CA-Little Wren
hay lhu t’ut’um’ ni’ tssisul’u thuw’... tthuw’nilh t’ut’um’ ’u thu sisul’us.
There was a wren, and this wren had a granny.
’i.i.i nem’ tl’e’ ’uw’ hiiw’a’lum’ tthuw’nilh
He used to go out and play.
kweyul ’i’ tl’e’ wulh lumnuhwus tthu skwukwith.
One day, he saw an animal lying down.
hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni.i.i’ wulh t-sutus ’u tthu niis wulh skw’in skweyul kwus le’lum’nuhwus tthey’ ’uw’ yath ’uw’ ni’ ’ul’ kwus skwukwiths.
For many days after that, he went up close to see the animal that was always just lying down.
suw’ qwulstuhws ’i.i.i’ nem’ t-suthut, “t! t! t! t! t! t!”
He went closer and said, “t! t! t! t! t! t!”
[suw’ thut-stewut,] “’a.a.a ha’ ch tse’ m’i t-suthut ’i’ nilh tse’ nusuw’ lhup’tth’amu.”
[And it says to Wren,] “Ah, if you come closer, I will slurp you up as my food.”
x“’a.a.a xwum ’u ch ’i’ lhup’tth’tham’sh?”
“Oh, can you slurp me up?” [says the wren.]
“xwum tsu[n].”
“Yes, I can,” [says the animal.]
“’o.o.o hay tsun p’e’ xwum tsun p’e’ nem’ ’uw’...
“O-o-oh, I can go to you...
xwum tsun pe’ nem’ ’uw’ nem’ ’utl’ nuwu ’i’ ’uw’ q’aythamu tsu[n].”
I can really go over to you and kill you.”
“’a.a.a tsustam’sh ch kweelh?”
“A-a-ah! Now what are you going to do to me?”
“’i’ kw’ ’uw’ hwnuw’nuw’ilumuthamu tsu[n] p’e’.”
“I’ll go into you and all over your innards, of course.”
“hwtsuthut ch?”
“Which way will you go?”
“nem’ tsun p’e’ xwte’ ’u tthun’ thathun nusuw’ ’utl’qul xwte’ ’u tthun’ slhulnuts
“Through your mouth, of course, and I’ll come out your back-end.
hay ’i’ m’i hwu’alum’ tsun ’i’ hwi’ xwte’ ’u tthun’ qw’oon’, tslhaqwthut.
After, I will come back again, and I will come out of your ear.”
“m.m.m hey’ lh[u] kwiye’.”
“Hmmm, okay, let’s see you try it.”
suw’ huye’ thu t’i’t’ut’um’ lhakw’ suw’ nuw’ilum ’u tthu thathuns tthu wulh t’et’iyuq’ tl’e’ lhup’tth’tum tse’ thu t’i’t’ut’um’
And away went the little wren, flying into the mouth of the mad animal—this is the little wren that was to be slurped.
hi.i.i suw’ yu xute’ ’u tthey’.
He did as he said he was going to do.
hwi’ xwte’ ’u tthu muqsuns kws m’is quya’thut
He came out of the animal’s nostrils.
m’i hwu’alum’ m’i xwte’ ’u tthu [nuts’a’] muqsuns thathuns slhulnutsth
And back in again through his nostril, his mouth, and his back-end.
nilh ni’ yuw’en’ tthu thathuns ’i’ ni’ tslhaqw ’u tthu slhulnutsth.
qul’et hwu’alum’ ’i’ hwi’ xwte’ ’u tthu muqsuns.
hwu’alum’ hwi’ xwte’ ’u tthu shlhq’el’qsun’s [’i’ tthu qw’oon’s].
Then, he went back in through the other nostril [and ears].
hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ ts’u wulh wutl’uts’ tthu kwewe’uts.
nd finally, the elk fell down.
wu’un’axw ’uxe.e.e’ suw’ hwu slhelhuq’.
He made a noise when he landed, ’uxe.e.e.
huye’s t’i’t’ut’um’ hwu sts’ushin’ le’lum’utus.
The little wren flew on top and stood staring at it.
’a.a.a tul’nuhwus tl’lim’ ni’ ’uw’ q’ay.
A-a-ah, he decided it was really dead.
suw’ huye.e.e’ nem’ t’akw’
He then headed for home.
hwun’a’mut thu susul’e’ ’i’ wulh tus.
His grandparent was sitting down when he arrived home.
hwun’ tsakw ’i’ wulh t’ilum.
He was still far from home, and he started singing.
“yuq’yuq’e.e.en’ lhu q’u, sisul’u.
“Do some knife-sharpening, my dear grandmother.
st’i’te.e ’u kw’ ’uw’ skwi’kwthu’ lhun’u nu shahwun’tsu
What I have caught is like a little island.
yuq’yuq’e–e–en’ lhu q’u, sisul’u.
Do some knife-sharpening, my dear grandmother.
st’i’te–e ’u kw’ ’uw’ skwi’kwthu’ lhun’u nu shahwun’tsu.”
What I have caught is like a little island.”
“’a.a.a tst’amut yuhw’a’lu shxut’us ’u tthey’ ’u kw’u kw’ekw’i’?” [thut-stum ’u thu si’lus.]
“Oh, what are you saying that for, to me that is hungry?” [the grandmother says to him.]
’i ’uw’ ’uwu ’uw’ yu hunum’nusus thu si’lus suw’ yu huy’thust-s yu t’it’ulum’.
But he continued and went closer to his granny and told her in song.
yu xutust-hwus ’uw’ yuq’yuq’een’us thu sisul’us.
He was asking his dear grandma to do some sharpening.
xut’u ’uw’ yuq’ustewut kw’ shuptun.
He was telling his grandma to sharpen a knife.
nilh kwu’elh ni’ xut’ust-hwus yuq’yuq’een’, sisul’u.
This is why he was saying yuq’yuq’een’, sisul’u.
hwun’ xut’u ’i’ wulh q’el’ thu s’eluhw sis nem’ ’uw’ lemutus.
But finally, the old lady believed him and went to see.
’i’ ’i.i.i ts’u thi kwewe’uts tthu slhelhuq’, shun’tsus.
And his catch that was lying down was a big elk, his catch.
xut’u kwus q’aaytus ’i’ ni’ thulh hwnuw’nuw’ilumutus.
He said that he had killed it by going in and out of his innards.
suw’ q’ay tthu shun’tsus.
And his catch lay dead.
ni’ nexun ’u kwthey’.
That’s as far as the story goes.
’uwu kwun’s thut ye.e.e.’.
You are not saying yeee.
rp: ni tsun q'u 'uw' xut'u.
Yes, I did say that.
"laughs"
“laughs”