nem̓ kʷəkʷəleʔx tə spa:l̓ | Raven Goes Shooting by Josephine Good
nem̓ kʷəkʷəleʔx tə spa:l̓ | Raven Goes Shooting by Josephine Good
Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ story translated by Josephine Good (6 July 2013) from an English version of story by Mel Bailey. It was transcribed by Donna Gerdts, Mercedes Hinkson, and Barb Joe, edited by Donna Gerdts (June 2014), and proofread by Delores Louie. The sound file that accompanies this story was edited by Donna Gerdts (12 June 2014).
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ʔəwɬ ʔəw hiθ kʷəs wəł sk̓ʷey ʔəl̓ tə spa:l̓.
A long time ago Raven was very bored.
scəw̓ et kʷs hakʷəxs tə tax̌ʷəc.
He was very adept at using a bow.
ʔəwə təwet hakʷəx tə tax̌ʷəc.
There was nobody who could shoot a bow like him.
ʔəw hay ʔəl̓ scəw̓ et.
He was the very best one.
sisəw nem̓ ɬq̓iltəs tə si:yey̓əs, “təwətəs k̓ʷə ƛ̓xʷənəq mi ʔəƛ̓ ʔe:nθə? mi səwaθəl.”
And he asked all his friends, “Is there anyone who can beat me? Come play.”
“ʔəwə,” θət tθə speʔəθ.
“No,” said the bear.
“sk̓ʷey k̓ʷəns ƛ̓xʷənəq, ʔəw nan čxʷal̓ ʔəw̓ ʔəy̓.”
“I can’t beat you, because you are too good.”
sisəw ɬq̓iltəs tə stqa:yeʔ, “ʔəθƛ̓iʔ ʔə kʷəθ kʷələxθam̓ x?”
So then he asked Wolf, “Do you want to shoot with me?”
sisəw təl̓qən tθə stqayeʔ, “ʔəwə, sk̓ʷey kʷəns ƛ̓xʷənəq.
And Wolf answered, “No, I can’t beat you.
ʔəw nan čxʷal̓ ʔəw̓ ʔəy̓.”
You are too good.”
sisəw sqiqəl̓əs tθə spa:l̓.
So Raven was very sad.
ʔəwə te sɬaʔθəts tθəw ctamətəs səwł wə sk̓ʷey ʔəl̓.
He had nothing to do and he was bored.
sisəw nem̓ t̓axʷ.
So he went down to the beach.
kʷs ʔəwɬ nem̓ t̓axʷ ʔəwɬ mə wil̓ θə p̓əwəy̓.
While he was sitting on the shore, a flounder appeared.
səsəw qʷel θə p̓əwəy̓, səsəw ɬq̓iltəs ʔəw nəcim̓ əs sisəw naʔənc̓ə ʔəl̓ k̓ʷəs ʔam̓ ət ni ʔə tθeʔ.
Flounder spoke and asked him why he was sitting all alone there.
sisəw qʷel tθə spa:l̓ “ʔəwə təwet mi kʷənatəlθam̓ x.”
Raven told him, “Nobody will come be with me.”
səw θət θə p̓əwəy̓ “sk̓ʷey k̓ʷəns nem̓ ʔəw nay ʔəw mi:n q̓ʷim təl̓liʔ tə qaʔ.
Flounder replied, “I can’t go unless I get out of the water.
ɬx̌iləx cən ƛ̓ən səwɬ θəw θiθat.
I will stand up and make myself big.
ƛ̓əɬəw kʷələxθam̓ x ʔəw nan ʔəl̓ ʔəw ʔəy̓ t̓ᶿəmen.”
Shoot me with your best arrow.”
sisəw ney̓əm̓ ʔal̓ tθə spa:l̓, ʔəw nayəmətəs ʔal̓ θə p̓əwəy̓.
Raven laughed and laughed at Flounder.
“ʔəw ʔəy̓ ʔəl̓ kʷsəw sk̓ʷey kʷəns qʷix̌ʷəθamə.
“This should be easy, I can’t miss you!
ʔəw nan čxʷ ʔəl̓ wə ɬq̓et.”
You are very wide.”
sisəw nəqəm θə p̓əwəy̓.
So Flounder dove down into the water.
sisəw nəqəm nem̓ tə qaʔ ʔəywł mə p̓əkʷ.
So he dove down into the water and then come up to the surface.
sisəw θiθat.
And he made himself big.
səsəwɬ θəyθət tə spa:l̓ kʷs kʷəlexs.
And Raven got ready to shoot.
səsəwɬ θəyθət tθə tax̌ʷəc.
And he got his bow ready.
sisəwɬ x̌əl̓c̓θət θə p̓əwəy̓ sisəw qʷəməxʷəl.
And he turned sideways and he made himself thin.
səw kʷələxtəs ʔiʔ ni qʷix̌ʷətəs.
And then he shot at him and he missed him.
sc̓ec̓ən ʔəw sqʷel, “aa ša! ni cən qʷix̌ʷəθamə!”
He really spoke out, “Oh shucks! I missed you!”
ʔəwə kʷs təmtems ʔiʔ qʷix̌ʷəθət yəw̓ en̓əɬ.
He had never ever missed a target before.
x̌iʔx̌ɬem̓ tθə sk̓ʷit̓ᶿəc, x̌iʔx̌ɬem̓ ətəs tə spa:l̓.
Blue Jay was watching, watching Raven.
sisəw ɬaɬək̓ʷ ƛ̓pil xʷəxʷəʔetəs θə p̓əwəy̓.
He flew down, copying Flounder.
“ʔo-o-o p̓əwəy̓ , kʷələxθamə cən.”
“Oh, Flounder. I will shoot at you.”
sisəw št̓iʔaθən θə p̓əwəy̓, “yəw̓ en̓ čxʷ kʷəθkʷələxθam̓ x.”
So Flounder said, “You shoot at me first.”
skʷit̓ᶿəc kʷɬ yəw̓ en̓ kʷəs kʷələxt ʔiʔ nə qʷix̌ʷətəs.
So it was Blue Jay who shot first, and he missed him.
“Okay, p̓əwəy̓. xʷiʔ nəwəs.
“Okay Flounder, now it’s your turn.
ʔənəxʷ! ʔənəxʷ! ɬq̓əθət tən t̓ət̓eləw̓ , ʔiʔ ƛ̓əɬəw kʷələxθam̓ x.”
Wait a minute! I will spread out my wings, and try and shoot me.’
sisəw θəyθət θə p̓əwəy̓ kʷs kʷələx.
And so Flounder got ready to shoot.
sisəwɬ x̌əl̓c̓θət tθə sk̓ʷit̓ᶿəc ʔəw nan ʔal̓ ʔəw pɬet.
And so Blue Jay turned sideways, but he was very wide.
sisəw kʷələxtəs.
And he shot him.
ʔiʔ niʔ tə sx̌ən̓əs kʷəs təs tθə skʷələxs.
And it was his leg where his arrow hit him.
ʔiʔ “sk̓ʷay̓θət cən kʷəns ʔim̓ əx!”
“I’m no longer able to walk!”
t̓it̓aʔθət tθə skʷit̓ᶿəc kʷs st̓e:s θə p̓əwəy̓.
Blue Jay tried to be like Flounder.
ʔəwə čxʷ x̌ʷəx̌ʷiʔetəxʷ təθ si:yey̓ə.
Don’t be copying your friends.