(1) kêtahtawê êsa ôtênaw ê-misâk. êkwa pêyak awa kicimâkisiwi-wêmiscikôsîs ê-papâmohtêt mâna ôtênâhk, kêkway ê-wî-kakwê-miskahk ta-mîcit.¹

kêtahtawê ê-kîwêt, ê-tipiskâyik, mêkwâc ê-ay-apit, kâ-pîhtokêyit môniyâsa, tâpiskôc okimâw ê-isîhoyit.

(1) Once upon a time there was a large town. And a certain poor little French boy there was, who used to walk about the town, trying to find something to eat. Then at one time, as he came home after dark, while he was there in his house, in came an Englishman who was dressed like a lord.

(2) "nikosis" itik, "ê-pê-nâtitân;" "êkwêyâk ê-kiskêyihtamân ê-pimâtisiyan," itik.

(2) “My son,” said this man to him; “I have come to fetch you; I have only just found out that you are alive,” he told him.

(3) êkwa ôhi okâwiya wêpimikoyiwa; "nîtim," itik ôhi môniyâsa, "nikosisinaw ka-pakitinamawin cî ê-wî-ohpikihak?"

(3) Then he urged the boy's mother; “Sister-in-law,” that Englishman said to her, “will you give me our boy to bring up?”

(4) "êha," itwêw.

(4) “Yes,” she answered.

(5) mistahi sôniyâwa miyik. êkosi sipwêhtahêw nâpêsisa. wâhyaw itohtêwak misi-waciy; êkotê takosinwak wacîhk. êkwa asiniy ê-misikitiyit yôhtênêw. nâpêsis êwako êkota pîhtokêw. mitoni wanitipiskâyiw; apisîs piko wâsaskocêsiyiw. êkosi isi kipahok; kipaham.

(5) He gave her much money. So he took the boy away with him. Far off they came to a great mountain; they arrived there at the mountain. Then he removed a large rock from an opening. The boy went in there. It was very dark; there was only a faint light. Then the other closed the door on him.

(6) "kahini pêtâ nêma, nâpêsis, nêma wâsaskotênikan!"

(6) “Just you bring that thing over there, boy that lamp!”

(7) êkwa otinam nâpêsis. êkwa itohtêw iskwâhtêmihk.

(7) The boy took it. He went to the door.

(8) "pêtâ!" "mwêstas ka-pê-wayawîn;" "nîkân miyin wâsaskotênikan!" itêw nâpêsisa.

(8) “Hand me it! Afterwards you will come out; first give me the lamp!” he said to the boy.

(9) "namôya," itwêw nâpêsis; "osâm ka-kipahon."

(9) “No,” said the boy; “You will lock me in.”

(10) êkosi, "kîpa pêtâ!"

(10) Then, “Hurry up and hand it to me!”

(11) piyis kisiwâsiw môniyâs awa. kipahwêw wâtihk nâpêsisa. êkwa mâh-mâtôw nâpêsis. papâmitâcimôw piko itê wâtihkânihk. nama kêkway wâpahtam. kêtahtawê yâyihtitâw ocihcîs, kâ-poscipayiyit âhcanisa.

(11) At last that Englishman got angry. He locked the boy in the cave. [no translation] [no translation] He could not see anything. Presently he rubbed his hand and found that a ring had slipped on his finger.

(12) "kêkway, kâ-tipêyimiyan?" itik ôhi âhcanisa.²

(12) “What is it, you who are my master?” the ring asked him.

(13) "ê-nôhtê-wayawiyân."

(13) “I want to go out.”

(14) "ômisi itwê: 'nikotwâsik iskwâhtêm, pâskihtêpayi!' itwê, nâpêsis," itik.

(14) “Speak thus: ‘Six door, go open!’ Say that, boy,” it told him.

(15) êkwa nâpêsis, "nikotwâsik iskwâhtêm, pâskihtêpayi!"

(15) Then the boy, “Six door, go open!”

(16) êkosi yôhtêpayiyiw. wayawîw nâpêsis. wâsaskotênikan pêyak ayâw. êkwa âhcanisa tahki êwakoni pîkiskwâtikôw.³

êkwa sipwêhtêw, ê-kîwêt. êkwa ê-takosihk wîkiwâhk, âcimostawêw okâwiya.

(16) Thereupon it opened. The boy went out. He had a lamp. And that ring always talked to him. Then he went from there, homeward. When he reached home, he told his mother the tale.

(17) "êkwa pêtâ kîkway; nika-kâsîhên niwâsaskotênikan," itêw.⁴

(17) “Now give me something to wipe off my lamp,” he told her.

(18) êkwa miyik; kâsîham.

(18) She gave him something; he wiped it.

(19) "kêkway nitawêyihtaman, kâ-tipêyimiyan?" itik mistâpêwa pêyak.

(19) “What do you desire, you who are my master?” a giant asked him.

(20) sêkihik, wâsaskotênikanihk ê-ohci-wayawiyit.

(20) He frightened him, coming out of the lamp.

(21) "niwâskahikan ta-osîhtâyan ê-miywâsik mistahi," itêw.

(21) “That you build me a very fine house,” he told him.

(22) "ahaq," itik.

(22) “Very well,” said the other to him.

(23) êkwa ê-nipâcik, âsay kîsihtâyiwa, mistahi ê-miywâsiniyik. sâkihtam wâsaskotênikan.

(23) Then while they slept he had already finished it, and very beautiful it was. The boy took good care of the lamp.

(24) "piko kêkway nêtawêyihtamani, ka-kâsîhên ôma wâsaskotênikan, êkwa âhcanis." "piko itê nika-ayân; itwêyani êkotê nika-ayân." "nama kêkway ka-pwâtawihtân," itik nâpêsis awa.

(24) “Whenever you desire no matter what, you will rub this lamp and ring. No matter where I am, when you bid it, I shall be there. You will fail of nothing,” he said to the boy.

(25) kêtahtawê ê-ay-apicik, awa maci-môniyâs pihkwa otinam; miscikowacisihk asiwatâw. kiskêyihtam, êkota ê-masinahikêhk pihkohk, nâpêsisa ê-pimâtisiyit, ê-ayâyit anima kâ-manitôwaniyik wâsaskotênikan. êkwa wâsaskotênikana mâwacihtâw ê-miywâsiniyiki; êkwa êwakoni sipwêhtatâw, ita têkosihki, ê-mâyâtahki wâsaskotênikana ê-wî-atâwêt, mîskoc ê-miywâsiniyik ê-mêkit. piyis otihtêw nâpêsisa. pêyakwapiw nôtokêsiw.

(25) Then at one time, as they dwelt there, that evil Englishman took some ashes; he put them into a little woodenbox. From the pattern of the ashes there he saw that the boy was alive and that he had that magic lamp. Then he collected beautiful lamps; he went off with them, to buy worthless lamps wherever he came, giving good lamps in return. At last he came to the boy. The old woman was alone at home.

(26) kakwêcimêw, "namôya cî kêkway kitayân wâsaskotênikan ê-mâyâtahk?" "mîskoc ê-miywâsik ka-miyitin."

(26) He asked her, “Haven't you perhaps some worthless old lamp? I will give you a good one for it.”

(27) êkwa, "pêyak astêw ôta; ka-miyitin," itêw nôtokwêw.

(27) Then, “There is one here; I will give it to you,” said the old woman to him.

(28) êkwa nitonam; miskam; miyêw. mîskoc miyik ê-miywâsiniyik.

(28) She sought it; she found it; she gave it to him. In return he gave her a good one.

(29) "êwako kâ-nitawêyihtamân," itêw awa maci-kimotisk.

(29) “This is what I want,” said the evil thief to her.

(30) êkwa nâpêsis awa namôya apiw; kî-nakatam owâsaskotênikan kâ-manitôwaniyik. êkwa takosin. kakwêcimêw okâwiya, "tâniwê anima niwâsaskotênikan?"

(30) Now the boy was not at home; he had left his magic lamp. Then he arrived. He asked his mother, “Where is that lamp of mine?”

(31) "nikosis," itik, "ê-miywâsik mîskoc kikî-miyikawinânaw, ê-atâmikawiyahk êwako kiwâsaskotênikan," itêw.

(31) “My son,” she told him, “we have been given a good one in trade for that lamp of yours.”

(32) kisiwâsiw nâpêsis.

(32) The boy was angry.

(33) "kikîsinâcihin." "êwako wâtihkânihk kâ-kî-kwayasitêwêpinit, kâ-wayêsimisk," itêw okâwiya.

(33) “You have done badly by me. This person was the one who threw me into the cave, this person who has cheated you,” he told his mother.

(34) êkwa sipwêhtêw nâpêsis. kêtahtawê ê-pa-pmohtêt, ê-tipiskâyik, nipâw.

(34) Then the boy went away. Presently, as he walked along and night fell, he went to sleep.

(35) ê-pêkopayit, ê-waskawît, "kîkway, kâ-tipêyimiyan, ê-nitawêyihtaman?" itik ocâhcanisa ê-yâyisimât.

(35) When he awoke, as he stirred, “What is it you desire, you who are my master?” he was asked by his ring, which he had rubbed.

(36) "tânitê kâ-ayâ-t kâ-kimotamawit niwâsaskotênikan, êkotê nika-ayân," itêw.

(36) “Wherever he is who stole my lamp from me, there let me be,” he told it.

(37) "êha," itik.

(37) “Very well,” it said to him.

(38) ê-nipât, kîhtwâm ê-pêkopayit, kisiwâk wâskahikan ayâyiw.

(38) When he went to sleep and again woke up, there was a house close by.

(39) êkwa, "tânisi êkwa kê-tôtamân?" itêyihtam.

(39) Then, “What shall I do now?” he thought.

(40) êkwa wâpamêw ê-sipwêhtêyit. êkwa itohtêw.

(40) Then he saw the other depart. Thereupon he went there.

(41) "êyikos nika-êkotôwiwin!"

(41) “Let me be an ant!”

(42) kwêskîmow; êyikosiwiw; êkwa ispacâw wâskahikanihk ê-tâskipayiyit mistikwa, êkota kâsôw. êkwa wâpamêw oskinîkiskwêwa êkota ê-ayâyit. kapê-tipisk êkota ayâw, ê-pêhât ta-nipâyit. piyis nipâw awa kimotisk. êkwa ocâhcanisa kâsîhwêw.

(42) He changed his form; he became an ant; then in a crack of a timber in the roof of the house he hid. He saw a young woman who was there. He stayed all night, waiting for the other to sleep. At last the thief went to sleep. Then he rubbed his ring.

(43) "kîkway ê-nitawêyihtaman, kâ-tipêyimiyan?" itik.

(43) “What is it you desire, you who are my master?” it asked him.

(44) "awa kâ-kî-kimotamawit wâsaskotênikan akâmihk kihcikamîhk ka-nitawi-pakitinâw." "niwâsaskotênikan ka-nakatên," itêw.

(44) “This person who stole my lamp from me you will go place across the sea. My lamp you will leave behind.” he told it.

(45) "êha," itik.

(45) “Very well,” it answered him.

(46) êkwa wiya otinam wâsaskotênikan kâ-manitôwaniyik.

(46) Then he took the magic lamp.

(47) "nîkinâhk nika-ayân!" itwêw nâpêsis.

(47) “Let me be in our own house!” said the boy.

(48) êkotê awa êkwa mîna kâkikê pimiwitâw owâsaskotênikan; nama wîhkâc nakatam.

(48) There he then always carried his lamp with him; he never left it.

(49) kêtahtawê mîna kâ-papâmohtêt awa kimotisk, ê-papâ-atâwâkêt ê-sôniyâwiyiki sakâpîhkanisa. pîhtokêw êkota nâpêsisa owâskahikaniyihk. nôtokêsiw pêyakwapiw.

(49) Presently, there was that thief going about again, selling golden chains. He entered the boy's house. The old woman was alone in the house.

(50) "mâskôc ôma ayâyiki, wâwîs mistahi ta-okimâwiw kikosis," itik; "tawâyihk ôta kika-akotân;" "êkwa ka-asiwatân asinîwi-mitê; ka-asiwatân."⁵

"êkota mistahi ta-miyonâkwan kiwâskahikaniwâw."

(50) “Perhaps if this thing is here, your son will become an even greater man,” he told her; “Here in the centre of the house do you hang it up; and inside it do you put a stone heart; put it inside. Thus will your house be very beautiful.”

(51) atâmêw nôtokêsiw. êkosi sipwêhtêw awa kimotisk. êkwa awa takosin nâpêsis.

(51) The old woman bought it. Then the thief went away. Then the boy arrived.

(52) êkwa nôtokwêw, "nikosis," itêw, "nitatâwân ôma kâ-akotêk êkota, ta-asiwatâyan asinîwi-mitê."

(52) Then the old woman said to him, “My son, I have bought the stone heart that hangs there so that you may carry it about with you.”

(53) êkwa nâpêsis miywêyihtam. êkwa ê-tipiskâyik kâsîham wâsaskotênikan.

(53) Then the boy liked it. When night came, he rubbed the lamp.

(54) "kêkway ê-nitawêyihtaman?" itik owâsaskotênikan.⁶

(54) “What do you want?” his lamp asked him.

(55) "ôma kâ-akotêk êkota kâ-asiwatêk asinîwi-mitê," itik.

(55) “The stone heart that is inside the thing which hangs there,” he answered.

(56) kisiwâsiw sêmâk.

(56) At once he grew angry.

(57) "kêkâc kinipahitin; nitê anima," itik awa nâpêsis; "ê-wî-kakwê-nipahisk ana," itik.⁷

(57) “I could easily kill you; that is my heart,” it said to the boy; “It was certainly that he wanted to kill you,” it told him.

(58) êkosi namôya tâpwêhtawêw.

(58) So he did not do what the other had told him.

(58b) kîtahtawê kâ-takosiniyit maskihkîw-iyiniwa. "ê-miyosit maskihkîwiyiniw," itâw. âhkosiw ana nâpêsis.⁸

(58b) Presently there arrived a physician. “An excellent physician,” was said of him. The boy was ill.

(59) "êwako ana," itik, "ê-wî-kakwê-nipahisk;" "ka-pê-nitawâpamik;" "nipahâhkan," itik.

(59) “That is the one,” the other told him, “who means to kill you; he will come to see you; then do you kill him” he was told by the other.

(60) êkwa pê-nitawâpamik. nipêwinihk ê-pimisihk môhkomân tahkonam.

(60) Soon he came to see him. He held a knife as he lay in his bed.

(61) "kitâhkosin?" itik.

(61) “Are you sick?” the other asked him.

(62) "êha," itêw.

(62) “Yes,” he told him.

(63) êkwa ôta ê-pê-nawakiyit, tahkamêw; nipahêw.

(63) Then, when the other leaned over, he stabbed him and killed him.

(64) "â, tânêhki? maskihkîw-iyiniw kinipahâw!" itik okâwiya.

(64) “Dear me, what are you doing? You have killed the physician!” his mother said to him.

(65) "â, namôya maskihkîw-iyiniw!" itêw; "kimotisk ana," itêw; "ê-wî-nipahit, êwako kâ-ôh-nipahak."

(65) “Oh, he was no physician!” he told her; “He was a thief,” he told her; “Because he meant to kill me is why I killed him.”

(66) êkwa nitonikêwak; piko ita ocasiwacikaniyihk môhkomân miskamwak, mîna isawêsk ê-pimiwitâyit, mîna piscipôwin, ê-kî-wî-piscipohikot awa nâpêsis.

(66) Then they searched; in his various pockets they found a knife and a sword which he carried with him, and poison with which he had meant to poison the boy.

(67) êkwa ay-ayâw. kêtahtawê nîpâtipisk kâ-takosiniyit mitâtaht nâpêwa, sôsôw-âtimwa ê-nâ-nayahcikêyit. pêyak pîhtokêyiwa.

(67) Then he dwelt there. Then, at one time, in the darkness of night there arrived ten men who had donkeys as their beasts of burden. One of them entered the house.

(68) "nama wiya cî nika-kî-kapêsinân?" itik.

(68) “May we camp here for the night?” he asked him.

(69) "kapêsik; kitêmiwâwak asiwahihkok," itêw.

(69) “Yes, do; and bring your beasts inside,” he told him.

(70) "namôya; êkosi isi ta-nîpawiwak."

(70) “No; they can stand where they are.”

(71) êkosi sakahpitêwak otêmiwâwa. êkwa êkota oskinîkiskwêw paminawasôw; asamêw. êkwa ê-kîsi-mîcisôwiht, kâsîhiyâkanêw. êkwa ê-nitawi-wêpinahk kâsîhiyâkanâpoy, itohtêw ôhi sôsôw-âtimwa, kâ-pêhtahk, "âsay cî?" ê-itikot, kîmôc ê-pîkiskwêyit.

(71) Accordingly, they tied up their beasts. Then the young woman prepared a meal; she gave them food. When her guests had eaten, she washed the dishes. When she went to pour out the dishwater, she went to where the donkeys were, and there she heard someone say to her in a whisper, “Is it time?”

(72) "namôya," itêw; "kêkâc," itêw.

(72) “No,” she answered; “Soon.”

(73) ôhi sôsôw-âtimwa kâ-nayômâcik kimotiska mahkahkohk. pîhtokêw êkwa oskinîkiskwêw. êkwa kisâkamisam nipiy; mistahi mitoni sîsîpaskihkohk sîkinam. êkwa wayawîhtatâw. êkwa yôhtênam mahkahk.

(73) Those donkeys were carrying none other than robbers in boxes. Then the young woman entered the house. She heated some water; she poured a great amount of it into a kettle with a spout. Then she took it out of the house. Then she opened a box.

(74) "âsay cî?" itik.

(74) “Is it time?” the man asked her.

(75) "êha," itêw.

(75) “Yes,” she told him.

(76) pîhci-sîkinam nipiy mahkahkohk; nipahêw ôhi kimotiska. nipahîhkaswêw kahkiyaw. êkwa pîhtokêw; âmaciwêw êkwa, otôkimâma ê-nitawi-wâpamât. pêyak ôhi êkota apiyiwa kêyâpic.

(76) She poured the water into the box; she killed that robber. She scalded them all to death. Then she went into the house; she went upstairs to see her master. One of the others was still there.

(77) "nitôkimâm," itêw, "kayâs mâna ê-nihtâ-nôtinikêyân," itêw, "kayâs tânisi ê-kî-tôtamân ka-kitâpaminâwâw." "nika-wawêsîn, tâpiskôc ê-wî-nôtinikêyân; êkosi nika-isîhon."

(77) “My lord,” she said to her master, “in former time I used to fight and you shall now see how I did, in former time. I shall deck myself as for the fight; that is the way I shall dress.”

(78) "tâpwê!" itêw awa otôskinîkiskwêma.

(78) “Do indeed!” he told his young handmaid.

(79) êkwa nîhtaciwêw oskinîkiskwêw; nitawi-wawêyîw. êkwa pê-âmaciwêw. isawêsk tahkonam êkwa môhkomân.

(79) Then the young woman went downstairs; she went and dressed. Then she came upstairs. She held a sword and a knife.

(80) "kayâs êkosi ê-kî-isîhoyâhk, kâ-nôtinikêyâhk," itêw.

(80) “In former times this was the way we dressed when we fought,” she told them.

(81) êkwa êkota pâh-pimohtêw, piko isi ê-tôtahk. kêtahtawê nâpêwa ôhi kîskwêwêpahwêw.

(81) Then she walked about there, acting in various ways. Suddenly she knocked that man out of his senses.

(82) "tâpwê namôya kwayask kitôtên, ê-kiyokêt okimâw ê-nipahat!" itik otôkimâma.

(82) “Truly you are not doing right, to kill this lord who is our guest!” her master said to her.

(83) "kîspin êkâ kî-nipahak, âpihtâwi-tipiskâk âsay ka-nipahik;" "ê-wî-nipahisk, kâ-ôh-pê-itohtêt," itik; "mâcikôtitân nitonikê." "piko ita oskotâkâhk omaskimotisihk otasikanihk, piko ita ka-miskên môhkomâna," itik.

(83) “If I had not killed him, by midnight he would have killed you; in order to kill you was why he came here,” she told him; “Just go and look. Everywhere in his coat, in his pockets, in his stockings, everywhere you will find knives,” she told him.

(83b) tâpwê nitonikêw; oskotâkayihk otasikaniyihk mihcêt môhkomâna miskam.

(83b) [no translation] [no translation]

(84) "êkwa tâpwê êsa ani kipimâcihin!" itik otôkimâma.

(84) “Now really you have saved my life!” her master said to her.

(85) êkwa wayawîhtahêwak; nitawi-pakastawêhwêwak kahkiyaw mitâtaht kimotiska.

(85) Then they took the man's body out of the house; they went and threw all ten of the robbers into the water.

(86) êkosi wiya êwako pêyak âtayôhkêwin nikîsihtân.

(86) And so I have finished this one sacred story.

Footnotes

¹LB on kicimâkisiwi-wêmiscikôsîs: This word here, and môniyâw: “Englishman,” below, probably are intended merely as “white man.”

²LB: In part the genies which are attached to the ring and the lamp are distinct from these objects, but in part the informant, more in accord with Cree views, does not distinguish them.

³LB: Verb-form with inanimate actor, although ahcânis: “ring,” is of animate gender; in fact, even an inanimate noun in such a connexion would ordinarily be used in animate gender.

⁴LB on kîkway: Meaning “a rag” - temporary word-avoidance.

⁵LB on k-âsiwatân: asiwatâw: “he puts it inside” (as into a box or bag), but we are not told into what. Immediately below the word is used in a common specialized meaning, “he puts it into his bag, bosom-fold, pocket”; farther on, similarly, the corresponding verb with animate object, asiwahêw, specialized: “bring (animal) under shelter.”

⁶LB: Either the nouns should be made animate obviative (ending -ah), or the preceding verb given inanimate actor (itikôw).

⁷LB: For anih itik; the sandhi is often carried from a quotation over to the verbs of saying, itêw (transitive), itwêw (intransitive).

⁸CHECK “a”