿ wändcikīcāwänditit ‘aᵉa‘ᵘ pämādisit wī∙u∙gimāwit. Mī∙i∙‘ᵘ ä‘kōsit.
“Mii sa giinawind i’iw ji-gagiibaadiziyang, mii sa giinawind animosh gigad-igoomin. Mii sa giinawind ji-maamawi-giibaadiziyang. Mii dash igo nekwekodaadiyangin ji-miigaadiyang. Gaawiin wiin awiya da-doodaadisii. Mii dash i’iw giinawind gigagiibaadiziwininaan endoodaagoyang.” Mii dash i’iw wenji-miigaadiwaad igiw animoshag waabamangwaa; mii dash giiwenh i’iw wenji-miigaadiwaad nakweshkodaadiwaad igiw animoshag. Awegwen gaa-kondamogwen i’iw wenji-kodaadiwaad. Mii sa apane gaa-danizhiwebak. Mii dash giiwenh wenji-gizhaawenindit a’aw bemaadizid wii-ogimaawid. Mii i’iw ekoozid.
“Therefore shall you and I be fools, whereupon you and I shall be called dogs. And now you and I shall be fools above all fools. So accordingly, whenever we meet together, then shall we begin fighting one with another. No other beings shall treat one another so. And this is what we have brought upon ourselves because of our foolishness.” And this is why the dogs that you and I see fight (so) among themselves; and this they say is why the dogs fight among themselves when (ever) they meet together. It is not known which one swallowed that thing over which they fought among themselves. That is the way it will always be. And they say this is a reason why people are envious of one another as to who shall be the chief. That is as far as (the story) goes.
“Mii sa giinawind (therefore you and I) i’iw ji-gagiibaadiziyang (shall be fools), mii sa giinawind (and you and I) animosh gigad-igoomin (shall be called dogs). Mii sa giinawind ji-maamawi-giibaadiziyang (and you and I shall be fools above all). Mii dash igo nekwekodaadiyangin (so whenever we meet one another) ji-miigaadiyang (we shall fight). Gaawiin wiin awiya da-doodaadisii (no other beings shall do so to one another). Mii dash i’iw (and this is) giinawind gigagiibaadiziwininaan (our own foolishness) endoodaagoyang (that is done to us; what we have brought on ourselves).” Mii dash i’iw wenji-miigaadiwaad igiw animoshag waabamangwaa (and this is why the dogs that you and I see fight among themselves); mii dash giiwenh i’iw wenji-miigaadiwaad nakweshkodaadiwaad igiw animoshag (and this they say is why the dogs fight among themselves whenever they meet together). Awegwen gaa-kondamogwen i’iw wenji-kodaadiwaad (it is not known which one swallowed that thing over which they fought among themselves — kondamogwen/wenji-kodaadiwaad stems flagged, derived from Jones’s own English, not independently attested). Mii sa apane gaa-danizhiwebak (that is the way it will always be — danizhiwebak stem flagged). Mii dash giiwenh wenji-gizhaawenindit a’aw bemaadizid wii-ogimaawid (and they say this is a reason why people are envious of one another as to who shall be the chief). Mii i’iw ekoozid (that is as far as the story goes).