smut’uqsun | Snotboy

smut’uqsun | Snotboy 
Sophie Misheal

Recorded by Wayne Suttles 19 January, 1962, in Victoria, BC. Transcribed and translated by Ruby Peter, with assistance from Kaoru Kiyosawa and Sarah Kell. Transliteration and editing by Donna Gerdts. This version: November 21, 2019.

---

1. xwi’a’mustalu tsun ’u tthu ’i yu shtu’es thu ’i na’nuts’a’ q’e’mi’
   1. I’m going to tell you a story about this girl at Malahat.
2. nilh wa’lu ’uw’ t’atulh me’luxulh.
   1. She was from the first Malahat.
3. nem’ yuhw tsam thuw’nilh q’e’mi’ sew’q’ ’ukw’ chumux, ’a.
   1. She went up the mountain looking for pitch.
4. nem’ suw’q’ ’ukw’ chumux, tthu tth’utth’e’tum’ chumux.
   1. She went looking for pitch, the type you chew.
5. hwun’ xut’e ’u tthey’ kwsus nem’ ni’ ’u tthu tsa’luqw, ’i’ ni’ wulh q’uq’a’tul ’u tu’i swiw’lus.
   1. As she was walking around up in the forest, she met with a young man.
6. suw’ shishutum’s thuw’nilh ’u tu’i tth’utth’eem’.
   1. She was wishing for the gum, and this man was chewing gum.
7. suw’ xut’us ’uy’ ’uw’ m’iis ’ehwe’tum, ’i’ ’uw’ ’uwustum.
   1. She said he should come share, but he wouldn’t.
8. ’uw’ xut’ustum, “ni ni’ ’u tnanulh.”
   1. And he told her, “The gum is over there.”
9. ’i’ ni ’uw’ yu xut’ustum ’ul’ ’u tthey’ yu huy’thustum’ ’u tthu ni’ shni’s kws kwunnuhw tse’ tthu chumux.
   1. He kept doing that, telling her where to find the gum.
10. stl’i’s kws lhchumuxs thuw’nilh q’e’mi’.
    1. The girl wanted to have some gum.
11. ni’ kwu’elh wulh tul’nuhwus kws nans ni’ wulh hwu tsakw tsa’luqw kwsus nem’ yu tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthey’ swiw’lus ni’ ts’lhq’uq’a’tuls.
    1. She realized that she had gone too far into the woods as she followed that boy that she was with.
12. suw’ yu kwunut-s tthu s’itth’ums swuqw’a’lh suw’ yu t’aqw’t-s suw’ yu q’el’q’t-s ’u tthu thqet ’u kwthu ni’ wulh nem’ yu shilhunun’e’s.
    1. And she started breaking off her blanket [the fringes] and hanging them up on branches.
13. suw’ huye’s nem’ ’uw’ yu ’i’mush yu tsukwul’ul’qum’ ’u tthu ’i nem’ shtseelqums swiw’lus ni’ lumnuhwus.
    1. She kept walking along, following the young man that she had met.
14. hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh nem’ hun’umutnum ’u tthuw’nilh ’u tthu lelum’s tthuw’nilh swiw’lus.
    1. The young man finally got home to where he lived.
15. ni’ wulh hwu tsa’luqw kwunnum ’u tthey’, tl’uw’ stl’eluqum.
    1. And he was a fierce man.
16. hun’utum’ skwathshun’, skwathshun’ kws nes tthey’ ni’ tskwuyxthut ’u thuw’nilh q’e’mi’ tun’ni’ ’utl’ me’luxulh ’u kwthu wulh hithulh.
    1. He was called Skwathshun’; Skwathshun’ was the name of the one who managed to get the girl from Malahat a long time ago.
17. suw’ ’ikw’ thuw’nilh q’e’mi’.
    1. The girl went missing.
18. ’uwu te’ lhwet shtatul’stuhw ’uw’ niis tstamut.
    1. No one knew what had happened to her.
19. ni’ ’ikw’.
    1. She went missing.
20. suw’ xeem’s thu ’i tswe’ mun’u, te’wuqun ’u kwsu’i mun’us ni’ ’ikw’.
    1. And her mother kept crying, mourning for her missing daughter.
21. suw’ kwuyxthut-s tthu sun’tl’e’, sun’tl’een’s tthuw’ne’ullh, suw’ ne.em’s suw’q’.
    1. Then, her oldest brother took action, and he went to look for her.
22. “ni’ wulh hithulh niis s’i’kw’ thu ’i sqe’uqs, shhw’aqw’a’s.”
    1. “Our sister has been missing for a long time.”
23. huye.e’ suw’q’.
    1. He went looking for her.
24. suw’ yu lumnuhws tthey’ sey’ ni’ yu sq’iq’uw’, sq’el’q’ ’u tthu thul’i’thqut niilh yuhw yu shlhun’es kwsus yu ’i’mush thuw’nilh.
    1. He went looking for her, and he found the fringes on the branches where she had walked along.
25. ’i’ nuw’ tus ’ul’ ’u tu’i tsa’luqw kwsus nem’ yu ’i’mush tthey’ ’uw’ nilh shhw’aqw’a’s thuw’nilh kws wulh nem’s suw’q’tum.
    1. And he went up the mountain, that brother of hers, walking around looking for her.
26. tus ’u tu’i xatsa’.
    1. And he reached a lake.
27. suw’ ts’elhum’s, ni’ tul’num ni’ ni’ kw’u ni’ ’al’mutsun’.
    1. And he realized that something was waiting.
28. suw’ teems tu’i sliim, “tumeeho! tumeeho! Tumeeho!”
    1. And this sandhill crane hollered, “tumeeho! tumeeho! tumeeho!”
29. suw’ ’e.e.ewus tthu snuhwulh.
    1. And a canoe came toward him.
30. suw’ ’aalh tthey’ ’uw’ nilh swiw’lus nem’ shaqwul, ni’ nem’ shqwilustum thu shhw’aqw’a’s ’u tu’i xatsa’.
    1. So that young man got on, and he went across, to cross over to his sister on the other side of the lake.
31. sus ’uw’ tus.
    1. And he arrived.
32. suw’ tul’nuhws thuw’nilh q’e’mi’, “’ooo, ’iihw wulh m’i suw’q’thelum.”
    1. And the young lady was thinking, “Oh, someone has come to find me.”
33. suw’ tus tthey’ ’uw’ nilh shhw’aqw’a’s thuw’nilh q’e’mi’ ’u tthu ni’ shni’stewut, qw’im.
    1. And when her brother reached where the girl was at, he got off.
34. ’i’ ’iihw ’uw’ saay’st-hwus tthey’ ’uw’ nilh ni’ wulh shhwuni’s thu shhw’aqw’a’s ’u tu’i shelhs.
    1. Skwathshun’ must have had something ready for when her brother got there on the road.
35. sthima’, sthithuma’ tthu shelh.
    1. The ground was just covered with ice.
36. tuw’ hwun’a’ ’ul’ kwu’elh nuw’ilum kwthuw’nilh swiw’lus nem’ yu sew’q’tus thu shhw’aqw’a’s, ’i’ wulh q’aaytum ’u tthey’ ni’ stsuwtelhs.
    1. And when the boy started to go inside to look for his sister, he was killed by his brother-in-law.
37. wutl’uts’ ni’ ’u tthu sthima’, suw’ kwuyxthut-s tthey’ ’uw’ nilh stl’eluqum skwathshun’ kws hun’ute’wut, suw’ nem’s ’i’ m’i me’shum tthu tth’ele’s tthuw’nilh, ’a!
    1. When he fell down on the ice, the fierce one that was called Skwathshun’ took action, and he went and took out the young man’s heart, my goodness!
38. suw’ ni.i.i st’e ’u tthey’.
    1. And that was that.
39. ni’ ’uw’ kw’in skweyul ’i’ ni’ tl’e’ ’uw’ ’ikw’ ’ul’ tthey’ ’uw’ nilh tuw’ hwun’a’ ’ul’ niilh nem’ suw’q’t thu shhw’aqw’a’s.
    1. And then after several days, [they realized that] the first young man who went looking for his sister had also gone missing.
40. ni’ wulh tus ’u tthu na’nuts’a’ tl’e’ ’uw’ yu st’e ’ul’ nem’ tl’uw’ suw’q’.
    1. So, another brother likewise went to look for her.
41. ’i ’a’lu kw’iinu ’u kwthuw’ne’ullh?
    1. How many of them were there? 
42. Lhhwelu.
    1. Three.
43. suw’ huye’s tthuw’ne’ullh ’u kwthey’ ’uw’ nilh.
    1. So, all of them went.
44. nilh na’nuts’a’ ni’ wulh hwu tsa’luqw tu’i ’uw’ sun’tl’e’.
    It was the next eldest one who went up the mountain.
45. hwi’ nilh kwelh tthu na’nuts’a’ nem’ suw’q’, ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ yu st’e ’ul’ kwsus nem’ tl’uw’ hwu nin’sus tthu ni’ shni’stewut thu shhw’aqw’a’s.
    1. That one next went looking, and the same thing happened when he reached the place where his sister was at.
46. ’i wulh nilh ’ul’ suw’ sht’ewun’s q’ay tse’ kwthu ’i tl’e’ m’i qul’et ’ewu.
    1. And the sister was thinking that her next brother would get killed, too.
47. ’i’ ’uw’ stu’e.
    1. And the same thing happened.
48. tl’e’ wulh, “tumeeho! tumeeho!” ni’ wulh siwul.
    1. Again, there was, “tumeeho! tumeeho!” and [the canoe] appeared.
49. suw’ huye’s tthey’ ni’ nem’ ’aalhstuhw ’u tthu snuhwulh suw’ shaqwuls suw’ hwunin’s tthu ni’ shni’s thu shhw’aqw’a’s.
    1. And he went and boarded the canoe and crossed over and arrived to where his sister was at.
50. tl’e’ ’uw’ yu st’e ’ul’ ’uwu niis hun’nuw’namut.
    1. And the same thing happened to him, too.
51. ’i’ ni’ wulh qixutum ni’ ’u tthu shelhs tthuw’ulh stsuwtelhs skwathshun’.
    1. The brother slipped on the road of his brother-in-law, Skwathshun’.
52. ’i’ ni’ ’uw’ yu st’e ’ul’ kwsus yu kwun’utum’ tthu tth’ele’s tthuw’ne’ullh.
    1. And his heart was taken out.
53. ni’ ’uw’ ’usup’ ’ul’ tthuw’ne’ullh swaw’lus shhw’a’luqw’a’s thuw’nilh q’e’mi’ ni’ hwu tsa’luqw.
    1. And all of the brothers of the girl who was up the mountain were done in.
54. sis ’uw’ ’usup’ tthuw’ne’ullh, ni’ ’uw’kw’.
    1. And all her brothers were finished off.
55. ni’ wulh mukw’ ’uw’ ’ulh tus tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s thuw’nilh, lhhwelu ’uw’ xuthiinusulh.
    1. All of her brothers got there, three or four of them.
56. sis ’uw’ st’e ’u tthey’ ni’ ’uw’kw’ tthu me’mun’us they’ ’uw’ nilh tsi’tsut.
    1. The mother had no more children.
57. [suw’] xeem’s xeem’ ’u kwuw’ mukw’ skweyul.
    1. And every day she cried and cried.
58. suw’ ’a’mut-s ’i’ ni’ yu q’eptus tthu smut’uqsuns kws m’is yu hum’ushus kws ni’s xeem’.
    1. She was sitting down in one place, and her snot piled up, coming out of her nose as she was crying.
59. ’i’ ni ’uw’ hwu thi ’ul’ tthey’ kwsus sqw’amxwus tthu smut’uqsuns thu s’eluhw.
    1. And it became a big ball of the old lady’s snot.
60. ’u tu’i me’mun’us tl’lim’ nuw’ ’uw’kw’ hwumnuts.
    1. All her children were gone. 
61. hwun’ xut’u tthey’ ni’ kwsus ’uweelh kwlh tl’a’ thuw’nilh s’eluhw.
    1. Alas, there was nothing that could comfort the old lady.
62. suw’ hulithut-s tthu smut’uqsuns kws xut’uste’wut, ni’ hwu qeq tthu smut’uqsuns.
    1. And then her snot, as it is told, came to life, and the snot became a baby. 
63. suw’ kwunut-s suw’ t’akw’s kw’a.a.amut-s tthey’.
    1. She took it and brought it home and raised him.
64. ’i’ xwum kwsus yu ts’its’usum’ ’uw’ smut’uqsun’uhw, xwum kwsus yu kw’a’mul’.
    1. And Snot Boy started growing really fast; he was maturing really fast.
65. st’e ’u tthey’ ni’ wulh kw’am’kw’um’ kws xwan’chunum’s tthu smut’uqsun.
    1. Snot Boy got strong enough to run around.
66. suw’ qwals kws stl’i’s kws hwu saay’ste’wut kw’ tuxwa’ts.
    1. And he was asking for a bow and arrow.
67. suw’ qwaqwul’s thuw’nilh tswe’ tsmun’u, “’uwu ch tsakwumuhw.
    1. And the mother kept telling him, “Don’t go up the mountain. 
68. ni hwumnuts kwthun’ shushiyulh, ’uw’ niis stem kwthu ni’ tslhshni’unlhs ni’ hwumnuts.”
    1. All your brothers and sister are all gone, and I don’t know what happened to them.”
69. ’i ’uwu tthuw’nilh stl’i’tl’qulh ’uw’ yath ’ul’ st’e kwu ni’ kw’akw’i’uthut ’u shni’s hunum’ ’u tthu tsa’luqw.
    1. It was believed that he always went for a bath up in the mountains.
70. ni’ wulh hwu kw’am’kw’um’.
    1. He was getting very strong.
71. suw’ hwi’ nilhs ni’ nem’ tselqum suw’q’tus kwu’i shhw’a’luqw’a’s.
    1. And he went to look for his brothers and sister.
72. ni’ wulh mukw’ ’uw’ ’ulh xway tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s thuw’nilh kws statul’stuhws, ’i’ ni’ tl’e’ wulh ts’elhum’ ’u kw’u’i, xut’e ’u kwthey’ sisuwul’un’uq, “tumeeho! Tumeeho!”
    1. All her brothers were killed as far as she knew, and then she heard that sound, doing like when that [canoe] was appearing to them, “tumeeho! tumeeho!”
73. ’ooo suw’ xeems thuw’nilh q’e’mi’, xeemutus, wulh, “ni’ p’e’ wulh ’uw’kw’ tthunu shhw’a’luqw’a’, hwi’ nilh yuhw kwthunu men ’i m’i ’ewu suw’q’.”
    1. And the girl heard this, and she cried, “My brothers are now dead, so now it’s my father who came searching.”
74. suw’ xem’s thuw’nilh.
    1. And she cried.
75. ’i’ p’e’ thulh nem’ tus ’i’ tl’uw’ swiw’lus.
    1. But when the person got there, it was a young man.
76. suw’ nem’s hwu lhxi’lush tthey’ ’uw’ nilh ni’ ’u tthu shelhs tthu wulh stsuwtelhs.
    1. He was standing on the road of his brother-in-law.
77. suw’ yuw’en’s kws yu lhultust-s tthu shelh.
    1. And he sprinkled something on the road.
78. suw’ qwals ’uw’ skwathshun’uhw, “ii! ii! ’i yuhw tsun tse’ p’e’ yelh nus stl’uhw.”
    1. And Skwathshun’ said, “ii! ii! I guess I’m going to get beaten.”
79. ’uwu niis tstamut tthey’ yu lhi’a’uqwt ni’ nem’ yu sew’q’.
    1. Nothing happened to the one who followed in the search.
80. niw’ yakw’utus tu’i sthima’.
    1. He broke all the ice.
81. suw’ q’aayt-s tu’i skwathshun’ ni’ shni’s thu ’i shhw’aqw’a’s.
    1. And he killed Skwathsun’ at that place where his sister was.
82. sus ’uw’ q’uynum.
    1. He managed to kill him.
83. suw’ kwuyxthut-s tthuw’nilh smut’uqsun suw’ yu kwun’ut-s tthu tth’ele’s tthu shushiyulhs.
    1. So, Snotboy went and took all the hearts of his older brothers.
84. suw’ yu hwu’a’lum’st-hws ’u tthu shushiyulhs.
    1. And he put all the hearts back into his brothers.
85. ’i’ ’i m’i hwu’alum’ hulithut tthu swaw’lus ’uw’ mukw’.
    1. And all the young men came back to life.
86. hay ts’ kwu’elh tthu swe’s tthu sun’tl’een’s ni’ wulh nem’ tuw’ ’ulh qul’qul’ul, ’i’ ni’ muw’ hulithut tthey’ ’uw’ nilh.
    1. But the oldest brother’s heart had already started to deteriorate, but he managed to bring him back to life.
87. suw’ thuytus tthu ni’ sht’es ’i’ ni’ hwu sthuthi’.
    1. He brought him back to life, and he fixed him.
88. suw’ qwals thuw’nilh kwsus wulh lumnuhwus tthu shhw’a’luqw’a’s, mukw’ ’i ’uw’ hwu’alum’ hulithut, suw’ qwals, “wa’lu ’uy’us kw’un’s hwtth’ip’usum ’u tthun’ stiwunulup ’i’ q’aayt ch tl’e’, nilh ’uw’ ha’ nuw’ kw’umut ’i’ tl’uw’ yu st’e ’ul’ ’u tthu mens kws quls mustimuhw.”
    1. After she saw her brothers, all coming back to life, she said, “I guess you all had better resolve to kill your nephew, because if he lives, he will be just like his father.”
89. suw’ t’akw’s t’ahw.
    1. So, they all went home, going down the mountain.
90. ni’ hulinhwus tthuw’nilh smut’uqsun tthu shushiyulhs.
    1. Snotboy had saved his brothers and sister.
91. suw’ t’akw’ t’ukw’stuhwus, t’akw’ thu ’ul’ush.
    1. They all went home, taking their sister home.
92. tahw stu’e tl’e’ thu tswe’ulh tsmun’u ’u tthuw’ne’ullh, ’i’ wulh hun’umutnuhwus tthuw’nilh tthu shushiyulhs.
    1. The mother was still sitting at home, and Snotboy managed to bring his older siblings home.
93. suw’ nans ’uw’ si’em’stuhwus thuw’nilh s’eluhw tthey’ kwu’elh sa’suqwt mun’us.
    1. And the old lady always had the highest respect for her youngest child.
94. suw’ qwaqwul’s ’u tthu seen’tl’e’ me’mun’us, “’iy’athut tseep, me’mun’u, ’u tthun’ sqe’uq.
    1. And she was talking to her older children, “You be careful, children, of your little brother.
95. ’uwu tseep hw’i’unt-st-hwuhw.
    1. Don’t say anything.
96. ’uy’s ch kw’un’s le’lum’ut.”
    1. You look after him.”
97. ’i’ nan nuw’ shhw’i’ttsus tthu su’asuqwteens tthuw’ne’ullh, slha’lhtth’a’qw kw’ shun’ute’wut.
    1. But he was always jealous of their youngest brother, the one that was called Slha’lhtth’a’qw.
98. suw’ huye’s pipi’a’tulh ts’u tthuw’ne’ullh swaw’lus, ’i’ ’uw’ yu sq’uq’a’ ts’u tthuw’nilh smut’uqsun sqe’uqs tthuw’ne’ullh.
    1. So, they went duck hunting, and Snotboy went along too.
99. suw’ nan’s nuw’ lhi’lhetth’utum’ tthuw’nilh ’uw’ qwaqwul’ ’ul’ kw’ slha’lhtth’a’qw, qwaqwul’ ’ul’ ’u tthuw’ ’uwu niis statul’.
    1. And Slha’lhtth’a’qw was just mouthing off and making fun of Snotboy, saying that he was not normal.
100. suw’ kwuyxthut ’uw’ smut’uqsunuhw suw’ t’akw’s suw’ nem’s ’u tthu shhw’a’mut-s ’i’ tl’uhwtsunum ’u tu’i swuqw’a’lh.
     1. So, Snotboy just went home and went to bed, and he covered up with a blanket.
101. hun’umut-s tthuw’ne’ullh seen’tl’e’ kwsusulh pipi’a’tulh.
     1. The older brothers came home from duck hunting.
102. wulh saay’ tthu sxlhast-s tthu me’mun’us, suw’ qwals, “nem’ nu’umnus tthun’ sqe’uq ’i’ hwuyt.”
     1. And when their food was ready, [their mother] said, “Go and wake up your brother.”
103. suw’ huye’s tthu nem’ lemut.
     1. So, he went to look.
104. t-hwutstum ’i’ ’uwu te’.
     1. He pulled back the covers and saw nothing.
105. suw’ qwals tthu na’nuts’a’, “’uw’ smut’uqsun ’ul’ q’u tun’a ’e’ut slhelhuq’.”
     1. And that one brother said, “There’s just snot laying on the bed.”
106. “’aaa, me’mun’u,” qwals, “nilh p’e’ nush huy’aata’leelh ’uy’s kw’un’s le’lum’ut.
     1. She said “Ah, my children, this is why I was telling you to be very careful.
107. ’uwu tseep ’uw’ qwaqwul’mutuhw.
     1. Don’t be talking about him.
108. ’uw’ niilh ’i’ ’elh ’uw’ hw’iint shus xt’e ’u tthey’.”
     1. You must have said something sarcastic.”
109. suw’ qwals tthuw’ne’ullh, “nilh p’e’ tun’a slha’lhtth’a’qw ni’ ’uw’ qwaqwul’ ’ul’ qwaqwul’mut ’ul’, shus m’i t’akw’ sis ’uw’ ’i’tut yuhw.”
     1. And the other brothers said, “It is Slha’lhtth’a’qw that was being sarcastic, just mouthing off at him, and this is why he just went home and went to bed.”
110. nilh kwu’elh shus xeexe’ste’wutulh ’u kwthu wulh hith ’u tthu q’umi’allh, kws xut’uste’wut kws quls tthu chumux kws lhchumuxs tthu q’umi’allh.
     1. And that’s the reason for the prohibition on young ladies of long ago, that they were told it is bad for young ladies to be chewing gum.
111. nilh kwthey’ niilh sle’tewut lhey’ q’e’mi’ kwsus qen ’u tthu skwathshun’.
     1. It’s because the young lady was doing that when she was stolen away by Skwathshun’.
112. nilh kwu’elh nuw’ sht’es ’ul’ tthey’ ni’ ’usup’ tthunu sxwi’em’.
     1. And that is the end of the story.
113. ni’ hay.
     1. The end.