--- title: Nanabush and the Young Man and Wife. (no. 5.) — Ojibwa myths and tales · full text with trees description: Nanabush and the Young Man and Wife. (no. 5.), «Ojibwa myths and tales» by Geo. E. Laidlaw: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Told by John York. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/18/) [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/) / [Ojibwa myths and tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/) / Nanabush and the Young Man and Wife. (… # Nanabush and the Young Man and Wife. (no. 5.) Nanabush and the Young Man and Wife. (no. 5.) of «Ojibwa myths and tales» by Geo. E. Laidlaw: the whole text, 60 sentences and 932 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Told by John York.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") A good many years ago two families lived on an Island.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") One family had one son, and the other one daughter.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The two young people got married and lived for a little while when the young wife took sick and died.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The old people buried her on the Island, but the young husband went out after the burying, and the old people saw him lie down near the grave.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Just as soon as he closed his eyes he saw his wife going away.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He followed her for a long time but could not get near enough to catch her, so he went on till night came.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") She said to him (her husband), “We will camp here,” and she made her camp a little way ahead.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") He made his camp behind hers.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") The next morning came and they started again.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") On their way he saw a big house by the roadside, but before they reached the house he heard somebody talk to him and who told him that “this was the place where all the dogs live that you ever owned.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") The ones that you have used badly, and they will pay you for what you have done to them while living.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The man that spoke said to him, “I will help you.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") You take these bags of shoes and when the dogs attack you throw the shoes at them.”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") When the young husband got to the house the dogs attacked him.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") He dropped the bags of shoes and the dogs attacked the shoes and the young man passed out and saw his wife ahead of him the same as usual.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The night came again and they camped out once more.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The next day came and about noon they saw another house on the road ahead.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") When they came to this house they saw some people who invited them to eat, but they did not eat.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the last house to be seen before they got to the place where they were going.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") They went on till they saw a great big house.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") The wife went in ahead and the man came in behind.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") When he got in he saw nothing but a big room full of little beds, but nobody was in the house.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") He went all over the house but could not find his wife so he went out and looked around.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") He saw another house nearby and went over to it.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") He rapped at the door and someone said, “Come in.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He went in and saw an old man sitting down who said to him, “You have come a long way to try and get your wife back.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Once they get in that big house you can’t see them any more, but, if you want help I can help you a lot.”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will be very much obliged if you will,” said the young man.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” the old man said, “There will be a big dance in the big house to-night.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") They do that every time a new man or a new woman gets here.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") I will hide you in my pocket and at the dance I will catch her.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The night came.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as the sun went down people could be heard running around all over (spirits or ghosts).[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") This old man was the man who sang at the dance so he started the dance a little after dark.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") He who was sitting in the pocket was watching his wife.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") He saw her coming and dancing too.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") When she got near the old man caught her and got a very small box and put her in and went out.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") This broke up the dance.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The old man took the box to his house.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") There were two little boxes, one for the wife, and another in which was an oil of some kind.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The old man said to the young husband, “It took you four years to get here and you will get back in two days.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Beware (listen) and do what I say.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") When you get home, get two small stones and make them hot, open the box of oil and let it melt on the stones.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") Cover yourself and the boxes with blankets.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") You listen till you hear her speak and then open the box.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") You will see her alive again.”[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The young husband did all this when he got back home and his wife came to life again.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") They came to where they started at first on the Island.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") There was nobody living there this time so they sat down and after a little while he said, “Do you see that point up there?[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Watch a little while and you will see two canoes coming this way.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") There will be our parents in them.”[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") The canoes came out in the lake straight for the island and when they came near they stopped.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") The old people said, “Someone’s at the grave.”[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") The two young people spoke, “Come on, we got back here again alive.”[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") The old people almost jumped out in the water when they saw their children and heard them talking.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") In olden times people used to believe in feeding the dead by burning some bread and meat (food) over the grave, and this was what brought the parents back to the island at this particular time.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") Note.—(The old man in this story is Nanabush, who was also the man that spoke about the dogs.)[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") This story is from John York, who claims it is a true story and happened in the days gone by.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") NO. 19.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Nanabush and the Four Men. (no. 4.)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/17/) - next →: [The Little Dog Story.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/19/) - ↑ back to [Ojibwa myths and tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/)