William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. (1878–1962). Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920.
Little Caribou Makes Big Talk
B
Me, Ah´-dek-koons, I mak’-um big talk. Ho!
Me, ol’ man; I’m got-um sick in knee
In rainy wedder w’en I’m walk. Ugh!
Me, lak moose w’at’s ol’,
I’m drop-urn plenty toot’!
Yet I am big man! Ho!
An’ I am talk big! Ho!
Ho!
Ho!
Hi-yi! Little Caribou him talk
Lak O’-mah-ka-kee dose Bullfrog;
Big mout’, big belly,
No can fight!
You stop council-talk,
You go ’way council;
Sit wit’ squaw.
You lak pollywog tad-pole:
No can jump-um over little piece mud;
Can only shake-um tail lak crazy-dam-fool!
He got-um plenty t’oughts in head, good t’oughts;
I’m got-um plenty t’oughts in head, good t’oughts.
Yet Eenshun Agent Myers all-tam’ saying:
“Ah-dek-koons he crazy ol’ fool!”
Ugh! He crazy ol’ fool!
“All de Cheebway should be farmer;
All will get from gov’ment fine allotment—
One hundred-sixty acre each.” Ho!
Ho! Eenshun scratch-um treaty!
Eenshun got-um hondred-sixty acre,
But go-um too much little pieces;
Pieces scattered over lake
Lak leaves she’s blow by wind.
In tamarack swamp by Moose-tail Bay
He got-um forty acre piece.
In muskeg and in rice-field,
On Lake of Cut-foot Sious, ten mile away,
He got-um forty acre more.
In sand an’ pickerel weed,
On Bowstring Lake, she’s forty mile away,
He got-um forty acre more.
Hondred mile away, on Lac La Croix,
W’ere lumber-man is mak’ big dam
All over Eenshun allotment land—
He got-um forty acre more, all under lake!
How can be?’
Got-um land all over lake!
Got-um land all under lake!
For Eenshun be good farmer
Eenshun should be good for walking under water!
Should be plough hees land wit’ clam-drag!
Should be gadder crops wit’ fish-net
For Eenshun be good farmer
Eenshun should be fish!
Ugh!
Ho!
Hi! Plenty-big talk!
Ho! Ho! Ho!