Section 10.4 Tla'amin - Mεnaθεy hεga θεqɘms tʊkɬε
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Bethani L'Heureux
Tla'amin translation by: Betty Wilson of the Tla'amin nation
Mεnaθey: χaƛ kʷat̓ᶿ tawθε ninijε tawθiʔatoɬ ʔɘt̓ᶿ čɩčyε. Hε kʷa kʷ čɩčyεs taʔɘwtoɬ. Nɩnɩjε kεwkigim, p̓oho,tʊkɬε hεga ta mosayε θεqɘms tʊkɬε.
I want to tell you a story told to me by my granny. Her granny told her the story. It is about Coyote, Raven, Rabbit and the 4 rabbit holes.
Payε t̓ᶿat̓ᶿaχɬawum šε kεwkigim t̓ᶿokʷɘs. Qajε mot kʷi ʔi ɬawšɘš tɘt šε ƛɘmstɘns. ʔukʷčε θos tɘts kʷ θičεm. T̓ᶿεt̓ᶿεyqεnɘm. Hotit nanɘt čεt θo hεwt.
Coyote always hunted every day. Very early in the morning he would leave his den. He went everywhere in the forest. Searching for food. It would be nighttime before he got back to his den.
Nεs šε mos θεqɘms kʷ tʊkɬε. ʔata qʷalɘms ta θičεm. Tanos šε θεqɘms kʷ tʊkɬε. Xʷaʔot nijεʔεnxʷεgɘsɘs.
There were these 4 rabbit holes. On this side of the forest. They were side by side. They were not very far apart.
Hanɘm qaqa kεwkigɩm χatositɘs. hoyot paʔa θεqɘms tʊkɬε kʷʊtɘs tɘt. hoyε θo kʷ θičεm.
Coyote is usually so hungry when he gets up. He only ever looks at one rabbit hole. Then he goes into the forest.
Kewkigim: hεw ƛaχεgɘn ta tʊkɬε. Maʔɘxʷθɘmt paʔɘ t̓ᶿokʷ.
Rabbit is so smart. But I will catch him one day.
Mεnaθεy: hεw qaχ mot t̓ᶿokʷ kʷʊtεgɘn, ʔi xʷačεmɘs maʔɘxʷɘs ta tʊkɬε.
Many days passed and he still could not catch the rabbit.
Ho šε paʔɘ t̓ᶿokʷ, qajεʔot xʷɘ kʷʊnuxʷɘs tʊkɬε. Čiyixʷɘs šε p̓oho, kʷanɘč nε šε jεjiʔɘm.
Then one day he still had not seen the rabbit. He heard Raven, sitting in a nearby tree.
P̓oho: cr?uck. Cr?.uck kewkigim. Kʷεʔεt ƛaχεgɘn tʊkɬe θo nɩgε. Cr?..uck. cr?.uck.
Cr?.uck Coyote. Rabbit is smarter than you? cr cr..uck. Cr...uck.
Mεnaθεy: hεw q̓aq̓a mot kεwkigim šɩn qajεkʷi. χaɬ mot šε čɩyεxʷs p̓oho. Xʷoxʷt̓ᶿatɘm.
Coyote was especially hungry that morning. He got really mad when he heard Raven. Making fun of him.
Kεwkigim: ʔot kʷεʔεt ƛaχεgɘn ta tʊkɬε θo čɩnε, kʷεʔεtč ƛaχεgɘn θo nɩgε!
If Rabbit is smarter than me, I am smarter than you!
P̓oho: qaqasƛačεm. Cr r r?.ruck. ƛoƛχayčxʷ! Q̓aq̓ačxʷ! χaɬεtčxʷ θ xʷačεmɘs maʔɘxʷ ta tʊkɬε.
Laughing. Cr r r... ruck. Are you old? Are you hungry? You are mad because you cannot catch the rabbit.
nɘmsaʔagɘ kʷʊnuxʷ ƛaχεgɘn? tawθεt̓ᶿɘm qʷalɘs nanɘt, θo ƛɩčt ta tʊkɬε θεqɘms qεxʷtεgɘns ta θεqɘms nεʔos ƛičt sε hεwtɘm nanɘt. ʔotčxʷ pɘpyε θεqɘm kʷʊtuxʷ ta qajεkʷi, kʷεnsɘm t̓ᶿokʷ θo kʷʊtεgɘn hεwtɘm θ maʔaxʷ ta tʊkɬε?
Are you really smart? I will tell you when it comes evening, Rabbit goes to sleep next to the hole he slept in from the night before? if you only look at one hole in the morning how many days will pass before you catch the rabbit?
Mεnaθεy: kʷʊnostɘm kεwkigim ta p̓oho, hoya kʷʊtɘs ta θεqɘms ta tʊkɬε, kʷʊnostɘs qεy ta p̓oho.
Coyote looked at Raven in the face then he looked at the rabbit holes then he looked at the Raven again.
Kεwkigim: p̓oho, hotεgɘnčxʷ θ payε qɘqyεt kʷ ʔukʷ gatɘs. ʔi čεtčxʷ tatawθ nɘms kʷat̓ᶿ maʔɘxʷ šε tʊkɬε. Mεnaθεy: hahays θo t̓ᶿɘmχ kʷ θičεm.
Raven, you think you can fool everyone and then you tell me how to catch the rabbit. Then he slowly disappeared into the forest.
Gayaɬtɘnčxʷ: kʷεnasɘm čε t̓ᶿokʷ hεwtɘm manigit ta Kεwkigim ta tʊkɬε?
Question: In how many days will Coyote catch the rabbit?
