kwakwmutsiin’ | The Hunchback

Ruby Peter

1. nilh kw’u nu si’lu [xwulqwimut] kwsus ’uw’ hwun’a’ ’ul’ ’uye’q tthu ’upun ’i’ kw’ toohw nets’uw’uts sil’anum, ’i’ ’uw’ hwun’ swiw’lus.
   1. It was when my grandfather [Alphonse] was a young man, at the turn of the 20th century.
2. ’i’ ’uw’ ni’ ’utl’ (kwa’mutsun, kwakwmutsiin’), kwa’mutsun.
   1. It was at Quamichan.
3. nilh ’uw’ lelum’s.
   1. This was his home.
4. ’i’ yath ’uw’ qw’aqw’ulhnum’, thu shhwuhunum’ thu ni’ le’lum’num’ slheni’ skwa’mutsun.
   1. The woman with the hunched back that was seen [in Quamichan] was always observed and talked about.
5. sus ’uw’ hun’utum’ ’u kw’ kwakwmutsiin’.
   1. And the people started calling her kwakwmutsiin’.
6. ’uw’ ne’ullh tthu hwulmuhw ni’ hun’ut ’u kw’ kwakwmutsiin’.
   1. It was the native people that gave her the name kwakwmutsiin’.
7. yath ’uw’ hwu hwiil’asmutum’, wulh q’a’ kw’u nu si’lu kwsus hwu hwiil’as
   1. Everyone watched for her; then my grandfather started watching for her, too.
8. wulh nem’ nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ wulh lumnum.
   1. Then, one day, she was seen again.
9. suw’ hwthtiwuns ’uy’s kws nem’s tseeltus.
   1. So, he thought it would be good to follow her.
10. stl’i’s kws tul’nuhws ’uw’ niis tun’ ’untsu ’uw’ niis hwtsakwul’thut, ’uw’ [niis ’untsu] kw’ ni’ shni’s.
    1. He wanted to know where she came from, or where she went, or where her home was.
11. sus neem’ ’uw’ tseelqum, ’imush yu tsukwul’ul’qum’.
    1. So, he went, following her.
12. ’uwu stl’i’sus kws lumnewut.
    1. He didn’t want to be seen as he followed her.
13. wulh nem’ tus ’u kwthu nem’ ’uw’ yu stutes ’u tthu sta’luw’.
    1. He got closer to her as she was walking along the river.
14. wulh tus ’u kwthu shni’s tthu lelum’ ’utl’ helus, nilh ’uw’ shni’s tthu sunihwulh kws(us) ’un’uhws tl’e’ tthu ne’nuts’uw’t-hwum’.
    1. Then he came to the Harris’s house, which was the original place where visitors moored their canoes.
15. niiw’ yu ’i’mush; they’ slheni’ (yu).
    1. This is where that woman went walking.
16. ’uhwiin’ ts’u, ’i’ nilh kwsus skwakwup tthu slhuqw’e’lhs, skw’akw’uhwa’.
    1. She was little, and she had a lump on her back, hunched.
17. sus neem’ ’uw’ yu tsukwul’etus, yu tsukwul’etus.
    1. Then he kept following and following.
18. ’i’ ni’ wulh tus ’u tthu spe’hwum.
    1. And then they came to a fog bank.
19. sus num’ tuw’ xwiin’che’num’ tuw’ sht’eewun’ kws t-suthut-s.
    1. He started to run, thinking he was going to get closer.
20. nii wulh nem’ nuw’ilum xwte’ ’u tthu spe’hwum thu ni’ yu ’i’mush.
    1. But the one he was following went into the fog.
21. sus nem’ ’uw’ tuw’ xwiin’che’num’ tseelqum.
    1. He started to run as he followed.
22. ’i’ nuw’ tth’uw’ ’ul’, ’uwu niis yu lumnum ’uw’ niis [hwtsel].)
    1. But she just disappeared; no-one saw where she went.
23. ’uwu niis yu lumnuhwus ’uw’ niis tstamut.
    1. He didn’t see whatever happened.
24. tl’lim’ nuw’ tth’uw’ ’ul’.
    1. She just disappeared.
25. ni’ tuw’ se’shun tthu spe’hwum, ’i’ ’uwute’.
    1. When the fog lifted, there was nothing.
26. suwq’tus, ’i’ ’uwute’.
    1. He looked for her, and there was nothing.
27. nilh kwu’elh hay ’ul’ ’uw’ yu lhuy’a’uqwt kwthey’ kwsus ’ulh lumnum, lhey’ kwakwmutsiin’ kwsus ’ulh wi’wul’ ’iitl’ kwa’mutsun.
    1. This was the very last time that she was ever seen, that one called Kwakwmutsiin’, that used to appear at Quamichan.
28. ’uw’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ thu’it nuw’ yu le’lum’nuhwus, tthu niilh qw’aqw’ulhnuhw.
    1. This is a real true story, about what was seen and witnessed.
29. ’i’ ’uweelh kws q’el’s tthu nu si’lu ’i’ ’uw’ thu’it nuw’ lumnuhwus sus ’uw’ q’el’, kwsuw’ thu’it-s.
    1. My grandfather had never believed it to be true, but then he did see her and believed it.
30. ’i’ nilh kwsus ’uw’ tth’uw’ ’ul’ (’uwu) ’uwute’ shtatul’ste’wut ’uw’ niis tstamut.
    1. But then the person just disappeared, and he didn’t know what happened.
31. ni’ huy.
    1. The end.