Many Many Moons/Little-Caribou Makes "Big Talk"
LITTLE-CARIBOU MAKES "BIG TALK"
To e readbrokenly in ahigh-pitchedvoice with atouch of queru-lousness andpetulance, andan occasionalnote ofdrollery.
Boo-zhóo! Boo-zhóo!Me, Ah-deek-koons, I mak-um big talk.Me, ol' man; I'm got-um sick on kneeIn rainy wedder w'en I'm walk. Ugh!Me, lak moose w'at's ol',I'm drop-um plenty toot'!Yet Tam big man! Ho!An' I am talk-um big! Ho!
(Hi-yee! Blow lak moose, ol' man! Ho! Ho!
Hi-yi! Little-Caribou him talk Lak O-mah-kah-kée, dose Bullfrog: Big mout', big belly, No can fight!)
Ugh! Close mout', young crazy buck! You stop-um council-talk, You go 'way council! Sit wit' squaw! You lak little poh-tóong, Lak pollywog tad-pole: No can jump-um Over little piece mud; Can only shake-um tail Lak crazy-dam-fool! . . .
Keétch-ie O-gi-ma, Big Preshiden',He got-um plenty t'oughts in head;Me, Caribou, I'm got-um plenty-good t'oughts,Got-um plenty-good t'oughts in head.Yet Eenzhun-Agent all-tam' saying:"Ah-deek-kéons, he crazy ol' foolUgh! He crazy ol' fool!
Keétch-ie O-gi-má long tam' agoWas say in Pine Point Treaty:"All de "Cheebway should be farmer;All will get from Washin'ton gov'mentGood allotment farm land,One hondred-sixty acre each." Ho!Ho! Eenzhun scratch-um treaty!Stick-um t'umb on treaty!
W'at's come treaty? Hah?Eenzhun got-um hondred-sixty acre,But got-um too much little pieces,—Pieces scattered over lakeLak leaves she's blow by wind.In tam'rack swamp by Moose Tail BayHe got-um forty acre piece.Ten mile away, on Lake of Cut-Foot Sioux,In mush-kaig an' in rice-field,He got-um forty acre more.On Bowstring Lake, she's t'orty-mile away, In sand and pickerel weed,He got-um forty acre more.Hondred mile away, on Lac La Croix,W'ere lumberman is mak' big damFor drive-um log,—an' back-um up waterAll over Eenzhun allotment land,—He got-um forty acre more,—all under lake!How can Eenzhun be good farmer! Ugh?He's got-um land all over lake!He's got-um land all under lake!For Eenzhun be good farmerEenzhun should be good for walking under water!Should be plow hees land wit' clam-drag!Should be gadder potato crops wit' fish-net!For Eenzhun be good farmerEenzhun should be fish!Ugh!
I have said it!
(Ho! Ho! Ho! Hi! Hi! Plenty-big talk! How!)