T̓ᶿuqʷaʔəm kʷ jɛnxʷ mɛnaθɛy

                                                       Menathey and the Salmon Harvest

Wɩwlos mɛnaθɛy.

Menathey is a young boy.

 

Payɛ ʔukʷtəm yɛyɛθots.

He gets into a lot of mischief

Tasɛt kʷ qʷɛt nɛs ƛamɛs.

He lives close to the beach (ocean).

 

Hɛɬ šɛ mans hɛga šɛ tans nɛs ʔoneganɛm.

He lives with his father and his mother.

 

Hehɛw ʔI mot t̓ᶿokʷ ta χɛč̓ɩč.

It is a fine crisp autumn day.

 

Čɛčɛgatəm mɛnaθɛy šɛ mans.

Menathey is helping his father.

 

P̓ap̓ɛtəs šɛ p̓aʔəčs  hɛwtəm θos p̓aʔəčɩm.

He is preparing his net before he goes fishing.

 

“nɛ kʷa qaχ mot jɛnxʷ kʷ ƛɛkʷanəm.  mɛqʷjɛnštəm qajɛhəs ƛɛqʷ.” natəm šɛ mans.

Someone said there are lots of salmon in Scuttle Bay.  We will set our net while the tide is high.”  Said his father.

 

Čɛt kʷa ƛaʔayin mɛnaθɛy θo qəqmɛtas šɛ mans kʷ p̓ap̓aʔəčɩm.

It is the first time that Menathey will go with his father to set the net to catch fish.

 

Qaχ kʷ χaƛs kʷ toχuxʷəs.

He has so much to learn and he wants to know it all.

 

 Čɩm kʷ nɛs ta talɛč   χɛyχajis   tatəms ta p̓aʔəč hɛga taχaməy ta θahəms?

Why are the round rocks on one side and pieces of cedar on the other side of the net?

 

ʔət̓ᶿ tamtən tɛʔɛ tiytiy χɛyχajis?

Why do we need these big rocks?

 

Čɩmčɛ θoxʷɛns qatəms šɛ χɛyχajis?

I wonder how heavy the rocks are?

 

Čɩmčɛ θoxʷɛns nijiʔɛnxʷɛgəs.

I wonder how far apart they are.

 

Čɩm kʷ nəms kʷ čɩts ta taχaməy?

Why are the pieces of cedar cut in this shape?

 

Čɩm kʷ θoxʷɛns ƛaqts ta p̓aʔəč

How long is the net?

 

Čɩm kʷ θoxʷɛns kʷ ƛəpjɛns ta p̓aʔəč?

How deep is the net?

 

“ɬaqəmčxʷʊt mɛnaθɛy.  ʔukʷsəm təm toχuxʷaxʷ kʷisəm.” natəm šɛ mans qasqasɛm.

Be patient Menathey. You will learn everything tomorrow. Said his father smiling.

 

Hoga taʔəwt šaθ kʷʊkʷpa hɛga šaθ čɛpθ hojits ta p̓aʔəč.

Go and tell your grandfather and your uncle the net is ready.

Tawčʊxʷ ga nɛʔəs ta qʷɛt qʷolsəm t̓ᶿot̓ᶿok̓ʷʊk̓ʷ.     

Tell them to be at the beach at breaking daylight.

 

Hehɛw qʷašqʷiš mɛnaθɛy kʷ čɛt yɛyɛθots.

Menathey is excited about his new adventure.

 

Xʷa čɛməs ʔI hayɛ ƛɩčt.

He could not fall asleep right away.

 

Gaχuxʷəs kʷ tiy mot jɛnxʷ kʷit̓ᶿɛm ta čɛ.

He dreamt about a big salmon jumping out in the ocean.

“pičɛm ga mɛnaθɛy. kʷI nɛ kʷ qʷɛt ɬaqəm šaθ man.”

Wake up Menathey.  Your father is down the beach waiting.

 

Činəm mɛnaθɛy šɛ tans.

Menathey heard his mother.

 

Θo ƛəq mɛnaθɛy. qakʷum. Kʷankʷʊntəs kʷ ʔukʷ čɛnəs.

Menathey went outside. He stopped.  He was looking everywhere.

 

Pəpkʷatəs ta šɛtɛqʷəns ta t̓əqt ta θohomɩxʷ.

He stared at the mountain top on the other side.

 

Čiyɛtəs kʷ juʔʊkʷ hɛga kʷaqts kʷ hiyom.

He could hear the waves lapping and the cries of the seagulls.

 

Kʷʊnuxʷəs ta qaχ təmtumiš ʔəta qʷɛt. θo jɩƛmɛtəs.

He saw a group of men down the beach.  He ran towards them.

 

“ʔiy mot θ qʷal təs” natəm šɛ kʷʊkʷpas.  P̓ɛθostəs.

“I am glad you are here” said his grandfather.  He hugged Menathey.

 

ʔukʷtəm hojɩt kʷʊms θo.  ʔeyɛwuɬ ta nuxʷɛɬ ʔəms p̓ʔəč hɛga ta pɩčpɩču.

Everything is ready for us to go.  Our net and baskets are in the canoe.

 

Θo tasɛw kʷ ƛɛkʷanəm.  ɬayiš šɛ kʷʊkʷpas hɛga šɛ čɛpθs.

They arrived in Scuttle Bay.  His grandfather and uncle went to shore.

 

Nɛʔot ʔowuɬɛt mɛnaθɛy hega šɛ mans.  Χənatojɛtəs šɛ kʷʊkʷpas sayayins tap̓aʔəč.

Menathey and his father stayed in the boat.  He handed over the end of the net to his grandfather.

 

Hɛwčɩsma mɛnaθɛy. θo pɛqʷiš. Mɛmɛqɛtəm šɛ mans ta p̓aʔəč.

Menathey began to paddle.  He went away from the beach.  His father was letting the net into the water.

 

Ho təs ta sayayins ta p̓aʔəč.

He got to the end of the net.

 

ʔiy θo hɛwčɩsma tətsɛt ta qʷɛt.

He paddled along close to the beach.

 

Sitatəm šɛ mans tiy χajis.  Qɛysatəns ta p̓aʔəč.

His father threw a large rock overboard.  It is the anchor for the net.

 

“hɛsəm ta χajis qɛysamɛns ta p̓aʔəč” natəms šɛ mans.

“The rock will be the anchor for the net”  said his father.

 

“oh, čɛ kʷI kʷʊnuxʷ”, natəm mɛnaθɛy, “hɛɬ ta χɛyχajis qətmaʔəmɛns ta p̓aʔəč.  ʔiy hɛɬ ta taχaməy p̓aƛišstuxʷ ta p̓aʔəč.”

“Oh, I see”, said Menathey, “It is the rocks which are the anchors for the net and the cedar keeps the net afloat.”

 

Pəpkʷatəm mɛnaθɛy šɛ qaχ mot jɛnxʷ.  Hɛw tiytiy mot.

Menathey stared at so much fish.  They are so big.

 

 

Nukʷjɛθot kz ƛukʷɛnəss.  Θoxʷɩns ʔajumišs.

His heart beat rapidly.  They were so beautiful.

 

Hɛw tiytiy mot!  Hotot gawyit̓ᶿəm ta jɛnxʷ.

They are so big!  The fish are just sparkling.

 

Qɛyɛstuxʷəs ta p̓aʔəč.  ƛaʔəyin θo ɬayiš mɛnaθɛy.

The net is tied in the boat.  Menathey heads towards the shore.

 

Χanatojɛtəs šɛ čɛpθs sayayins ta p̓aʔəč.

He hands over the end of the net to his uncle.

 

“čɩmčɛsəm θoxʷɩns ʔəms qayt?”  hət qey qayaɬtən mɛnaθɛy.

“I wonder how much we caught?”  Menathey begins to ask again.

 

Qaχačɛsəm jɛnxʷ maʔaxʷɛt st̓okʷ?

Do you think we will catch a lot of fish today?

 

ƛomɛta čɛsəm tums χanət kʷ ʔukʷ gatəs?

Will there be enough to give some to everyone?

 

Nəmsaʔəgə qʷalasəm χapi ta jɩnjɛnxʷ.

I wonder if the fish will come back next year.

 

“Toχnɛxxʷšt ʔot” natəm šɛ mans.

“We know” said his father.

 

Nisčxʷʊt tɛʔɛ.  čɛgətčxʷ θ čɛpθ tʊktəs ta p̓ʔəč.

You stay here.  Help your uncle pull in the net.

 

Hot̓ᶿəm čɛgət θ kʷʊkʷpə.

I will go and help your grandfather.

 

ƛaʔəyinɛw tukʷjɛn ta p̓aʔəč.  Kʷʊnɛtəs jɛnxʷ nɛnpɛt ta p̓aʔəč.

They began to pull in the net.  He saw the fish caught in the net.

 

Tawtəs šɛ čɛpθs, “hɛw ʔiy mot tums qʷal qajɛʔəs ƛɛqʷ. ʔot qaqa qʷayin xʷə čɛməs qayt čɛt qaχ jɛnxʷ.”  ʔiy mot tums yɛyɛθot.”

He said to his uncle, “it is good we came while the tide was high.  If it was low tide we might not have caught much fish.  We did a good thing.”

 

Gayaɬtanč:   Question:

Čɩm kʷ nonpɛganəms mɛnaθɛy ga qaqaʔəs k̓ik̓lɛxʷsəm kʷaθ qayt?

Why would Menathey think that you would catch only a small amount of salmon when it is low tide.