--- title: Wiske·djak Cycle., part 3 — Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin… · full text with trees description: Wiske·djak Cycle., part 3, «Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa» by Frank G. Speck: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: So I had some travelling to do and I left him there, and I don’t know where he went. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/7/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/) / Wiske·djak Cycle., part 3 # Wiske·djak Cycle., part 3 Wiske·djak Cycle., part 3 of «Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa» by Frank G. Speck: the whole text, 159 sentences and 2444 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. So I had some travelling to do and I left him there, and I don’t know where he went.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") (5) Wiske·djak Disguises himself as a Lynx.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") One time in winter Wiske·djak was going along and fell upon an Indian’s trail.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") He followed the tracks of the snowshoes and soon came to a place where the Indian had set his rabbit snares.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Wiske·djak saw the rabbits in the snares.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He followed on and finally came to where a Lynx was caught in a snare.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He thought it was a very curious looking creature.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") The Lynx’s eyes were bulging out from being choked in the snare, and his teeth showed.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Wiske·djak admired the Lynx’s bulging eyes.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “Don’t you think your eyes are very pretty?” he asked the Lynx.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, not very,” answered the Lynx, because every thing living or dead had to reply when Wiske·djak asked it a question.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Wiske·djak was very eager to get pretty eyes like the Lynx’s, so he made a fire and roasted the poor Lynx to get its skin off.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Wiske·djak took out his own eyes and pulled the Lynx’s skin on over his own head, so that the bulging eyes of the Lynx fitted into his own eye sockets.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Wiske·djak went on his travels, very well pleased with his looks.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") But he found out that with the Lynx’s eyes he could only see well at night.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") So after a while he became dissatisfied with the new eyes, but he had thrown his own away, so he had to make the best of it.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") He could only travel at night on account of his new eyes.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") So he had to make his living on rabbits, stealing them from the Indians’ snares.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") They were all he could get.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, as he was going along, he stopped and looked at his tracks.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he discovered that his paws were big and broad and so spread out when he walked that they resembled snowshoes.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") They were so broad that he could walk over the snow without snowshoes.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went on.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he decided to watch the Indians, so he sat down on a log near a hunter’s path and waited for someone to come along.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") He waited all night and part of the day.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Finally some Indians came along the path to visit their rabbit snares.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") As they passed they found the rabbits stolen from all their snares, but they did not mind it very much.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Some time after, one of the Indians’ little children came along the trail and saw Wiske·djak with his big face and bulging eyes sitting on the stump.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The child ran back to camp and told his parents that he saw a big wildcat with bulging eyes staring at him from a stump.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the father of the child took his “arrow-head club,” \[8\] and went to where the child said he saw the wildcat.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he started clubbing Wiske·djak to kill him.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") The fight was getting pretty bad, when Wiske·djak cried out, “Hold on, hold on! it isn’t a lynx, it is Wiske·djak that you are pounding to death!”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") And Wiske·djak tore off the lynx skin, and pitched it away.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he took to the bush.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") That’s the last I saw of him.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") (6) Wiske·djak’s Love Affair.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Wiske·djak never got married to a woman.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") But he pretended to get married.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") One time he dressed himself like a woman, with skirts, and tried to deceive a young man, so that he thought Wiske·djak was his wife.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Wiske·djak pretended to be jealous of the man when he went away.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") The other people knew that it was Wiske·djak all the time and laughed to themselves and made fun of the pair.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The young man lived with Wiske·djak for some time, thinking it was his wife.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") But the other people made fun of the young man so much that at last he left Wiske·djak.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Several times he got young men to live with him as their wife, but at last they all left him and he went away by himself.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") He was a queer fellow, that Wiske·djak.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") He never got married because he would not be bothered with a woman, as he had to be travelling all the time.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") (7) Ciŋgəbis.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") Ciŋgəbis was a remarkable fellow, a wonderful diver who could stay underneath the water all day if he wanted to.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") He was married and lived with his wife’s people.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") One time he had some kind of a dispute with them and they would not give in to him.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") So he said he would go away.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") As it was winter time, there was a water hole in the ice on the lake, and he went down and slid into the water and disappeared.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") His relatives spent all day hunting for him along the shores, thinking he might come up along the edge, but he did not.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they went home and gave him up.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") In a few months, when his wife’s brothers were out on the lake in their canoe, they spied a little duck swimming a long way off, and paddled up to him.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") This was Ciŋgəbis.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") When they got near, they recognized him and asked him, “Are you not Ciŋgəbis?”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes,” said he.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") “We thought you were drowned.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Are you coming back again?”[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") “No,” said he, and fluttered his wings and sank out of sight, leaving only his bill above the water, which they could not see.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") This time he stayed under all day, and when night came, he left the country.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") His wife’s people thought he was either dead or gone.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Ciŋgəbis travelled to another village, where he heard there was a beautiful girl.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") When he saw her all dressed up in fine clothes, new and beaded, he wanted to marry her, and asked her parents for her.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") “Who are you?” they asked him.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am Ciŋgəbis,” said he.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") “Why, we heard you were drowned,” said they.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is not true.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Here I am.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") I am Ciŋgəbis and alive.”[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") “You cannot be Ciŋgəbis, because there is only one Ciŋgəbis, and we heard he was drowned.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") But if you are, you cannot marry the girl, because you have another wife.”[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Ciŋgəbis wanted the girl and stayed in the camp.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") He would not leave.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") So that night they put one of the girl’s brothers to sleep alongside of him, so that he could not secretly get to the wigwam where the girls slept.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") During the night he talked with the brother and told him that he would show them how he could stay under water if they would give him the girl.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") The next morning the young man told his parents about it and they talked it over.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") They thought it might be good for their boys to know how to stay under water, and at last gave their consent.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") So they gave Ciŋgəbis the girl, and the next day went out on the lake to see him dive.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") The whole family got in the canoe and they paddled out to the middle of the lake.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” said he, “let me out here.”[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he slid into the water and with his body stiff sank slowly until he was out of sight.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he struck out under water and reached the shore where he hid under some rushes, just leaving his bill above the water.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") His nostrils were at the end of his bill, so he could breathe with only a bit above water.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") They waited for him half the day and, though the water was calm, could not see him, so they gave him up and went home.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") That night he came back, to their surprise.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") They planned to go out again the next day and see him dive again.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") The next day they went out and Ciŋgəbis dove again and swam among some reeds.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") He got under one lying flat, and pushed it just a little above the water so that his nostrils were out of water, yet covered by the stem of the rush.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") There he stayed a couple of hours out of sight.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") When they were about to leave again, Ciŋgəbis shouted, “He\![92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") Here I am.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") Can you see me?”[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") They looked all around but could not see him.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he came up in sight and went back to the canoe.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") He explained how his nostrils were out at the end of his bill and how he got under the reeds and hid there.[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he explained how in the winter time he could dive through an air hole in the ice and swim to where the rushes grew up through the ice, pull down one of the stalks, and put his bill in the opening and get all the air he wanted.[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") Said he, “I can stay there a week or a month, if I want, only I get hungry.[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") Then I dive to the bottom and eat some little mussels and things on the bottom and come up to the hole again.[100](100/ "tree and pragmatics") In that way I can get along under the ice all winter if I like.”[101](101/ "tree and pragmatics") That is how he did.[102](102/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, before long, his first wife’s family heard that Ciŋgəbis was alive and living with another woman.[103](103/ "tree and pragmatics") They got angry and began to conjure to bring sickness upon his new wife and her family.[104](104/ "tree and pragmatics") When his new wife and her people heard of this, they were angry at Ciŋgəbis and wanted him to go away.[105](105/ "tree and pragmatics") But he would not consent.[106](106/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he made an offer, because his mother-in-law wanted her daughter to leave him.[107](107/ "tree and pragmatics") He told them that he would give up his new wife and her family if they would succeed in getting her away from him unknown to him.[108](108/ "tree and pragmatics") When they heard this, they began planning.[109](109/ "tree and pragmatics") For a whole year they thought of different plans.[110](110/ "tree and pragmatics") At last the old mother-in-law said she had a plan, and told everyone in the family to help her get up a big dance and invite all the people to come.[111](111/ "tree and pragmatics") Ciŋgəbis was very jealous of his wife and had his camp apart from the others, lest some man might take a fancy to his wife and take her away.[112](112/ "tree and pragmatics") His jealousy was known everywhere and he never let her out of sight.[113](113/ "tree and pragmatics") Knowing this, the old mother-in-law made her plan.[114](114/ "tree and pragmatics") She sent a special invitation to Ciŋgəbis and his wife and told her sons to try to get him to come.[115](115/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Ciŋgəbis suspected some trick and told his wife not to go to the dance.[116](116/ "tree and pragmatics") “If I have to go, you must stay here at home and not move away from the wigwam.”[117](117/ "tree and pragmatics") When the night of the dance came, they got everything ready—the drum and rattles, and everybody was coming from every camp.[118](118/ "tree and pragmatics") They prepared a kind of drink out of boiled bark and herbs with tobacco juice in it, that would make people dizzy when they drank it.[119](119/ "tree and pragmatics") Ciŋgəbis did not want to go to the dance at first, but everybody coaxed him until he started.[120](120/ "tree and pragmatics") But he told his wife to stay at home and not leave for anything.[121](121/ "tree and pragmatics") Now this was just what the old woman depended on, because she knew how jealous Ciŋgəbis was.[122](122/ "tree and pragmatics") When the dance began, everybody began drinking some of the strong herb liquor and it went to their heads and made them feel good, and dizzy.[123](123/ "tree and pragmatics") The old woman told her sons to keep Ciŋgəbis well supplied with the drink and not to let him leave until late.[124](124/ "tree and pragmatics") She then waited until the dancing was well started and everybody was warmed up to it.[125](125/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she quietly slipped away when she saw that Ciŋgəbis was dancing hard and feeling good with the drink.[126](126/ "tree and pragmatics") He had almost forgotten about his wife and what might happen.[127](127/ "tree and pragmatics") The old woman went off into the woods to where there was a dead spruce stump that was full of ants.[128](128/ "tree and pragmatics") She cut off the stump and got a piece about the length of a person.[129](129/ "tree and pragmatics") The ants are asleep in the cold of night and will not rouse when disturbed.[130](130/ "tree and pragmatics") The stump she took with her to Ciŋgəbis’ wigwam and quietly called to her daughter inside.[131](131/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come, daughter, I have come to take you home away from Ciŋgəbis,” she whispered.[132](132/ "tree and pragmatics") “You get up out of bed and leave everything as it is.”[133](133/ "tree and pragmatics") “All right,” said the girl, and she packed up a few of her things and came out.[134](134/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the old woman took the stump full of ants in and put it beneath the rabbitskin blanket, covered it up just like the girl’s figure sleeping there, and the two then fled to the mother’s camp.[135](135/ "tree and pragmatics") Ciŋgəbis stayed late at the dance.[136](136/ "tree and pragmatics") He drank a great deal of the liquor and got pretty dizzy before he thought about going home.[137](137/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he left the dance and started for his wigwam.[138](138/ "tree and pragmatics") He entered quietly.[139](139/ "tree and pragmatics") “Are you asleep?” he asked of his wife.[140](140/ "tree and pragmatics") There was no answer.[141](141/ "tree and pragmatics") “Aha! that’s good,” said he.[142](142/ "tree and pragmatics") “I’ll let her sleep and then there will be no danger of her being carried away tonight, as I am very sleepy with my weariness and cannot keep awake to watch her tonight.[143](143/ "tree and pragmatics") That’s good; she is sound asleep.”[144](144/ "tree and pragmatics") And he felt her blanket and found what he thought was her figure beneath the rabbitskin.[145](145/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he lay down quietly beside her, so as not to awaken her, and pretty soon was fast asleep.[146](146/ "tree and pragmatics") Before long some of the ants got warmed up by his body and began crawling over him.[147](147/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh! what’s that crawling over me\![148](148/ "tree and pragmatics") Do you know what it is that is creeping over us?” he asked his wife, and gave the stump another poke with his elbow.[149](149/ "tree and pragmatics") No answer.[150](150/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, you are asleep yet.[151](151/ "tree and pragmatics") But that’s good.[152](152/ "tree and pragmatics") There won’t be any danger of your walking about the camp attracting the other men while I am asleep.[153](153/ "tree and pragmatics") But oh! how those things bite.[154](154/ "tree and pragmatics") I wonder what they are!”[155](155/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he dozed off again and was awakened again by the ants stinging him.[156](156/ "tree and pragmatics") He managed to bear it all night, and in the morning woke up suddenly, all bitten up.[157](157/ "tree and pragmatics") He jumped up, threw off the rabbitskin blanket, and instead of his wife there lay the old rotten spruce stump swarming with ants.[158](158/ "tree and pragmatics") (8) Remarks About Wiske·djak.[159](159/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Wiske·djak Cycle., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/6/) - next →: [Timiskaming Algonquin Text.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/8/) - ↑ back to [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/)