The Roc

Ililiw nîpâ-kîwekopan e kî natawešket sâkahikanihk. Mitâwakâm pimâtakâskôpan. Ot eškan piminikâtahamokopan.
ᐃᓕᓕᐤ ᓃᐹ ᑮᐌᑯᐸᓐ ᐁ ᑮ ᓇᑕᐌᔥᑫᑦ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐦᒃ᙮ ᒥᑖᐗᑳᒻ ᐱᒫᑕᑳᔅᑰᐸᓐ᙮ ᐅᑦ ᐁᔥᑲᓐ ᐱᒥᓂᑳᑕᐦᐊᒧᑯᐸᓐ᙮
The man must have been heading home at night after hunting beaver on the lake.  He was walking out on the ice and would have been carrying his chisel over his shoulder.

Mištasiwa mâka kî ohpaholikow. Kî wâpamew kotakiya ililiwa e wâštahowelici, eko mâka e iši-tepwet, “Mištasiw ni pimaholik^w kîlawâw kâ wâštahoweyek^w!”
ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐗ ᒫᑲ ᑮ ᐅᐦᐸᐦᐅᓕᑯᐤ᙮ ᑮ ᐙᐸᒣᐤ ᑯᑕᑭᔭ ᐃᓕᓕᐗ ᐁ ᐙᔥᑕᐦᐅᐌᓕᒋ, ᐁᑯ ᒫᑲ ᐁ ᐃᔑ ᑌᐺᑦ, ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐤ ᓂ ᐱᒪᐦᐅᓕᒄ ᑮᓚᐙᐤ ᑳ ᐙᔥᑕᐦᐅᐌᔦᒄ!
That’s when the Roc plucked him from the ground. Seeing men waving he cries out, “You who are waving! The Roc has taken me!”

Nâspic mâka e išpâpiskâlik kî iši-pakitaholikow ita e iši-itašelici.
ᓈᔅᐱᒡ ᒫᑲ ᐁ ᐃᔥᐹᐱᔅᑳᓕᒃ ᑮ ᐃᔑ ᐸᑭᑕᐦᐅᓕᑯᐤ ᐃᑕ ᐁ ᐃᔑ ᐃᑕᔐᓕᒋ᙮
It dropped him in a high rocky place where it brooded.

Môšak mâka kihcilâw Mištasiw e natawahot. Misiwe mâka tôwihkâna petaholew, atihkwa nešta môswa.
ᒨᔕᒃ ᒫᑲ ᑭᐦᒋᓛᐤ ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐤ ᐁ ᓇᑕᐗᐦᐅᑦ᙮ ᒥᓯᐌ ᒫᑲ ᑑᐎᐦᑳᓇ ᐯᑕᐦᐅᓓᐤ, ᐊᑎᐦᑾ ᓀᔥᑕ ᒨᔀ᙮
Now, the Roc would constantly fly off to hunt. It would bring back all kinds of animals, caribou and moose.

Ana ililiw nâspic kî nanâhîhkawew mištašîšiša e ašamât wacištonihk e ihtâlici. Misiwe kekwâliw tôtamawew.
ᐊᓇ ᐃᓕᓕᐤ ᓈᔅᐱᒡ ᑮ ᓇᓈᐦᐄᐦᑲᐌᐤ ᒥᔥᑕᔒᔑᔕ ᐁ ᐊᔕᒫᑦ ᐗᒋᔥᑐᓂᐦᒃ ᐁ ᐃᐦᑖᓕᒋ᙮ ᒥᓯᐌ ᑫᒀᓕᐤ ᑑᑕᒪᐌᐤ᙮
The man really took care of the young rocs as he fed them in their nest. He did everything for them.

Keka mihcet^w waškwaya petahotâw Mištasiw. Eko ana ililiw pâsipitahk e wacištonihkawât mištasiwa.
ᑫᑲ ᒥᐦᒉᑦ ᐗᔥᑾᔭ ᐯᑕᐦᐅᑖᐤ ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐤ᙮ ᐁᑯ ᐊᓇ ᐃᓕᓕᐤ ᐹᓯᐱᑕᐦᒃ ᐁ ᐗᒋᔥᑐᓂᐦᑲᐙᑦ ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐗ᙮
By and by the Roc brings back much birch bark, which the man rips to pieces as he makes their nest.

Nâspic kispakihkwašikopan Mištasiw e nipât. šay mâka wawânelihtam ililiw ke tôtahk. Itelihtam, “Nika wî kakwe-nipahâwak. Mâhti! Nika saskahwâwak mekwâc e nipâcik waškwâhk e pimišihkik.” Keka peyakwâw mekwâc e nipâlici kî saskahwew eko wetatâmahwât ot eškan ohci. Misiwe mâka kî nipahew.
ᓈᔅᐱᒡ ᑭᔅᐸᑭᐦᑾᔑᑯᐸᓐ ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐤ ᐁ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮ ᐋᔕᔾ ᒫᑲ ᐗᐙᓀᓕᐦᑕᒻ ᐃᓕᓕᐤ ᑫ ᑑᑕᐦᒃ᙮ ᐃᑌᓕᐦᑕᒻ, ᓂᑲ ᐐ ᑲᑴ ᓂᐸᐦᐋᐗᒃ᙮ ᒫᐦᑎ, ᓂᑲ ᓴᔅᑲᐦᐙᐗᒃ ᒣᒀᒡ ᐁ ᓂᐹᒋᒃ ᐗᔥᒀᐦᒃ ᐁ ᐱᒥᔑᐦᑭᒃ! ᑫᑲ ᐯᔭᒀᐤ ᒣᒀᒡ ᐁ ᓂᐹᓕᒋ ᑮ ᓴᔅᑲᐦᐌᐤ ᐁᑯ ᐌᑕᑖᒪᐦᐙᑦ ᐅᑦ ᐁᔥᑲᓐ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ ᒥᓯᐌ ᒫᑲ ᑮ ᓂᐸᐦᐁᐤ᙮
The Roc must have passed out hard when it slept. Now the man is already at a loss for what to do. He thinks to himself, “I’m going to have to try to kill them. Let me see, I’ll light them up as they lie asleep in the birch bark!” In due course, one day as they slept, the man lit them on fire and beat them with his chisel. He killed them all.

Eko mâka etelihtahk, “Tânte kê kî kîweyân?” Peyak^w mâka mištašîšiša ospiskwanâliw e šîkwâhkahtelik pîhcišimolow. Eko tiyîhtipipalihot nâspic e išpâpiskâlik ohci. Keka kipihcipaliw. Walawîw. Itâpiw. Akâwâc tepâpahtam askîliw. Tâpiskôc aštâhkonak e aspišimonihkâniwahk išinâkwan e išinâkosicik mištikwak.
ᐁᑯ ᒫᑲ ᐁᑌᓕᐦᑕᒃ, ᑖᓐᑌ ᑫ ᑮ ᑮᐌᔮᓐ? ᐯᔭᒄ ᒫᑲ ᒥᔥᑕᔒᔑᔕ ᐅᔅᐱᔅᑾᓈᓕᐤ ᐁ ᔒᒀᐦᑲᐦᑌᓕᒃ ᐲᐦᒋᔑᒧᓗᐤ᙮ ᐁᑯ ᑎᔩᐦᑎᐱᐸᓕᐦᐅᑦ ᓈᔅᐱᒡ ᐁ ᐃᔥᐹᐱᔅᑳᓕᒃ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ ᑫᑲ ᑭᐱᐦᒋᐸᓕᐤ᙮ ᐗᓚᐐᐤ᙮ ᐃᑖᐱᐤ᙮ ᐊᑳᐙᒡ ᑌᐹᐸᐦᑕᒻ ᐊᔅᑮᓕᐤ᙮ ᑖᐱᔅᑰᒡ ᐊᔥᑖᐦᑯᓇᒃ ᐁ ᐊᔅᐱᔑᒧᓂᐦᑳᓂᐗᐦᒃ ᐃᔑᓈᑾᓐ ᐁ ᐃᔑᓈᑯᓯᒋᒃ ᒥᔥᑎᑾᒃ᙮
He then thinks to himself, “How will I manage to get home?” Of the little rocs’ incinerated bodies, only their backs remained. Squeezing himself into one of these backs, he rolls himself down from that high rocky place. Eventually he stops rolling. He climbs out. He looks around. He can barely see the earth. The trees (look so small) they resemble a litter of boughs.

Eko mîna tiyîhtipipalihot. Mîna kipihcipaliw. Ewako ôma askiy.
ᐁᑯ ᒦᓇ ᑎᔩᐦᑎᐱᐸᓕᐦᐅᑦ᙮ ᒦᓇ ᑭᐱᐦᒋᐸᓕᐤ᙮ ᐁᐗᑯ ᐆᒪ ᐊᔅᑮ᙮
So he rolls himself down again and again he stops. This then is the earth.

Eko welawît. Eko miyâcît. Ililiwa otihtew ekâ e nihtâ-mîcisolici, piko e milâhtamilici. Ekwâni e tôtamilici e mîcisolici. Kî ašamikow mâka. Eko mâka peyak^w ot awâšimišiliwa kâ kiskinawâpamikot e mîcisot.
ᐁᑯ ᐌᓚᐐᑦ᙮ ᐁᑯ ᒥᔮᒌᑦ᙮ ᐃᓕᓕᐗ ᐅᑎᐦᑌᐤ ᐁᑳ ᐁ ᓂᐦᑖ ᒦᒋᓱᓕᒋ, ᐱᑯ ᐁ ᒥᓛᐦᑕᒥᓕᒋ᙮ ᐁᒀᓂ ᐁ ᑑᑕᒥᓕᒋ ᐁ ᒦᒋᓱᓕᒋ᙮ ᑮ ᐊᔕᒥᑯᐤ ᒫᑲ᙮ ᐁᑯ ᒫᑲ ᐯᔭᒄ ᐅᑦ ᐊᐙᔑᒥᔑᓕᐗ ᑳ ᑭᔅᑭᓇᐙᐸᒥᑯᑦ ᐁ ᒦᒋᓱᑦ᙮
So he gets out and then starts off. He reaches a group of people that do not know how to eat for real – they only smell. That’s how they eat. So they fed him and one of their children learned how to eat by watching him.

Mîna mâka wetihtât aweliwa – ewakwânihi wîwa. Namawîla mâka ohci kiskelimikow wîwa wîla e âwit. Ôma mâka kî itew, “Nîla ô kâ kî kihtaholit Mištasiw!”
ᒦᓇ ᒫᑲ ᐌᑎᐦᑖᑦ ᐊᐌᓕᐗ – ᐁᐗᒀᓂᐦᐃ ᐐᐗ᙮ ᓇᒪᐐᓚ ᒫᑲ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑭᔅᑫᓕᒥᑯᐤ ᐐᐗ ᐐᓚ ᐁ ᐋᐎᑦ᙮ ᐆᒪ ᒫᑲ ᑮ ᐃᑌᐤ, ᓃᓚ ᐆ ᑳ ᑮ ᑭᐦᑕᐦᐅᓕᑦ ᒥᔥᑕᓯᐤ!
Again he reaches someone, this one is his wife. She does not know however that it is him (he must have been unrecognizable by then). So he says to her, “I am the one that was taken by the Roc!”

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This story was first published in 1881 in Horden’s A Grammar of Cree Language under the name “An Indian’s Adventure.” Although it was first published in an Anglican alphabetic orthography and provided with an interlinear translation, Horden described it as a story first “written by a native in the syllabic characters…” that was included in the grammar so language learners could get a sense of “the Cree idiom and the arrangement of words in sentences.” As a traditional story originally written by a native Moose Cree-speaker in the late 1800s, it is perhaps one of the earliest examples of a genuine Cree language âtayôhkân. In this blogpost, the alphabetic orthography has been modernized and provided with its equivalent in syllabics. The story was also retranslated into English for the benefit of non-Cree speakers. Finally, a few minor adjustments and corrections were made to the text to facilitate its reading. This story was published on this blog on June 24, 2015.

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Reading Syllabics: Lesson 2

Lesson 2

Cardinal Characters

In this lesson you will learn how to read two characters along with their superscript counterparts. You will also learn how to read new words as you work your way through the lesson. Are you ready?

ᐦᐋᐤ!

The first character of this lesson is pronounced like the pe in sped, never like the pe in pet or the be in bed. This is what it looks like:

ᐯ

As you can see, what would take a consonant and a vowel in English is expressed as one character in Cree. Memorize its shape as you repeat its sound, paying close attention to the direction in which it points. Let’s now move on to the next character.

ᐱ

This character has the same shape as the first character, but it points in a different direction. This one is pronounced like the pi in spit or the pea in speak. Memorize its shape as you repeat its sound, paying close attention to the direction in which it points. When a fuller or longer vowel sound is required, a dot is place above this character, for example:

ᐲ

Accompanied by a dot, this character now sounds like the pee in speed. The next character also shares the same shape as the first two characters, but again this one points in another direction.

ᐳ

This character is pronounced like the poo in spook. Its vowel sound may also be pronounced closer to the one in book. Once again, to achieve a fuller or longer sound, a dot is placed above the vowel.

ᐴ

Accompanied by the overhead dot, it now sounds like the poo in spoon. Memorize its shape as you repeat its sound, again paying attention to the direction in which it points. Only one character left!

ᐸ ᐹ

The plain form on the left is pronounced like the pu in sputter or the pa in spat. The dotted one on the right has a fuller and longer sound, courtesy of the overhead dot. This one sounds like the pa in spam. Memorize the shape and the direction in which this last character points. You have now learned a complete set!

ᐯ       ᐱ       ᐳ       ᐸ

As you may have noticed, there are quite a few similarities between the above set and the one you’ve learned in lesson 1. For starters, both sets contain a single shape that can point in four different directions to indicate four different vowels.

This is crucial to understand!

The Cree syllabary may not contain many different shapes, but each one can be rotated in one of four directions. Once you’ve memorized the directions and their associated vowels, the rest is a piece of cake! For both sets you’ve just learn, the vowels are associated with the four cardinal directions. Here is a mnemonic device to help you remember the directions and their associated vowels.

ᐃ
ᐱ
ᐊ ᐸ ᐳ ᐅ
ᐯ
ᐁ

Now that you’ve learned two full sets and the directions in which they point, this third set below will be a breeze. Here is the first character of this set:

ᑌ

This character sounds like the tea of instead, never like the te in Ted or the dea in dead. Notice how this character points downwards? Do you see how a pattern is emerging? Think of the directions in which the characters of the first two sets point as you learn the following third set.

ᑌ ᑎ ᑐ ᑕ

Take your time to memorize this shape and the four directions in which it points. Listen to the audio track as many times as you need to help you remember the vowels associated with its four directions. You have now learned all the cardinal characters, meaning those that point in the four cardinal directions! Here they are assembled in the mnemonic device seen above.

ᐃ
ᐱ
ᑎ
ᐊ ᐸ ᑕ ᑐ ᐳ ᐅ
ᑌ
ᐯ
ᐁ

Remember that fuller or longer vowels can be indicated on the last three members of each of these three sets using an overhead dot. A final w indicated by the superscript circle may also follow any of these characters.

Now, let’s practice reading a few words!

1. This first one is a small creature that lives in wet places, can you make out its name?

ᑌᐦᑌᐤ

2. This next one is how a child would talk about sleeping. Can you figure it out?

ᐯᐯᐤ

3. What would you tell a child who is standing on his chair?

ᐊᐱᐦ!

4. If you don’t want someone to leave without you, what might you say?

ᐯᐦᐃᐦ!

You’ve only learned two new shapes and already you’re reading a bunch of new words! Let’s keep going, shall we?

You may have noticed how the above sets all feature syllables containing a consonant sound along with a vowel sound. In order to write a consonant sound without any accompanying vowel, the last character of any set is spelled as a superscript symbol. Notice how these superscript characters are identical to the last character of the sets you’ve just learned.

ᐯ, ᐱ, ᐳ, ᐸ, ᑉ
ᑌ, ᑎ, ᑐ, ᑕ, ᑦ

Here are two words that you can now read that make use of these smaller consonantal symbols. The first one means when he is laughing and the second one means around.

ᐁ ᐹᐦᐱᑦ
ᑌᑎᑉ

There remains one final symbol to review – the initial dot seen in lesson 1. As you may recall, placing this dot in front of a character produces an initial w. This poses no problem for the vowel set learned in lesson 1 since the w simply precedes any of the vowels that follow it. But what about the sets you’ve learned in the above lesson?

When a dot precedes a character that is composed of a consonantal sound followed by a vowel sound, the w is pronounced between the consonant and vowel. The following word means he is telling the truth. Try to read it to understand how the initial dot indicates that a vowel is pronounced within a syllable.

ᑖᐺᐤ

In this lesson, you have learned to read ten characters, eight of which represented a combination of a consonant sound and a vowel sound, and two of which were plain consonants. You’ve also learned that the vowels associated with these characters can be lengthened by the addition of an overhead dot. You’ve seen how the final superscript circle indicates that a w is pronounced after the character and you’ve also seen how an initial dot indicates that a w must be pronounced between the consonant sound and the vowel sound associated with each character. More importantly, you’ve learned that the three first sets of characters all pattern according to the cardinal directions and that the vowels associated with these directions remain constant from one set to the next. Having learned all this has allowed you to read the following words:

ᐊᐱᐦ
ᐁ ᐊᐱᑦ
ᐁ ᐹᐦᐱᑦ
ᐯᐯᐤ
ᐯᐦᐃᐦ
ᐯᐦᐅᐤ
ᐹᐹ
ᑌᐺᐤ
ᑌᑎᑉ
ᑖᐺᐤ
ᑌᐦᑌᐤ

And many more!

Reading Syllabics: Lesson 1

Many go through life never knowing how to read in Cree, some having assumed that syllabics must be too difficult to acquire. Nothing can be further from the truth! Syllabics are an intuitive writing system that can be acquired with little effort, so long as that effort be consistent. Once acquired, a whole new world opens up to the reader. Aside from being able to read signs, posters, and pamphlets in one’s community, a wide set of Cree books will suddenly be accessible. Cree language books display a wide range of topics including cooking, education, harvesting the land, history, religion, and sacred stories. Of course, a whole set of posts on this very blog will also become intelligible. But most importantly, having learned how to read, one may eventually learn how to write – and we are in desperate need of writers! Cree literacy is a skill that can enrich one’s life immensely. So without further ado, shall we begin?

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Lesson 1

Vowels

In this lesson you will learn how to read the four basic vowels and how these may be marked for length. You will also learn how w‘s  and h‘s are indicated. By the end of the lesson you will be able to read a few basic, but important, Cree words! Try to memorize the individual characters and the first few words presented in this lesson.

ᐁ

This first character sounds like the e in bed. Memorize its shape as you repeat its sound, paying close attention to the direction in which it points. You’ve now learned to read your first Cree word, a conjunction that can be translated as that, when, or as.

ᐦ

This second character sounds like the h in ahead. Memorize its shape. You’ve now learned two characters that together allow you to read a second Cree word, an exclamation that means yes.

ᐁᐦᐁ

The next character looks exactly like the first one above, except that it points upwards instead of downwards.

ᐃ

This character has two sounds. Although it usually sounds like the i in bit, when it occurs at the beginning of a word or after the character ᐦ it will sound like the the ea in beat. Memorize its shape while paying close attention to the direction in which it points. You’ve now learned a character that allows you to read another Cree word, an exclamation that also means yes, but that is only used in northern dialects.

ᐃᐦᐃ

When a fuller or longer vowel sound is required, a dot is place above this character.

ᐄ

Accompanied by a dot, this vowel now sounds like the ea in bead. Notice how the ea in bead is pronounced longer than the ea in beat. You’ve now learned how to read two vowels and one consonant. You also know that a dot above a vowel indicates a longer vowel. Let’s move on!

ᐅ

The above character can be pronounced like the oo in book or the oo in boot. As with the previous character, the second sound will usually be heard at the beginning of a word or after an ᐦ. Memorize this vowel while paying close attention to the direction in which it points.

ᐆ

Once again, to achieve a fuller or longer sound, a dot is placed above the vowel. Accompanied by this dot, the vowel now sounds like the oo in brood. Notice how the oo in brood sounds longer than the oo in boot. This is now the fourth Cree word you’ve learned to read! This dotted character, as you have probably guessed, means this one. Having learned the above characters, you can now also read a variant of this word, spelled as follows:

ᐆᐦᐁ

Only one vowel left to learn! Here it is followed by its dotted counterpart:

ᐊ ᐋ

The character on the left can be pronounced like the u in cup or like the a in cap. Its dotted counterpart will be pronounced like the a in cab. Notice how the a in cab is longer than the a in cap. Alone, this dotted vowel is a marker for yes/no questions. You can now read the following question, meaning Is it this one?

ᐆ ᐋ?

Of course, if the answer is affirmative, you can now read it, too!

ᐁᐦᐁ!

You’ve now learned to read the four Cree vowels, three of which can be lengthened by the addition of an overhead dot. You’ve also learned one consonant. Together, these characters have already allowed you to read quite a few Cree words. It is crucial that you pay close attention to the direction in which these vowel characters point. These characters are traditionally memorized in the following order:

ᐁ       ᐃ       ᐅ       ᐊ

As you may have noticed, only the last three characters can be accompanied by the overhead dot. Another dot, however, can precede any of the above characters to indicate a preceding w.

ᐌ       ᐎ       ᐒ       ᐗ

The last three characters can simultaneously take an overhead dot, indicating a long vowel, and a preceding dot, indicating a preceding w. Knowing this will allow you to read two more Cree words: ᐐ, a marker of volition that precedes verbs; and ᐙ, a common response when someone has called your name or when you’ve misheard something directed at you.

We end our lesson with one final character, the final w. This character is written as a superscript circle following another character. Notice where it is placed in the following word.

ᐙᐤ

The above word contains the overhead dot to indicate a long vowel and also contains both the preceding w, indicated by an initial dot, and a final w, indicated by a final superscript circle. This word, which you are now able to read, means egg. You can now also read this final word of encouragement!

ᐦᐋᐤ! 

In this lesson, you have learned to read seven characters – four basic vowels and one consonant. You have also learned how three of the vowel characters are lengthened by the addition of an overhead dot. Finally, you’ve learned how to read preceding w‘s, indicated by a preceding dot, and final w‘s, indicated by the final superscript circle. Having learned these basic symbols has allowed you to read the following words:

ᐁ
ᐁᐦᐁ!
ᐃᐦᐃ!
ᐆ
ᐆᐦᐁ
… ᐋ?
ᐙ?
ᐙᐤ
ᐦᐋᐤ!

Believe it or not, this will have been the most difficult lesson to learn! In the following lessons you will learn the other consonantal characters, all of which obey the possible combinations presented above. It is therefore crucial to properly assimilate the information presented above. Read through the lesson multiple times if need be and practice writing the characters out. You can also draw a chart to memorize the directions in which the vowels point or even use cue cards to help you memorize them along with the nine words above.

Practice makes perfect!

ᐋᐱᑯᔒᔥ ᑳ ᐐᐦᑯᒋᐦᐋᑦ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤᐦ

ᒌ ᐹᔑᑖᐦᑕᐐᔥᑖᑯᐤ ᐋᐱᑯᔒᔕ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤ ᒣᒀᒡ ᐁ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮ ᐁ ᐗᐌᔅᐹᐌᔥᑳᑯᑦ ᒫᒃ ᒌ ᑳᐦᒋᑎᓀᐤ ᐁ ᐐ ᒧᐙᑦ᙮ ᒌ ᓇᑐᒥᑯᐤ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐋᐱᑯᔒᔕ ᐁᑳ ᒉ ᓂᐸᐦᐋᑦ᙮ ᐁᑳ ᒫᒃ ᓂᐸᐦᐋᑌ ᒌ ᐊᔓᑕᒫᑯᐤ ᒦᔥᑯᒡ ᒉ ᐐᒋᐦᐃᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᑌ ᓃᑳᓂᐦᒡ᙮ ᒌ ᐅᔑᓇᐌᐤ ᒥᒄ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤ, ᐁᒄ ᑳ ᐸᒋᑎᓈᑦ᙮ ᐹᑎᒫᔒᔥ ᒫᒃ ᒌ ᑳᐦᒋᑎᓂᑯᐤ ᐃᔨᓂᐤᐦ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤ ᐁᒄ ᑳ ᒫᐦᑯᐱᑎᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᑌ ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦᒡ᙮ ᐃᔥᑯᑕᒃ ᑳ ᐯᐦᑕᐙᑦ ᐋᐱᑯᔒᔥ ᐁ ᒨᔅᑰᐦᐱᓀᔨᒡᐦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤᐦ, ᒌ ᓈᒋᐸᐦᐁᐤ ᒉ ᐸᔅᑲᐦᑕᒸᑦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐊᐱᓯᔨᐤ ᒉᒌ ᐐᐦᑯᒋᐦᐋᑦ᙮ ᒋᒌ ᐅᔑᓇᐎᓐ ᐊᓄᐦᒌᐦᑳᓐ ᐁ ᒌ ᐃᑌᔨᒥᔭᓐ ᒉᔥᑎᓈᔥ ᐁᑳ ᒉ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐐᒋᐦᐃᑖᓐ, ᒌ ᐃᑌᐤ, ᐊᓄᐦᒌᔥ ᒫᒃ ᒋ ᒋᔅᒉᔨᐦᑌᓐ ᐋᑕ ᐁ ᐋᐱᑯᔒᔑᐎᔮᓐ ᔮᐱᒡ ᒋᑲ ᒌ ᐐᒋᐦᐃᑎᓐ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Lion and the Mouse, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #150). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

ᓃᔑᑣᐌᓂᒡ ᐲᓯᒧᒡ

ᐯᔭᒀᐤ ᐁ ᓃᐱᓂᔨᒡ ᒌ ᒥᔻᑕᒧᒡ ᒥᓯᐌ ᐊᐌᓰᓴᒡ ᐁ ᓃᔓᑳᐸᐎᔨᑣᐤᐦ ᐲᓯᒶ᙮ ᑌᐦᑌᐗᒡ ᐌᔥᑕᐐᔭᐙᐤ ᒌ ᒥᔻᑕᒧᒡ᙮ ᐯᔭᒄ ᒫᒃ ᐁ ᑕᔑᑣᐤ ᒌ ᐃᑗᐤ, ᒋ ᒌᔥᑴᓈᐙᐤ ᐋ? ᒉᒀᓐ ᐌᐦᒋ ᒥᔻᑕᒣᒄ? ᐋᔥ ᑌᐯᔨᐦᑖᑯᓯᐤ ᐯᔭᒄ ᐲᓯᒽ ᒉᒌ ᐹᐦᒀᓴᐦᒃ ᑳ ᐊᔑᔥᒌᐙᑲᒫᔑᔨᒀᐤᐦ᙮ ᐐᒋᒫᑌ ᒫᒃ ᐃᔅᑴᐤᐦ ᐁᒄ ᐅᑕᐙᔑᒥᔑᑣᐌᓂᒡ, ᓈᔥᑖᐺ ᒋᑲ ᒪᒋᐸᔨᓈᓇᐤ!

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Frog and the Sun, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #314). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

ᒪᐦᒉᔑᐤ ᓀᔥᑦ ᐋᐦᐋᓯᐤ

ᐋᐦᐋᓯᐤ ᒌ ᐊᑯᓰᐤ ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦᒡ ᐁ ᑕᐦᑯᐦᑕᐦᒃ ᐅᔮᓯᔨᐤ ᑳ ᒋᒧᑎᑦ᙮ ᒪᐦᒉᔑᐤᐦ ᒫᒃ ᑳ ᐙᐸᒥᑯᑦ ᒌ ᓇᑕᐌᔨᐦᑕᒫᑯᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᔮᓯᒻ ᑳ ᑕᐦᑯᐦᑕᐦᒃ᙮ ᐁ ᓃᐸᐎᔨᒡᐦ ᐊᓂᑌ ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᑯᐦᒡ ᒌ ᐊᑎ ᐐᐦᑕᒫᑯᐤ ᐊᓐ ᐋᐦᐋᓯᐤ ᐁ ᐃᔅᐱᔑ ᒥᔪᓈᑯᓯᑦ᙮

ᒌᔾ ᒋᐸ ᓃᑳᓀᔨᐦᑖᑯᓰᔥᑕᐙᐗᒡ ᑯᑕᑲᒡ ᐱᔦᔒᔕᒡ, ᒌ ᐃᑎᑯᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᒪᐦᒉᔑᐤᐦ, ᒉᔥᑎᓈᔥ ᒋᐸ ᒌ ᓃᑳᓀᔨᐦᑖᑯᓯᓐ ᒣᔪᐦᑖᑯᓯᐗᓀ ᒥᒄ᙮

ᓈᔥᑖᐺ ᐁ ᒌ ᓇᑕᐌᔨᒫᑦ ᒉ ᐯᐦᑖᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᒪᐦᒉᔑᐤᐦ ᐁ ᐃᔅᐱᔑ ᒥᔪᐦᑖᑯᓯᑦ ᒌ ᐸᒋᑕᐦᑕᒻ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᔮᓯᔨᐤ ᐁ ᐊᑎ ᒋᑐᑦ᙮

ᑏᐌᐦᒡ ᒫᒃ ᒌ ᓈᒋᐸᐦᑣᐤ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒪᐦᒉᔑᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᔮᓯᔨᐤ ᒉᒌ ᒦᒋᑦ, ᐁᒄ ᐁᑖᑦ, ᔦᑆᐦᑳᐗᓀ ᒫᒃ ᐊᔑᒡ, ᑖᐺ ᒋᑲ ᒌ ᓃᑳᓀᔨᐦᑖᑯᓯᓐ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Fox and the Crow, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #124). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

 

ᑳ ᒥᔑᒋᑎᑦ ᒥᒄ ᐱᑕᐦᐅᔮᑲᓂᐎᐤ

ᐁ ᓈᑕᐦᔭᐯᑦ ᓈᐯᐤ ᒌ ᐹᐦᐱᓯᔅᑳᐸᒣᐤ ᐁ ᐱᑕᐦᐅᔮᑦ ᒥᒄ ᐁ ᒫᒥᔑᒋᑎᔨᑣᐤᐦ ᓇᒣᓴ᙮ ᓇᒣᓴᒡ ᒫᒃ ᑳ ᐊᔮᐱᔒᔑᔑᑣᐤ ᒌ ᐸᔅᐸᐦᐊᒨᑐᒉᓂᒡ ᐌᓵ ᐁ ᒌ ᐸᔅᒋᓯᔨᒡᐦ ᐊᐦᔭᐱᔾᐦ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of Little Fish Escape the Net, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #282). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

ᑳ ᒋᐦᑎᒥᑦ ᒀᔥᑯᐦᑕᐦᐆᔥ

ᐯᔭᒀᐤ ᐁ ᐱᐳᓂᔨᒡ ᒌ ᓂᐲᐗᓂᔨᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᒦᒋᒥᐙᐤ ᐅᒋᒉᓕᑰᔕᒡ᙮ ᒣᒀᒡ ᒫᒃ ᐁ ᐹᓴᐦᒀᐤ ᐅᒦᒋᒥᐙᐤ ᒌ ᐯᒋ ᐸᑯᓯᐦᐃᑯᐤ ᑳ ᔒᐗᑌᔨᒡᐦ ᒀᔥᑯᐦᑕᐦᐆᔕ᙮ ᒉᒀᓐ ᐌᐦᒋ ᐁᑳ ᐅᐦᒋ ᒫᐗᒋᐦᑖᔭᓐ ᒋ ᒦᒋᒻ ᑳ ᓃᐱᐦᒡ, ᒬᐦᒡ ᓃᔮᓐ? ᒌ ᐃᑌᐗᒡ᙮ ᓇᒪᐐᔾ ᓅᐦᒋ ᐃᔅᐱᔒᓐ, ᒌ ᐃᑎᑯᐗᒡ, ᓂᒌ ᐅᑕᒥ ᓂᑲᒧᓐ᙮ ᑖᐺ ᒫᒃ ᒌ ᐅᔑᓇᐌᐗᒡ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᒀᔥᑯᐦᑕᐦᐆᔕ ᑳ ᐃᑎᑯᑣᐤ᙮ ᐁᒄ ᐁᑖᑣᐤ, ᐁ ᒌ ᓂᑲᒧᔭᓐ ᑳ ᓃᐱᐦᒡ, ᓃᒥᐦ ᒫᒃ ᐁ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Cicada and the Ant, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #373). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

ᐁᑳ ᑳ ᓂᐸᐦᑖᑦ ᒉᒀᔨᐤ

ᒌ ᐙᐸᒣᐤ ᐙᐙᔥᑫᔑᐤᐦ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤ ᒬᐦᒡ ᐁ ᐐ ᒧᐙᑦ ᐙᐳᔡ ᑳ ᒥᔅᑲᐙᑦ ᐁ ᓂᐹᔨᒡᐦ᙮ ᒌ ᓇᑲᑌᐤ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐙᐳᔡ ᒉᒌ ᓅᔅᐱᓇᑖᑦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐙᐙᔥᑫᔑᐤᐦ᙮ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒫᒃ ᐙᐳᔥ ᒌ ᐗᐌᔅᐹᐌᒫᑲᓂᐎᐤ ᐁᒄ ᑳ ᐅᔑᒧᑦ᙮ ᓀᐎᔥ ᒫᒃ ᑳ ᐱᒥᑎᔕᐦᐙᑦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐙᐙᔥᑫᔑᐤᐦ ᒌ ᒋᔅᒉᔨᐦᑕᒻ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒥᔑᐱᔑᐤ ᐁᑳ ᒉᒌ ᑳᐦᒋᑎᓈᑦ᙮ ᑳ ᐐ ᒌᐌᑐᑕᐙᑦ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐙᐳᔡ ᓇᒪᐐᔾ ᐅᐦᒋ ᒥᔅᑲᐌᐤ, ᐋᔥ ᐁ ᒌ ᐅᔑᒧᔨᒡᐦ ᑲᔭᐹ᙮ ᓂ ᒣᔮᐗᒉᔨᒧᓐ ᑖᐺ, ᒌ ᐃᑎᑎᓱᐤ, ᐁ ᒌ ᓇᑲᑕᒫᓐ ᒦᒋᒻ ᐋᔥ ᐁ ᒌ ᐊᔮᔮᓐ ᒥᒄ ᐁᑕᑕᐤ ᐁ ᐐ ᐊᔮᔮᓐ ᑯᑕᒃ ᒉᒀᓐ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Lion and the Hare, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #148). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.

[ᓂ ᓇᓈᔅᑯᒫᐤ Carolyn Moskowitz ᑳ ᐸᒋᑎᓂᑦ ᒉ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑖᐗᒃ ᐅᐗᔭᓯᓇᐦᐃᒉᐎᓐ᙮ ᐐ ᐙᐸᐦᑕᒧᐗᑌ ᑯᑕᒃᐦ ᒉᒀᓂᐦᐃ ᑳ ᐗᔭᓯᓇᐦᐊᐦᒃ, ᒉ ᑖᐦᑲᐦᐊᒧᐗᑦ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᐗᔭᓯᓇᐦᐃᒉᐎᓐ ᒉᒌ ᓇᑕᐙᐸᐦᑕᒧᐗᑦ᙮]

ᑳ ᒪᔥᑲᐙᐦᑯᒋᑦ ᒋᓀᐱᒄ

ᐯᔭᒀᐤ ᐁ ᐱᐳᓂᔨᒡ, ᒌ ᒥᔅᑲᐌᐤ ᓈᐯᐤ ᒋᓀᐱᑾ ᐁ ᒪᔥᑲᐙᐦᑯᒋᔨᒡᐦ᙮ ᐁ ᒌ ᒋᑎᒫᒋᓇᐙᑦ ᒫᒃ ᒌ ᐅᑎᓀᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᒋᓀᐱᑾ ᒉᒌ ᒌᔔᔥᑲᐙᑦ᙮ ᑳ ᐊᑎ ᐋᐸᐎᐸᔨᑦ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᒋᓀᐱᒄ ᑳᐤ ᒌ ᐙᔅᑲᒣᔨᐦᑕᒻ᙮ ᑳ ᒨᔑᐦᐅᑦ ᒫᒃ ᐁ ᑕᐦᑯᓈᑲᓂᐎᑦ ᒌ ᒫᑯᒣᐤ ᐊᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᑳ ᒌᔔᔥᑳᑯᑦ ᒉᒌ ᓂᐸᐦᐋᑦ᙮ ᑳ ᐊᑎ ᐴᓂ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᑦ ᐊᓂᐦᐁ ᓈᐯᐤ ᒌ ᐃᑗᐤ, ᓂ ᒣᔮᐗᒉᔨᒧᓐ ᑳ ᒋᑎᒫᒉᔨᒪᒃ ᒋᓀᐱᒄ ᑳ ᒫᔮᑎᓰᑦ᙮

The above is a Southern East Cree translation of The Man Who Warmed a Snake, a fable of Aesop (Perry Index #176). This version is based on S. A. Handford’s English translation, published in 1954.