(1) kîtahtawê êsa sa-sipwêhtêw; ayisk misiwê kî-tôtam wîsahkêcâhk. ahpô kî-kaskihtâw ê-onôtinikêwokimâwit.

(1) Once upon a time he went from place to place; for Wisahketchahk did all kinds of things. He even managed to become a captain of soldiers.

(2) kêtahtawê sipwêhtêw êsa. â, papâmohtêw. kîtahtawê wâskahikan kâ-otihtahk.¹

(2) Once upon a time, the story goes, he set out. Well, he tramped about. Presently he came to a wooden house.

(3) "ay, ay-api, ay-api, nistêsê!"

(3) “Ha, stay a while, stay a while, big brother!”

(4) êkwa tâpwê apiw êsa. nitonikêyiwa iskwêwa, ê-asamikot. hô, namwâc kêkway wâpahtam kita-otinamiyit mîciwin. sôskwâc tâpiskwêkanêkinwa otinêyiwa, ôta mîcisowinâhtikohk êsiwêpinâyit. wâpahtam êkota nanâtohk mîciwina.

(4) So he stayed there. A woman looked for something to give him to eat. Ho, he saw nothing at all in the way of food that she could take. At once she took out a shawl and threw it on the table. There he saw all kinds of food.

(5) mâka mîna itêyihtam wîsahkêcâhk; "nika-kimotin," itêyihtam.

(5) In his usual way, Wisahketchahk thought, “I shall steal it,” he thought.

(6) mâ-mitonêyihtam tânisi ta-isi-nôhtê-nipâyit ôhi ka-pê-kiyokawât.

(6) He kept revolving in his mind how he could make his hostesses want to sleep.

(7) ômisi itwêw: "hâw, kiyawâw, nisîmitik, nêwo-tipiskâw kika-âcimostâtinâwâw."

(7) He said, “Now, in return, my little sisters, for four nights I will tell you stories.”

(8) "hâ, tâpwê, nistêsê, nimiywêyihtênân ê-âcimohk!" itik ôhi iskwêwa.

(8) “Oh, indeed, big brother, we like story-telling!” those women said to him.

(9) nama wîhkâc wâpamêw ta-kîsitêpoyit.

(9) He never saw them do any cooking.

(10) "nika-kimotamawâw, nipâci, otâpiskwêkanêkinwa," ê-itêyihtahk êsa wîsahkêcâhk, êkwa âcimôw kapê-tipisk.

(10) “When she goes to sleep, I shall steal her shawl from her,” thought Wisahketchahk, and told stories all night.

(11) namôya ohci nipâyiwa. âsay mîna kapê-kîsik âcimôw. kîhtwâm mîna ê-tipiskâyik, âsay mîna kêyâpic namwâc nipâyiwa.

(11) But they did not go to sleep. All the next day he told stories. When another night came, again they did not sleep at all.

(12) "mâna êkâ nika-kî-kimotamawâhtayik!"²

(12) “Could it be that I should be unable to steal it from them!”

(12a) mwêhci nêwo-tipiskâw ê-âcimot, êkoyikohk nipâyiwa ôhi oskinîkiskwêwa. nitonikêw otasiwacikaniyihk; kimotamawêw. êkosi isi sipwêhtahimêw; tapasîw.

(12a) When he had told stories for exactly four nights and days, then those young women went to sleep. He searched where they kept their things; he stole it from them. So then he went off with it; he fled.

(13) nêwo-tipiskâw pimipahtâw. êkwa kîtahtawê kâ-pêhtahk ê-matwê-cîkahikêwiht.

(13) For four days and nights he ran. Then at one time he heard someone noisily chopping wood.

(14) "ohcitaw kika-otihtitin," itêyihtam êsa.

(14) “I shall do my best to reach you,” he thought.

(15) êkwa sipwêhtêw. âsay mîna ê-wâpaniyik, âhci piko pêhtam. êkwa piyisk nêwo-tipiskâw tâpiskôc pêyakwan iyikohk ê-matwê-cîkahikêyit, nêwo-tipiskâw mwêhci ê-pimohtêt, êkoyikohk wâpamêw kîkisêp, ê-matwê-wâskahikanihkêyit. namwâc kêkway wâpahtam kita-osîhtâyit mihta, âta nêwo-kîsikâw ê-pêhtahk. nîso piko mihta kiyastêyiwa.

(15) Then he went on. When the next day broke, he still heard it. And at last, when he had heard the other chopping away for four days and nights, apparently always at the same distance, and when he had walked four days and nights, then at last, in the morning, he saw him, noisily working at a wooden structure. He saw no wood at all with which that person could build anything, though he had heard the noise of it for four days. Only two sticks lay there.

(16) "wâ, nisîm, kayâs ohci, nêwo-tipiskâw aspin, kâ-pêhtamân ê-nikohtêyan!"

(16) “Dear me, little brother, for a long time, ever since four nights ago, I have heard you chopping!”

(17) ê-âta-kitotât, namwâc ahpô wî-kitâpamik. kapê-kîsik piko isi âta ê-isi-kitotât, ahpô namwâc wî-kitâpamik. nitawâc êkwa, ê-wî-tipiskâyik, aspin ê-astâyit cîkahikaniyiw, ê-âta-nawaswâtât, namôya kiskêyimêw ê-pîhtokêyit. namôya miskawêw; wanihêw.

(17) Although he spoke to him, the other would not so much as glance at him. Although through the day he addressed him in all manner of ways, he would not even look at him. And then, at nightfall, when the other laid down his hatchet and was off and away, he needs ran after him, but he could not make out into what place he had disappeared. He could not find him; he had lost him.

(18) misiwê papâmitâcimôw, "nisîm, kikitimahin!" ê-papâ-itwêt, ê-papâmitâcimot, ê-wî-kakwê-ka-kitotikot, ê-nitawêyihtahk ta-kitotikot.

(18) He crawled about, and, “Little brother, you are making me desperate!” he kept crying, to make the other speak to him; desiring to have the other address him.

(19) piyisk êtokê nêstohkwasiw. kawîhkwasiw. sâsay mîna kayâhtê ê-waniskât, kî-nâ-nâtwâhinihtêyiwa. âsay mîna kapê-kîsik âta, "nisîm!" piko isi ê-ati-itât, nama wî-ka-kitotik. âsay mîna ê-tipiskâyik, aspin âta ê-kîwêyit, ati-miciminêw; ê-ati-pîhtokêyit wîkiyihk, êkota ohci wanihêw. âsay mîna kapê-tipisk papâmitâcimôw, ê-nitonawât; piyisk mîna mohcihk êkosi isi nipâw. kîkisêpâ ê-waniskât, âsay mîna kî-nikohtêyiwa mîna kîhtwâm.

(19) At last he must have gotten sleepy from weariness. He fell, overcome by sleep. When he awoke, there was the other already a-splitting of logs. Again, though all day he kept saying to him, “Little brother!” he would not talk to him. When the next night came, when the other made off to go home, he held fast to him, but when he went into his dwelling, from that point he lost him. Again he crawled about all night, looking for him; at last he again slept right there on the bare ground. In the morning, when he got up, this time, too, the other had already started working at his wood.

(20) "anohc êkwa ôhcitaw kika-kitosin!" itêyihtam êsa mâka mîna wîsahkêcâhk.

(20) “Now today I will see to it that you talk to me!” thought Wisahketchahk as before.

(21) âsay mîna kapê-kîsik âta ê-kitotât, nama kî-kitotik. âsay mîna ati-kîwêyiwa. mistahi êkwa pakwâtam. kisisin.

(21) Again, though he talked to him all day, he could not make the other address him. Again the other went home. He was very much annoyed. He landed on something sharp.

(22) "ahpô ôma!" itêyihtam;³

"kêhcinaw apiw!" "cîpay êkâ kâ-wî-ka-kitosit!" itêyihtam êsa.

(22) “Maybe it is this!” he thought; “Surely he is at home here! He is a dead man, this person who will not converse with me!” he thought.

(23) tâpwê mâhtakoskam oskan, êkota ê-miskahk.

(23) Accordingly, he threw his weight on that bone and held it down.

(24) êkwa kîkisêpâ kayâhtê ê-pêkopayit, "awas, wîsahkêcâhk! kôtamihin! nimiywêyihtêh ê-cîkahikêyân!" kâ-itikot, kayâhtê ê-mâtakoskawât.

(24) Then, in the morning he was awakened by the other saying to him, “Get away Wisahketchahk! You are keeping me back! I was having a pleasant time at chopping!” for he was holding him down by the weight of his body.

(25) "cêskwa, nisîm!" itêw; "nisîm, mistahi kikakwâtakihin, âta nêwo-kîsikâw ê-kitotitân, êkâ ê-kitosiyan."

(25) “Wait a bit, little brother!” he told him; “Little brother, you were tormenting me terribly, by not talking to me, when for four days I addressed you.”

(26) "hâw, nistêsê," itik, "ôta ê-kî-nipahisoyân," itik; "êwako."

(26) “Well, brother,” the other told him, “It is because in this place I killed myself,” he told him; “That is the way of it.”

(27) "tânêhki mâka êkâ kêkway kâ-ôh-kaskihtâyan, tahki ê-nikohtêyan tahto-kîsikâw?"

(27) “But why is it you accomplish nothing, when you are always a-chopping every day?”

(28) "ôta kayâs ê-kî-pahkwêkahamân nisit," itik êsa.

(28) “It is because of old in this place I chopped off my foot,” the other told him.

(29) "namôya wîhkâc cî kimîcison?"

(29) “Do you never eat?”

(30) "êha," itwêw awa cîpay; "tânitê mâka kî-ohtinamân mîciwin?" itêw wîsahkêcâhkwa.

(30) “No,” said the dead man; “Where could I get any food?” he said to Wisahketchahk.

(31) "asamikawiyan cî mâka, kika-mîcison?"

(31) “But if you were given something to eat, would you eat?”

(32) "êha, nika-mîcison, kîspin asamiyin," itwêw êsa awa cîpay.

(32) “Yes, I would eat, if you gave me food,” said the dead man.

(33) "hâw, nisîm, kika-asamitin!"

(33) “Very well, little brother, I shall give you something to eat.”

(34) êkwa ôma kâ-kî-kimotit tâpiskwêkanêkin otinam, ê-taswêkiwêpinahk. atôspowinâhtikohk pôti kahkiyaw kêkway wâpahtam.⁴

tânispîhk êtokê omîcisohtay awa cîpay! ayisk wîsahkêcâhk kâ-isiyîhkâsot kahkiyaw awiya kî-wayêsimêw.

(34) Then he took the shawl he had stolen and spread it out. Look you, on a table he saw all kinds of things. I wonder when that corpse had last eaten! For he who was called Wisahketchahk deceived everyone.

(35) mistahi nâspic atamihêw ê-asamât.

(35) He entirely won him over by giving him the food.

(36) "hâ, mistahi kitatamihin, wîsahkêcâhk, ôma kâ-asamiyan!"⁵

(36) “Hah, you greatly oblige me, Wisahketchahk, giving me food like this!”

(37) "hâ, nisîm," itêw, "niya nipapâmâcihon." "nama nânitaw nika-itâpacihtân ôma tâpiskwêkanêkin." "kiya nama nânitaw ka-kî-ohtinamâson ta-mîciyan," itêw ôhi cîpaya.

(37) “Oh, little brother,” he told him, “as for me, I am travelling about. I shall not have any use for this shawl. But you would not have any resource from which to get anything to eat,” he told the dead man.

(38) "êha," itwêw awa cîpay, "mistahi kitatamihin, wîsahkêcâhk!" "êkwa nama wîhkâc nika-nôhtêhkatân, wîsahkêcâhk." "mahti nimistikowatihk osâwi-sôniyâw êkota miskawaci, otinâhkan," itwêw awa cîpay.

(38) “Yes,” said the dead man, “I thank you very much, Wisahketchahk! Now I shall never be hungry, Wisahketchahk. Go see; if you find any gold in my wooden box, just take it,” said the corpse.

(39) tâpwê wîsahkêcâhk ê-sîhkimiht, nitonikêw osâwi-sôniyâwa.

(39) According [sic] as he was bidden, Wisahketchahk looked for gold.

(40) "wîsahkêcâhk, kakwê-iyinîsi mâka! âta wiya kimôhcôwin." "ôta kwêski-sakâhk namôya wâhyaw okimâw mêkwâ kwâpahwêw sôniyâwa." "êwako ki-ka-itohtân." "ki-ka-na-nitawâpamâw." "ômisi kika-itâw: 'niyanân tâpwê miyosiw kâ-kwâpahwâyâhk osâwi-sôniyâw,' kika-itâw;" "'kiya mistahi mâyâtisiw.'" "'kêkâc pisisik nipiy kikwâpahên,' kika-itâw;" "'niyanân osâwi-sôniyâw pisisik nikwâpahwâw,' kika-itâw;" "'êkwa kiya kêkâc pisisik nipiy kikwâpahên.'" "'nawac ita sôniyâw kâ-ohtinak kîsta pê-itohtêyan,' kika-itâw." "êkwa wâhyaw pê-itohtahaci, kika-nipahâw." "'kâ-isinâkosit awa okimâw, êkosi nika-wî-isinâkosin!' kika-itwân." "itâp ka-naspitawâw."

(40) “But, Wisahketchahk, be sensible! After all, you are a crazy fellow. At the other side of these woods a chief is now digging gold. You will go where he is. You will go see him. You will say to him, ‘The gold we others are digging is really fine,’ you will say to him; ‘Yours is very poor. You are scooping up almost nothing but water,’ you will say to him; ‘But as for us others, I scoop up pure gold,’ you will say to him; ‘And you, you are scooping up almost nothing but water. You had better come over yourself to where I get gold,’ you will tell him. And when you have led him far off, you will kill him. ‘As the chief looked, so I shall look!’ you will say. Then you will resemble him completely.”

(41) êkosi sipwêhtêw, ê-kî-kakêskimikot wîsahkêcâhk ôhi cîpaya, êkwa okimâwa ê-wî-nitawi-nipahât. tâpwê namôya wâhyaw ê-itohtêt, sîpîsis otihtam, ê-mêkwâ-kwâpahwâyit sôniyâwa.

(41) Then Wisahketchahk set out, as he had been directed by the dead man, to go and kill that chief. And really, he had not gone far, when he came to a brook where the latter was digging for gold.

(42) "tâpwê kiya mistahi mâyâtisiw sôniyâw kâ-kwâpahwat," itwêw wîsahkêcâhk; "êkwa niyanân mistahi miyosiw sôniyâw;" "osâwi-sôniyâw piko nitotinânân."

(42) “Truly, the metal you are digging up is very poor,” Wisahketchahk told him; “But our metal is very fine; we get nothing but gold.”

(43) "tânitê mâka mahti?" itik; "itohtahin." "mahti nika-nitawâpahtên," itik. kêkway â wâpahtêhêw.⁶

"niyanân osâwi-sôniyâw piko nitotinânân," itik.

(43) “Now, where is that, pray?” the other asked him; “Take me there. Let me go see it,” he told him. He showed him some. “We get nothing but gold,” he told him.

(44) êkwa tâpwê sipwêhtahêw; ita ê-âyimaniyik ati-ay-itohtahêw. êkwa wâhyaw ê-ayâcik, mistikwa nîso ê-cimasoyit, êkota ê-sêkoyit, ostikwâniyihk pakamahwêw; nipahêw.

(44) So then he led him away; he led him on into rough places. Then, when they had gone quite a ways, as the other got between two trees that stood close, he hit him on the head and killed him.

(45) "êkosi nika-wî-naspitawâw awa okimâw!" itwêw êsa wîsahkêcâhk.

(45) “So now I want to resemble this chief!” said Wisahketchahk.

(46) tâpwê, ayisk wîcihik ôhi cîpaya; tâpwê naspitawêw êsa ôhi okimâwa.

(46) And really, for he was being helped by that Deadman, really, he looked exactly like the chief.

(47) "êkwa mahti sêmâk nika-kîwân." "mahti êsinâkosiyit wîwa," itêyihtam.

(47) “Now I shall go straight home. Let me see what his wife looks like,” he thought.

(48) aciyaw piko kwâpahwêw sôniyâwa. wawêyîw; êkosi isi kîwêw. wâhyaw ohci pêtisâpamik ôhi kâ-nipahât wîwiyiwa.

(48) He dug for gold but for a short while. He dressed up; right then he went home. From afar the wife of him whom he had killed saw him coming.

(49) "tânisi kâ-ôh-pê-kîwêyan nama wîhkâc nôhtaw kipê-kîwân." "iyikohk nîsosâp tipahikan mâna kâ-pê-âpihta-kîsikâw-mîcisoyan." "mistahi kîtahtawê kimôhcôwin!"

(49) “Why are you coming home? You never come home before the regular time. It is always twelve o'clock that you come home to eat dinner. You are acting very crazily, all of a sudden!”

(50) âta wiya êsa nisitohtawêw. êkwa êkosi isi kîwêw. mîna nitawi-itohtêw. aciyaw pê-otihtik ôhi kâ-kî-kiskinôhamâkot cîpaya.

(50) He did somehow understand what she was saying. So he went right back. He went back where he had come from. Soon the Deadman who had instructed him came to where he was.

(51) "kêhcinâ wîpac kika-nipahikawin!" "osâm mistahi pakahkam kiwî-môhcôwin!" "namwâc ahpô kikiskêyimâw pîsimôhkân!" itik.

(51) “Certainly you will soon get yourself killed! It is evident that you will act too crazily! You do not even know the clock!” he told him.

(52) êkwa wâpamêw pîsimôhkâna, êkwayâk kâ-nisitawêyimât. êkwa kîwêw, nîsosâp tipahikan ê-ispayiyik. âsay mîna nitawi-atoskêw, mîna ê-nitawâpamât sôniyâwa. êkwa wîpac pôni-atoskêw.

(52) Then he looked at a clock, making his first acquaintance with it. Then he went home, when twelve o'clock had come. Then he went back to work, to look for gold. He quite work after a short time.

(53) "tâpwê kîtahtawê mistahi kimôhcôwin," itik ôhi owîkimâkana, "êkwa wâh-wîpac ê-pê-kîwêyan!" itik.

(53) “Really, all of a sudden you have gone altogether insane,” that wife of his said to him, “Coming home early all the time like this!”

(54) "hâh," ômisi itwêw; "kîtahtawê wâh-wîpac kêkway niwâh-wani-kiskisin," itwêw.

(54) “Why,” he said, “my memory has become very short, all of a sudden.”

(55) êkwa ê-otâkosiniyik, masinahikan kâ-pîhtokatâyit. namwâc nisitawinam. kâ-kiskisit anihi cîpaya kâ-kî-kitimâkêyimikot, êkwa wayawîw.

(55) Then, in the evening someone brought in a letter. He could make nothing of it. Remembering that Deadman who had befriended him, he went out of the house.

(56) "wahwa, mistahi kimôhcôwin!" itik; "êkosi êcika ana wîpac kê-nipahikawiyan!"

(56) “Alas, you are a crazy fool!” he told him; “And so it appears you will soon be killed!”

(57) sâ-sâminamiyiwa ohkwâkana, oskîsikwa, otôn: nisitawinam masinahikan. êkwa ê-wâpahtahk, masinahikâtêyiw, wâpahki ê-wî-pê-nôtiniht; ayisk onôtinikêwa ôhi okimâwa kâ-nipahât, êkwa wâh-wîpac êsa mâna ê-pê-nôtinimiht.⁷

⁸

⁹

masinahikêw; âcimostawêw otiyinîma.

(57) The other touched his face, his eyes and his mouth: he could read. Then, when he read it, it was written that tomorrow people were coming to fight him; for that chief he had killed had been at war, and had been attacked, it seemed, every little while. He wrote; he told his followers the news.

(58) tâpwê, "wawêyîk, iyinitik." "kiwî-pê-nôtinikonânaw wâpahki."¹⁰

"nipêyitisahamâkawin," itêw, "masinahikana."

(58) “Get yourselves ready, men. Tomorrow they are coming to fight us. Letters have been sent to me.”

(59) tâpwê kîkisêpâ takohtêyiwa kâ-pê-nitopayîstâkocik. mâka wiya wîsahkêcâhk mâka mîna ka-kitâpahkêw konita.¹¹

(59) And really, in the morning they arrived who were coming to make war against them. But as for Wisahketchahk, of course, he merely looked on in his useless way.

(59a) kîtahtawê ômisi itik ôhi iskwêwa: "tâpwê mistahi kimôhcôwin!" "kitiyinîmak wî-mêscihâwak," itik; "kitayiwinisa ta-sîhkihkêmoyan kita-otinamihk, ta-postiskaman, mîna kitêm kita-wiyahpitiht."

(59a) Presently that woman said to him, “Truly, you are entirely foolish! Your men will all be killed,” she told him; “You ought to order your clothes to be taken out for you to put on, and your horse to be saddled.”

(60) tâpwê wîsahkêcâhk sîhkihkêmôw otêma ta-wiyahpitimiht. wiyahpitimâwa. postayôwinisêw; nitawi-nôtinikêw. mistahi mâka mîna môhcôhkâsôw. kahkiyaw êsa mêscihêw ôhi kâ-pê-nôtinikêyit. êkosi pêyak piko kîwêtisahwêw, masinahikan ê-kî-osihtât.

(60) So Wisahketchahk ordered his horse to be saddled. It was saddled. He put on his clothes; he went and fought. Of course he carried on in a crazy way. He killed all those who had come to fight. He sent only one back home, having written a letter.

(61) nêtê ê-takohtatâcik, ômisi itwêwak otiyinîsiwak: "mâka mîna êtokê wîsahkêcâhk!" itwêwak.¹²

(61) When he arrived over there, the wise men said, “Doubtless this is Wisahketchahk, up to his old tricks!”

(62) masinahikan osîhtâw: "kîspin kiya wîsahkêcâhk, kiwî-nipahitin sôskwâc." "osâm misiwê kitisîhcikân."

(62) He wrote a letter: “If you are Wisahketchahk, I shall kill you without delay. You are cutting up altogether too much.”

(63) pôti êkwa ê-pêtamâht wîsahkêcâhk, ayamihtâw.

(63) When it was brought to Wisahketchahk he read it.

(64) "kiya êtokê mâka mîna, wîsahkêcâhk, ôma kâ-tôtaman," itâw.

(64) “Doubtless it is you, Wisahketchahk, up to your old tricks, who are doing all this,” he was told.

(65) tapasîw; namôya ahpô awiya wâpahtêhêw ôma masinahikan; êkosi isi ê-isi-tapasît.

(65) He fled; he did not even show anyone this letter; he fled just as he was, at once.

(66) nêwo-tipiskâw pimâmôw. kîtahtawê ê-misâyik sâkahikan ê-otihtahk, "êkosi kâ-kî-ititân, 'wîsahkêcâhk mâka mîna êtokê kiya,' kâ-kî-ititân," itik ayîsiyiniwa, ê-nakiskawât sisonê sâkahikanihk; "hâw, wîsahkêcâhk, ka-mêtawânânaw!" itik.

(66) He ran four days and nights. Then, when he came to a big lake, “I told you so, ‘Doubtless you are Wisahketchahk, up to your old tricks,’ I told you,” said a man to him, whom he met by the shore of the lake; “Now, Wisahketchahk, let us have a contest!” he said to him.

(67) êkwa tâpwê kakwêcimêw tânisi kita-isi-mêtawêcik.

(67) So he asked him in what way they were to contend.

(68) "waskic nipîhk ka-pimohtânânaw," itik.¹³

(68) “We shall walk on the surface of the water,” the other told him.

(68a) "êha," itwêw wîsahkêcâhk.

(68a) “Very well,” said Wisahketchahk.

(69) tâpwê ati-sipwêhtêw awa wîsahkêcâhkwa kâ-mawinêhwât. namwâc ahpô wayiskam nipiy. akâmihk ê-kî-takohtêt, êkotê ohci têpwâtêw wîsahkêcâhkwa.

(69) Accordingly he started out who had challenged Wisahketchahk. He did not even ripple the water as he stepped. When he reached the other side, from there he shouted to Wisahketchahk.

(70) "haw, mwêhci tâwakâm ayâci wîsahkêcâhk, êkota nitawi-kihtâpayiw;" "mâka namôya niwî-nipahâw." "êkota nipîhk ta-mêcimwâci-nahapiw!"

(70) “Now, when Wisahketchahk is right in the middle of the water, he will sink under water; but I do not mean to kill him. Let him sit down there for good, there in the water!”

(71) tâpwê itâmi-nipîhk êkotê nahapiw, itamihk nipîhk. kahkiyaw kêkway ê-atotât, nama wiya tâpwêhtâk.

(71) And really, there he sat down, under water. When he called every kind of being to help him, they did not heed him.

(72) kahkiyaw, "nikostânân kâ-tôtâsk," itik.

(72) Everyone told him, “We fear him who is doing this to you.”

(73) kîtahtawê mâkwa kâ-têpêyimot kita-otinât wîsahkêcâhkwa. otinik êwakoni. êkosi pimâcihik.

(73) At last the loon consented to take Wisahketchahk from where he was. He took him out. So he saved his life.

Footnotes

¹LB on wâskahikan: Properly “stockade”; used of the trading-post forts, and of white men's houses generally. This is the first of many foreign features in this tale: Wisahketchahk is here among white people.

²PARAGRAPH BREAK

³LB on âhpoh ôm: Meaning not clear; record may be wrong.

⁴LB on atôspowinâhtikohk: The ordinary term is mîcisôwinâhtik; the word in the text resembles Ojibwa adôhpôwin; Cree atôspôw, Ojibwa adôhpp: “he eats on something,” initial stem atôt-: “on something,” transitive verb final -pw-: “by mouth,” with the middle-voice verb derivative -ô-.

⁵LB on kitatamihin: Literally, “You delight me,” the usual formula of thanks.

⁶CHECK âh - heavy redup? DON'T KNOW

⁷CHECK - KR onôtinikêwah may be a verb, as assumed by LB in his footnote:

⁸LB on onôtinikêwah: Should be obviative; I may have mis-heard a form onôtinikêyiwa, but do not know if such would be the obviative of this preterite.

⁹HCW - I'm right.

¹⁰LB on kiwîh-pê-nôtinikonânaw: This would seem to mean “he (or it) will come to fight us”; probably read kiwîh-pê-nôtinikawinânaw.

¹¹NEW PARAGRAPH

¹²LB on êh-takohtatâcik: Why plural actor? The rest of the story is obscure because the persons are not kept distinct.

¹³NEW PARAGRAPH