MJJ-Deserted boy
qu.u.ux tthuw’ne’ullh, qux ’uw’ sq’uq’i.i.ip tthu hwulmuhw ’uw’ hay tthu se’uq s’ulh’ilhtuns.
Many people gathered the only food, which was herbs.
hw'uwete' nan 'uw' stseelhtun hwuw'e nanus qux.
There were not many fish at that time.
’uw’ hay tthu se’uq tthu s’axwa’ s’i’lhtuns.
Herbs and clams were their meals.
suw’ tslhne’nuts’stuhwus tthuw’ne’ullh s’ul’eluhw tthu mun’us ’uw’ na’nuts’a’ tthu swuy’qe’ mun’us.
They were very concerned about the food for their son, their only son.
stl’i’s kws ’uwus ’i’lhtun’ ’us ’u kw’u qul ’uw’ yath ’uw’ ’a’mutst-hwus.
They wanted only the best and did not want him to eat poorly, so they always made sure he sat down to his meals.
suw’ thut-s tthuw’nilh, “nem’ tsun shahwukw’um’ tsakwum.”
One day he said, “I am going up the mountain for my bath.”
“nem’ lhu ’ewulh.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
hwune’unt ’i’ hun’tsew.
At nighttime, he would be home.
kwe.eyul ’i’ tl’e’ wulh huye’ nem’ ts’u shahwukw’um’.
And the next day he would leave again for his bath.
suw’ st’e ’u tthey’ suw’ nem’ ’imush tthu mens ne.e.em’ suw’q’tum.
Finally, his father decided to go and find him.
wulh lumnuhwus tthu tl’ey’q’um’. tl’ey’q’um’, suw’ nem’s.
The father saw smoke coming from the forest as he walked toward it.
’i ts’ ’a’lu thul ’i’lhtun' tthuw’nilh swiw’lus ’u tthu se’uq.
His son apparently was eating bracken fern roots.
tth’a.a.atth’usutus ’i’lhtun' ’u tthu qux.
He mashed them first, pounding them to mush, then ate a bunch of them.
suw’ t’ahws tthuw’nilh hay’ ’ul’ xulh shqwaluwuns, xi’xe’.
The father went back down to the house and he very disappointed and ashamed of his son.
suw’ yu.u.uthust-s tthu siiye’yus, “nem’ tst huye’ tuyqul, nan tsun ’uw’ xi’xe’ ’u kwthun’ stiwunulup.
He told his relatives, “We are going to move, as I am so ashamed of your nephew.
ni’ tse’ ’i’elh net ’i m’i hun’tsew.”
It will be night before he comes down.”
heee! tl’qw’athut-s tthuw’ne’ullh sus ’uw’ huye’ ’ullhiwsum sus ’uw’ shaqwul nem’ ’utl’ smaqw’uts—m’is ’uw’ hwuni’ ’u tthu smaqw’uts.
Hmm! They packed up all their belongings and moved across to Smaqw’uts; that’s how they came to be there at Smaqw’uts.
’i’ s’e.eluhw thu tens thu slheni’ shhwhuw’wes s’e.e.eluhw
His mother was a very old parent.
suw’ tl’ukw’untum thu huy’qw mu.u.ukw’ ’uw’ kw’lhastum thw ’uwu te’ huy’qw.
She doused all of the fires by splashing them until the fire had gone out.
suw’ lel’sh thuw’nilh s’eluhw tthu tth’xa’tsup suw’ nuw’ushs ’u tthu s’axwa’mun.
Then, she scraped the charred wood and put in some clam shells.
suw’ taantewut thu sqwiqwmi’, suw’ ’aat thu sqwiqwmi’ thu s’eluhw, “yuthust ch kwthun’ shqwumey’ q’anuq ’u tu’i slhulnuts huy’qw, yuthust ch.”
The old woman called the dog, “My dear little dog, you will please tell your master about the fire.”
sus ’uw’ taantum thu sqwumey’ suw’ huye’ yu xe.e.em’ thu s’eluhw, sus ’uw’ nem’ shaqwul tthuw’ne’ullh tus ’utl’ smaqw’uts suw’ hwuni.i.i' tthuw’ne’ullh.
They left the dog behind; the old mother left too, but she was very unhappy and cried all the way to Sma’qw’uts, where they remained.
suw’ hun’umut tthuw’nilh, hun’tsew ’u tthu hwu ne’unt, ’uwu te’ we.e.et tl’e’ ’i.
When the son returned home that evening, he discovered that there was nobody still there.
suw’ m’is thu sqwumey’—xeem’ tthuw’nilh—m’is thu sqwumey’ suw’ thxutewut snem’s ’uw’, ’ixwutus tthu si’q ’u tthu leel’we’s.
The dog approached him—he was crying with loneliness—the dog nudged him, and he started digging and clawing in the dirt under the back of the seats of the longhouse.
suw’ nem’s tthuw’nilh ’i’ wulh kw’ustsus sus ’uw’ yuqwnamut, suw’ hwu huy’qw.
He touched the dirt and got burned; now, he was able to start a fire.
si.i.is ’uw’ net tthuw’nilh, ’uw’ ’i’lhtun’ ’u tthu se’uq, ’uw’ nilh ’uw’ stl’i’s.
He remained there and ate the bracken fern root, as that was what he enjoyed eating.
suw’ thuytus tthu tuxwa’ts, suw’ q’aq’i’ut-s thun’a sqw’ulesh.
He made himself a bow and arrow and used it to kill birds.
suw’ thu.u.uyt-s p’etth’utus hwu s’itth’ums. ’uwu te’ s’itth’ums.
He had no clothes, so he made some by sewing—as he had no clothes.
sus ’uw’ tl’am hwu ’i’tth’um’ tthuw’nilh.
Now he had enough clothes.
wulh tetsul tu’i yu ’i’mush. swuqw’a’lh tthu s’itth’ums,
Then, a visitor arrived, wearing woven blankets as clothing.
suw’ qwulmutewut, “’i ch ’uw’ hay ’ul’?”
The man asked him, “Are you alone?
“ni’ taanthelum, ni’ taanthelum.”
“Yes, everyone left me.”
“’uw’ yu tun’a ’un’ s’itth’um.
“Oh, you have nice clothes.
tuwet syaays?”
Who made them?”
“’uw’ nu swe’.”
“It is my work.”
“’uwe kwu’elh nu swe’us?”
“So can’t it be mine?”
“’uy’ ’uw’ ’un’ swe’s lhu.”
“It can be yours.”
suw’ ’amust-s, suw’ ’iya’qtulstewut tthu s’itth’um tthuw’nilh.
And they exchanged clothing.
suw’ ’iputewut thu sqwiqwmi’, sus ’uw’ hwu ’u.u.uy’ slheni’ hwu q’e’mi’ nilh ststa’lustewut sus ’uw’ hwu q’e’mi’ they’ hwu slheni’; ’uy’ slheni’, sus ’uw’ ststa’lusth.
The visitor then patted the dog, and the dog transformed into a beautiful young lady who became his wife; and the young lady became a beautiful woman and she was his wife.
nilh ’a’lu thulh xeel’s hwun’ ’i’mushs tthu xeel’s ’i ’u tun’a tumuhw.
So, the visitor was in fact Xeel’s; that was when Xeel’s walked here on this earth.
sus ’uw’ hwuni.i.i', ’uw’ lhul’quxutus ’ul’ tthuw’nilh tthu swuqw’a’lh.
Xeel’s stayed and wove blankets.
“m’i.i.i qwlhuthut tthu stth’aqwi’ mukw’ stem ’eeyt, nan ’uw’ qux s’ulhtun,” nilh nuw’ sqwulmutewut, “stu’estuhw ch ’i’ qux tse’ kwthun’ s’i’lhtun.”
“There will be a variety of fish (spring salmon, lingcod),” he said, “And you’ll have plenty to eat.”
sis ’uw’ hwthtiwun tthuw’nilh ’uy’ kws nem’s nuputstus lhu sisul’us.
Then, the young man thought about his grandma and wanted to send her something.
t’e’tewut tun’a ’uw’ mu.u.ukw’ ma’uqw, mukw’ ste.em qwuni.i.
He tried to ask the different birds.
“nem’ ch nemustuhw ’u lhunu si’lu tun’a slhewut’, s’ehwe’t.”
“Take some herring to my grandmother, because I want to give her some.”
(47) ni’ ’uw’ hwu ’unwulh ’ul’ ’u tu’i shqwun’u ’i’ ni’ qwus, tthu qwuni tthuw’ mukw’ stem ma’uqw.
The seagull and whatever kind of duck would get to the middle of the ocean and they would fall into the water.
ni’ wulh ’usup’nuhwus ’i’ ni’ tus ’u thu q’uleeq’e’.
He finally got to the crow.
suw’ muq’ ’aa.aa.aamustewut thu q’uleeq’e’ ’u thu slhewut’.
So, he decided to feed the crow all the herring she could eat.
suw’ qwals tthuw’nilh, “ha’ ch tusnamut q’anuq ’uw’ tusnamutuhw ’i’ xut’u ch ’u tu’i.
He told the crow, “My dear one, if you should make it there, I want you to relay a message.
"‘qw’ulaa.aam, qw’ulaa.aam tthu ’um mum mi tthu s’ukw’ukw’uli.i, qw’ulaa.aam qw’ulaa.aam tthun’ s’ukw’ukw’uli ’un’ ’imuth," xut’u ch
“Barbecue, barbecue, from your cast-away son, your grandson,” you’ll say.
’i’ nilh ’un’s ’uw’ ye’ut.”
Then, throw up the herring.”
suw’ ne.e.em’ thu q’uleeq’e’ ’i’ ’uw’ thu’it hay nuw’ tus tsetsuw’ thu s’eluhw xe.e.em’ m’i ’uhas, nem’s thu q’uleeq’e’ suw’ ’imushs yu yu hwakw’thut.
The crow actually did arrive there and found his grandmother crying at the beach, and the crow dragged herself over to face her.
suw’ ye’ut-s thu q’uleeq’e’ suw’ qwals, thut ’u kwthey’: “qw’ulaam, qw’ulaam tthun’ s’ukw’ukw’uli ’un’ ’imuth qw’ulaam.”
And then the crow vomited, and relayed this message: “Barbecue, barbecue, from your cast away son, your grandson.”
suw’ ye’ut-s sis m’i.i.i tl’uw’ huye’ thu q’uleeq’e’.
And so the crow vomited up the herring and then flew away.
suw’ hwnuw’ushs thuw’nilh s’eluhw suw’ tsumstuhws suw’ qw’ulut-s.
The old lady gathered the herrings and brought them up and barbecued them.
suw’ ptem’s tthu muleem’ne’, ptem’ tthu muleem’ne’, “’un’ snutsaalh.”
The young people were curious and asked her where she got them.
kw’i p’uw’ ’ewu lhu q’uleeq’e’: “qw’ulaam ts’u tthun’ s’ukw’ukw’ule ’un’ ’imuth.”
She told them what the crow had said: “Barbecue, barbecue, from your cast away son, your grandson.”
kweyul ’ul’ ’i’ m’i huye’ tthuw’ne’ullh hwi’ hwu’alum’, m’i hwu ’i ’u tthey’ lelum’s, hwu ’i.
The next day, everyone returned back to their home.
suw’ thu.u.uyt-s tthuw’nilh ’ixwutus tthu tsetsuw’, kw’shetus tthu shhwum’ne’lukws, t-hway tthu mens ’uwu ’i’ thu si’lus sis ’uw’ luts’.
The young man cleared the beach, enumerating his aunts and unlces but his father and grandmother were not among them.
tssetus thu sta’lust, yu ’ii’wust ch kwthu nu shhwum’ne’lukw ’u tthu stth’aqwi’ ’i’ thu slhewut’.
Then, he told his wife, “Show all my aunts and uncles the spring salmon and the herrings.”
wulh nem’ yuhw ts’a’lu thulh q’aythut tthuw’nilh. t-hway thu slheni’ ’a’mut.
He left, and little did the others know that what he had in mind was to commit suicide—only the woman was at home.
sis ’uw’ tetsul tthu shhwuw’welis,
He did not know that his parents and grandmother did return.
si.i.is ’uw’ nem’ qwsuthut sis ’uw’ q’ay.
He walked into the water and never returned; he did die.
nuw’ st’e ’ul’ kwthey’ tthu syuth.
That is all of the story, syuth.
ni’ hay!
The end!