Skip to main content

Section 12.4 Tla'amin - Mεnaθey hεga ta čεno, ta tʊkɬε,hεga mεʔεn napεt ta lasəc

Written by: Veselin Jungic and Donna Gerdts

Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux

Tla'amin translation by: Betty Wilson of the Tla'amin Nation

Wɩwlos mεnaθεy. Payεʔot ɬaχɬaχtən. Tasεt tə qʷatəm nεs šε ʔayεs. Hε ta θahəms ta qʷatəm nεs šε ʔayεs šε čɩčyεs.

Menathey is a young boy. He is very mischievious. He lives near the river. On the other side of the river is his grandmothers house.

Θoxʷεns ʔis t̓ᶿokʷ. ?ʷaʔətəm šε təns mεnaθεy.

It was such a nice day. His mother said to him.

tan: “hojuθot ga mεnaθεy. Hočxʷ kʷʊt šaθ čɩčyε st̓ᶿokʷ. Čεgətčxʷ. Gatᶿakupčxʷ. Hoya pataniščxʷ ta qʷεyʔ. Hoya čεgətčxʷ šε panəms. Qaχ mot p̓əp̓εms tin ƛoqowiy.”

Mother: “Get ready Menathey. You are going to see your grandmother today. You will help her. Chop wood. Stack the wood. Then help her with her garden. Lots of work to do this summer.”

Mεnaθεy: “ʔi mot. Hot̓ᶿəm čεgət. ʔajεʔot ga hosxʷən t̓ᶿ čεčno.”

Menathey: “Great. I will go and help her. Is it ok if i take my puppy?”

Tan: “ʔe. Hosčxʷ kʷusən. Kʷinətčxʷ θ θosəm ɬaqiš ta qʷatəm. ɬaχsxʷəs ga ƛəməs.”

Mother: “Yes. You can take Koosen. You will need to carry her when you cross the river. She does not like getting wet.”

Mεnaθεy: “kʷusən, hεhewčxʷ ʔi mot čεčno. qʷaga hošt jɩƛ.”

Menathey: “Koosen, you are such a good puppy. Come let us go. Run.”

Narrator: hεɬ θahəms šε qʷatəm nεs šε ʔayεs šε čɩčyεs. ʔot θo kʷumšin mεnaθεy hεga kʷusən ʔεlεt θot šε qʷatəm. ʔεlεt ʔi hahays ta qayε. Matəm mεnaθεy kʷusən. Kʷinatəs ʔi θo ɬaqiš ta qʷatəm. Kʷikʷt̓ᶿεm ta χiyχajiš .

Narrator: His grandmother house is on the other side of the river. If Menathey and koosen go up the river a little ways, it is shallower. It is shallow and the river flows slower. Menathey picked up Koosen. He carried her while he crossed the river. Jumping from rock to rock.

Čiyčɩyε: “ʔjačxʷʊt mεnaθεy.” p̓εθostəs. “?i mot kʷat̓ᶿ kʷʊnomε.” popkʷatəm kʷusən. Walaχnəčεm.

Granny: “How are you Menathey?” She gave him a big hug. “I am so happy to see you.” Koosen watched. Tail wagging.

Narrator: hət gat̓ᶿakup mεnaθεy. Pəpt̓anašεs qεxʷtεgəns ʔayεs šε čɩčyεs. qʷol kʷʊtayεtan ʔi ƛaʔayin p̓ap̓εm nεs šε qaχ panəms šε čɩčyεs. qaχ mot qawθ, mawqθ, ʔi kʷ mεʔεn.

Narrator: Menathey began to chop wood. Stacking them agains his granny?s house. Then in the afternoon he began to work in the big garden with his granny. Lots of potatoes, onions and carrots.

Čɩčyε: “hojɩt kʷ mεʔεn, tʊktʊkčεtsəm, ʔi t̓ᶿoktčεtsəm. Nəpišstəm ta lεsəc.” ƛaʔəyin mεnaθεy tʊktʊktəs ta mεʔεn. Čεčεganəq kʷʊsεn.

Granny: “The carrots are ready. We will pull them out. Clean them. Put them in a sack.” Menathey began to pull out the carrots. Koosen helped.

Narrator: tihayεʔεw.

Narrator: They had tea.

Čɩčyε: “ʔi mot θ qʷal čεgaθ. Hεwč ʔi ʔa jε. hočεp ga ju hεwtəm ƛεqeqaws. χənatənapεt̓ᶿəm paʔə lεsac kʷ mεʔεn. ƛasəmčxʷʊt.”

Granny: “I am so happy you came to help me. My good fortune (I am blessed). You need to get home before it gets dark. I will give you a sack of carrots to take. You are strong enough.”

Čɩčyε: “χaƛ kʷat̓ᶿ χanaθε kʷ taməs.” Gaqεčtəs šε kʷoxʷə. kʷit̓ᶿεm šε titol mot tʊkɬε.

Granny: “I want to give you something.” She opened up a box. Out jumped a little baby rabbit.

Mεnaθεy: kʷaqt θoxʷεns ʔi kʷ qʷayεgəns. Hεw qʷašqʷiš.

Menathey cried out! He was so happy! He was so thankful for the gift.

Čɩčyε: “kʷʊnεθotč θ ɬaqišsəm ta qʷatəm. xʷačxʷ ɬawšεxʷ kʷʊsən hεga ta tʊkɬε. ʔε?itən ʔot kʷʊsən hoyʔ ot ga qačtəs ta tʊkɬε ga sεsayεʔəs. ʔi xʷačxʷ ɬawšʊxʷ ta tʊkɬε hεga ta mεʔεn. Jεqa hʊkt mεʔεn ʔaxʷi kʷat̓ᶿ χanət taθ tan.”

Granny: “Watch out for when you cross the river. Do not leave Koosen and the rabbit together. Koosen is cute but she might bite the baby rabbit if she gets scared. And, do not leave the rabbit and the carrots together. There might be no carrots left to give to your mother.”

Narrator: matəm mεnaθεy ta tʊkɬε hεga ta lasəč yič kʷ mεʔεn. Yεɬətəs kʷʊsεn. ʔi θo juʔεw. θo tasεw ta qʷatəm. Kʷatəm mεnaθεy tə mεʔεn hεga ta tʊkɬε nεs ta χiyχagis. pəpkʷatəm kʷʊsən.

Narrator: Menathey took the rabbit and the sack full of carrots. He called Koosen. Then they headed home.. They arrived at the river. Menathey put the carrots and the Baby rabbit by the rocks. Koosen watched him.

Mεnaθεy: təmččεsa? hεw paɬqəm mot ta χiyχajis! pəpyεsəmt tət kʷinatən. xʷa čεməs ʔukč kʷinatεxʷ.

Menathey: He wondered what to do. The rocks are very slippery. I can only carry one thing at a time. I cannot carry everything.

Gayaɬtənč ga: čɩm sa ga ɬaqašnom Mεnaθεy kʷ ʔuktəm.

Question: How will Menathey be able to get everything across the river!