Niizhin Manijooshan or The Two Bugs
  told by Solomon Wawatie

 awedi godag aadisookaan
 this other story

  aadidog ge-izhi-atoowaabaan
  I don't know where I would classify it

  ge-izhi-etig giizhaachigaadegoban entaagok
  where it would be classified by its content

  debwe aadisookaan goni goj niigaanajimowin
  as a true story or as a prophecy

  goni goj gaa-bi-zhebag ge-ani-zhebag
  or a historical fact, foreseen possibilities

  aadidog ge-ezhichigaadegoban
  I don't know how it would be classified

  nga-aadisooke [ngaadisooke] dash nimishoomezhiban gaa-gii-aadisookepan
  I will tell the story my late uncle told

  e-ma'oji-dinaaniwag giji-maamidinendag anishinaabe
  at a meeting so that the Anishinaabe would think about it

  ezhi-maaji-aadisookenaaniwan [aatsookenaanyon] dash wedi
  where the story begins

  ogwedog anishinaabeg nigodin ogii-waabadaanaawaa gichi-ziibiikaag edi
  these Anishinaabe once they saw, on the St Laurence River,

  ogii-waabadaan e-dazhi-waase'aabikidenig niizhin gegooni
  they saw two things

  gaa-izhi-naadaa'ag
  so they went to get them by canoe

  apiich edi gaa-oditig
  when they arrived there

  azhi odooji-waabamaan manijooshan [minjooshan] niizhiwan agaasheshiwan
  they saw two small bugs (note word order and form here)

  bezhig ozaawazhooniyaawi [ozaawazhooniyaawi]
  one was golden

  miiniwaaj godag waabizhooniyaaw
  the other was silvery

  waabizhooniyaawinaagozi
  it was silvery

  gaa-izhi-bi-giiwanaajin dedigoo
  they truly brought them back home

  mega ogii-gichi-minoshiwaan
  because they were pretty

  gaa-izhi-bi-giiyoonaajin
  they brought them back

  gaa-izhi-waabidi'aajin anishinaaben
  and showed the people

  ooo ogii-zaagiwaan dash
  they loved it

  ogii-minenimaawaan
  they loved them

  gaa-ashamaawaajin dash niitam gaa-ashamaawaajin manijooshan anoj igoj manijooshan
  when they fed them the first time, when they fed the bugs with other bugs

  gegapiich bi-giijiishig gii-maajibiyoog
  soon they grew a little

  azhi ogashkiyaan omagakiishan waabagozhiishan e-agaasheshinjin awesiizan
  they were now able to eat frogs and mice and little animals

  ogashkiyaan giji-amwaajin
  they could eat (them)

  gaabaj gii-maajigi
  they grew more

  gegapiich ajijimooshan bineshiizhan
  soon (they were eating) squirrels and birds

  ajijimoosh igoj gaa-ani-nigiwaaj awesiizag iyenan gaa-gii-amwaajin
  they would eat any animal the size of a squirrel

  gaabaj ge-ana-midido
  they grew bigger

  azhi dash wiin ojishkoon binewan waaboozan giigoozan
  soon (they were eating) muskrat, partridge, rabbit and fish

  gaabaj gii-maajigi a'a manijoosh
  those bugs grew more

  gegapiich amikoon nigiigoon waagoshan giyenog goj gaa-ani-iniginwaaj awesiizag
  soon they were eating animals the size of beaver, otter and fox

  mii ena gaa-gii-amwaajin
  that's what they ate

  apiich ana-midiowan dedigoo
  soon they became really big

  gaa-izhi-waaka'iganikidoo'aajin
  so they built a fence for themselves

  mii imaa gaa-izhi-ginendaagozinjin
  that's where they were kept

  gegapiich dash azhi moozan mokoon mweganan waabidiyan adikoon
  soon moose, bear, wof, elk and caribou

  gegapiich iyenan ogashki'aan giji-amwaajin
  soon they could eat these

  gek dedigoo gii-midido
  they really got big

  nigodin dash igoj mii gaa-izhi-maajaawaaj igi manijooshag
  one day those bugs left

  wiinshikenawaa gii-maajaawag
  they left by themselves

  dibi dash igoj e-babaa-izhaawaaj
  and wherever they'd go

  gakina gegoon odana-miijinawaa
  they'd eat everything in their path

  gek dedigoo midido
  they got really big

  gek neta goj igoj odani-miijin
  soon they were eating everything in their path

  odani-amwaan mitigoon
  they ate trees

 
  odana-miikanashkaan dedigoo magideyaani ezhi-miijig
  they left very wide tracks where they'd eaten

  gegapiich kina goj gegooni
  soon (they'd eaten) everything

  azhiwaabketaaj ziibiini
  they would lay across a river

  odoonashtoon
  they would ruin it

  nibowan [niboon] giigoozan
  the fish would die

  dibi ezhi-maabkeshig
  wherever they'd lay

  kina dash gegoon ogii-gidaanaawaan edi
  they ate everything there

  gaan dash azhii gegoonii odeyaasiinaawaa ge-miijimwaaj
  they had nothing left to eat

  mii dash azhii e-bi-gii'ej anishinaaben e-biinda-amowaajin
  so they came back home to eat the Anishinaabe

  (mi)shoomes dash awedi gii-wezhibaabidam
  this old man had a dream

  ogii-waabadaan wiin niigan iyeni
  he saw the future of this

  "azhi gii-biindamogonaan manijooshag odanishinaaben"
  "the bugs are coming back to eat their Anishinaabe"

  gii-wiidamwaaganii dash awedi shomes ge-doojigaadeg
  the old man was told what to do

  mii dash iyeni gaa-ozhitowaaj
  so that's what he did

  "baanimaa gichi-mitigwaabe giga-ozhi'aa [gigoozhiyaa] maamwii gichi-bikook [bokook]
  "you all have to build a giant bow and a giant arrow

  niizhin igoj
  two of them

  apiich dash giga-wiikobinaa
  then you will draw it

  zesibii ge-aabajitoowin gijoozesibiimiyin (zesibii OR sesibii)
  the string you will use as your bowstring

  gibikook gizhitakobanij
  to tie your arrow (your bow)

  baanimaa ikwe omiinisis gidaabajichigaadeni
  you must use a woman's hair

  apiich dash giga-wiikobinaa gibookook
  after you will draw your arrow (your bow)

  baanimaa dash giga-bii'aa abinoojiish" gii-inaaganii
  then you will have to wait for a child" he was told

  mii debwe gaa-doodamwaaj
  so that is what they did

  azhii awiik na ogii-waabamaan manijooshan e-biizhaanjin e-biidamosenjin
  so someone spotted the bugs coming, walking towards them

  azhii e-biinda-indawamagwaajin
  coming for them

  azhi wiikobinaan naa obikookoon
  so they drew their arrow (bow)

  dedigoo azhi beshinaagoziwan na manijooshan
  those bugs were really close

  gegaat igoj imaa ekwaa kisenjin ne obikookoon [obkookoon]
  almost at the tip of his arrow

  mii imaa azhi e-biidej
  that's where they've landed already

  "baanimaa dash giga-bii'aa abinoojish" inaaganiiwag idash
  "now you must wait for the child" they are told

  baanimaa giga-bii'aanaan abinoojiish
  so we must wait for the child

  mii dash debwe gaa-doodaamwaaj
  so that is what they did

 
  ogii-dazhi-majiminaawaan dash bikookan
  so they held the arrow

  dedigoo geshkam beshooj awedi a'a manjoosh
  the bug(s) was soon very close

  odazhi-baabii'aan [baabiiwaan] abinoojiishan
  so they're waiting for the child

  mii dash eta ekwaabiigosig aadisookaan iyedi
  so that is how long this story is

  igiyedpg idash iyedi dash ikidomagag wedi aadisookaan
  what it means, what this story says

  daabishkooj ozaawazhooniyaa manijoosh awedi mii naa gaa-bashtineg
  the golden bug is the Americans

  waaazhooniyaa manijoosh zhaganaash maamwii dash amitigoozhii gaa-dazhiikewaaj omaa
  the silvery bug is the English and the French who live here

  niitam gaa-dagoshinwaaj gaan gii-oji-maanesiiwag
  when they first arrived, there were not many of them

  gii-nitawgiiyaaganiiwag gii-ashamaaganiiwag
  they were cared for, they were fed

  gaa-bi-izhiyebag sa goj awdi ishkwiiyaag
  all the things that have happened in the past

  apiich gaa-dagoshinwaaj waabishkiiyeshch
  when the whites (lit. white-eyes) arrived

  gaan dash azhi dogosiini ge-gidamwaaj ge-miiji'ig
  now they have nothing left to eat up, to eat

  gizhigaadam niibii gaa-e-doodamwaaj
  look at what they have done to the water

  ogii-gabonaanaawaa oji-anamikiishkodeni
  they have dammed it (blocked it) for electricity

  giji-mishiboonchigiwaaj mitigoon ogii-bakobiiwaan
  to drive the logs they put trees in the water

  ogii-onaajiyaan giigoozan
  they spoiled the fish

  miniggig goj gaa-biinikemagizij odinoonashtoon
  everything they have done they destroy

  apiich gaa-gidamwaaj gaan azhi gegooni ge-miijig anishinaaben eta
  after they ate everything up, there was nothing to eat, except the Anishinaabe (Indians)

  mish igiyendoon gaa-biinda-amwaajin
  so that is who they came to eat

  mii imaa ekoseg ezhi-ishkwaaseg i'i aadisookaan iyedi
  and that is as far as this story goes (where it ends)

  mish iyedi anishinaabe ezhi-maamidinendag ezhi-debwetag
  that is the way the Anishinaabe (Indians) think and believe

  gaa-gii-izhi-gakinaamwaaganiiwaaj
  that's what they were taught

  mii dash o'o noogom wedi
  so this is the time

  gichi-manijoosh azhi ezhi-biindamwaan anishinaaben
  the big bug is coming to eat the Anishinaabe (Indians)

  megwaaj dash dazhoozhiyaaganii
  this is being put together now

  bikook goni azhii gii-ozhi'aaganiidog
  the arrow has likely already been made

  goni gii-wiikobiinaaganidog
  perhaps it has been drawn

  megwaaj dazhi-ozhochigaade iyedi
  while all this is happening

  mii azhi imaa e-mademagig aadisookaan
  that's where the story is up to

  mii e-oji-ikidoyaan aadidog ge-izhaatowaa'aaban awedi adisookaan
  that is why I say I don't know where to classify this story

  giinawaa dash igojwaa-izhaatoweg ge-doodamig
  so it is up to you (all) where you put it, what you'll do.

  mii
  the end

(Translated by Christiano Artuso)