Wa Mnaaxtas Nusqwaxw n ti Tsitumalh ti Nan tc
Retold by Amos and
Mechum
1. nulhnusaw
wa mnaaxtats ats, tl’apaw ilhtsaynaw ca qaqatiiqw.
Two of my cousins, they went out picking mushrooms.
2. Axw
ayk’aw alhaynaw alh ta amat txw, tl’apaw ska liptsutaw ulaats, ula apsulh ts.
They
weren’t in the patch long when they went to come back here in to town.
3. Lht’aaxms
ta mnaaxtats tx, putl’aycaw ula amats ta nan.
My
cousin is driving, and they come up on a grizzly.
4. K’cit s
ixq’ms ta nan tx ala mnta.
They
see the grizzly walking on the road.
5.
Qw’lasiiliwa its’ik alhays.
He
seems to be a little different…
6.
Ulxusiinicitmits’ik ta nan tx, alh7ayalhliwas s ixq’mtimuts tx.
In
fact they think the grizzly is drunk, the way he’s walking along
7. Tl’apaw
ska iklhaalhiitut ti qw'xwmtimut uulh, ula kulhaaxs
Well
they bring the car up behind him to his side
8. Ka k’cit
ka tl’ikms, ka paaxwalcs.
They’ll
see if he runs, if he get’s scared
9. Axw
its’ik alhays.
Well
that’s not how it is.
10. tm alhayskw'
s ixq'ms, alh7ayliwas c s axw alhnapis ala umatalhs.
He
just goes right on walking, as if he doesn’t know where he’s going.
11. Ala
wayciis tl’apamkit ala slq’aw stamlits’ si alhays.
Pretty
soon they figure out why he’s like that.
12. Axw
alhkalulhaqw’sliwas. Tsitumlctimuts, tsitumaalhs ta nan t’ax.
His
eye’s aren’t right. Somehow he’s asleep, the bear is sleepwalking.
13. Ayuts ti
numaw tc, “yulisiktx ti nan tc!”
So
the one says, “rub the bear’s back!”
14. axwmaku
yas ka alhayts, tsuts ti alht’aaxm tc.
No
way I should do that, says the driver.
15. kanix!
kanix aytucw, musicw!
Go
on! Do it! Touch him!
16. amaytsk
ka sik'amtss
Maybe
he’ll hurt me,
17. kanix!
Go
on!
18. Way
tl’aps ti lht’aaxm tc ska musis, alht’aaxms, alhyulisikistuu ta nan t’ax.
Well
the driver goes and touches him, he’s driving, and rubbing that grizzly on the
back too.
19. Axw
its’ik palcs, axw palcliwatimuts ala ts’ktas.
He doesn’t wake up, not even stir at what’s going on.
20. Tm
tsitumalhslhuu s walit wa mnaaxtats ats s lip’tsutaw ula apsulh ts.
Just keeps on sleepwalking as my
cousins leave him and return to town.
21. Way.
Cwplxs wa smayustats ts.
Alright, that’s the end of my
story.
