--- title: Nanabush and the Ducks. (no. 8.) — Ojibwa myths and tales · full text with trees description: Nanabush and the Ducks. (no. 8.), «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/pg76755/25/) [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 Ducks. (no. 8.) # Nanabush and the Ducks. (no. 8.) Nanabush and the Ducks. (no. 8.) of «Ojibwa myths and tales» by Geo. E. Laidlaw: the whole text, 45 sentences and 631 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") One time Nanabush was walking, very tired and hungry.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") He came to a lake and looking around he saw a very nice sandy beach.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Well, he thought, this is a nice shore to kill some ducks.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") There were lots of ducks on the lake.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He called one of the ducks which came to him.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He asked the duck, “Is your Chief Duck here at any place?”[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") He is here at the present time.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") He is chief of all kinds of ducks,” the duck replied.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Nanabush then said, “I would like to see him and have a talk.”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") The duck said, “If you would like to see him I will go and get him.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Nanabush said, “Yes, go and bring him here.”[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") The Chief Duck came.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” Nanabush said, “do you know what is going to take place here very soon?”[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “No,” said the Chief Duck.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” said Nanabush, “there is going to be a big dance.”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") “Who is going to furnish the music?” said the Chief Duck.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am going to furnish the music,” said Nanabush and he reached out his hand and got his drum and began to sing, which made the Chief Duck dance right there.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” said the Chief Duck, “when is this big dance coming off?”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Nanabush said, “If you like to have it to-night, we can have it to-night.”[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, it just suits me, and I will tell all the kinds of ducks to come,” said the Chief Duck.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") This pleased Nanabush very much, and the Chief Duck went away.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Nanabush got everything ready.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") He made a big camp and made a big fire inside.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Night came and all the ducks came in from all around.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") About dark Nanabush started to sing.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") He told the ducks that as soon as they came inside they would have to close their eyes.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") He started singing one of his songs which pleased all the ducks.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") He told them, “The time is now on” and all the ducks started to come in dancing with their eyes closed.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") He told them that they had to pass through right in front of him.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Every one of them passed him and he grabbed them and twisted their necks.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") He got a lot of them, but one opened his eyes a little bit and saw what Nanabush was doing.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") This duck made a big yell and told all the (remaining) ducks what Nanabush was doing, and made for the door, but before he got out Nanabush kicked him and stepped on his feet (we now call this duck the Diver).[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Nanabush picked up all the dead ones and buried them in the ashes to cook.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") When he got them all fixed he lay down and told his anus to watch.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") He went to sleep and it happened to be that there was a lion close by who ate all the ducks.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") When Nanabush woke up he went to work and looked for the cooked ducks, which were gone.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") He said to his anus, “I told you to watch, I will burn you for not doing what I told you to do.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") He laid his anus towards the fire and began to shove all the hot coals in to it.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") He started off and went through where there were a lot of little trees, going right over them.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") He twisted around and looked at the little trees which were red with his blood and said, “In future people will call those trees red willows.”[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") He went on to a rock which he slid down; on looking back he saw the blood-stains on the rock which he called “red granite” (i.e. which became the red granite of nowadays).[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Note.—This lion was probably the American panther.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") NO. 26.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Tailless Sturgeon.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/24/) - next →: [Origin of Birds.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/26/) - ↑ back to [Ojibwa myths and tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76755/)