Section 3.6 Hul'q'umi'mum' - KWI'KWUSHNUTS 'I' TTHU SITUN SMUKW SPE'PTITUL'
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Jean-Paul Csuka
Hul'q'umi'num' translation, transcription, and editing by: Sti'tum'at | Ruby Peter, Donna Gerdts, and Randeana Peter
Funding for Hul'q'umi'mum' translation: First Peoples' Cultural Council
'uhwiin' stl'i'tl'qulh tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'i' yath 'uw' ni' 'u tthu ti'ya'xween.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief.
ni' tthu lelum's 'eelhtun 'u tthu hay 'ul' thi tawun—kwun'atul' 'u thu tens 'i' tthu shuyulhs stl'atl'um' kwushnuts.
He lives in a big city with his mother and his older sister, Perfect Number.
thume 'u tthu nuts'a' suxulhnet kws nem's hunum' 'u tthu hiiye'yu lelum' kwun'atul' 'u tthu siiye'yus.
Twice a week he goes with his friends to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
mukw' tthey' suw'wuy'qe'allh yuw'en' kwus tl'uw' xlhas 'i' yelhsus yaays 'u tthu skw'shem 'u tthu lhsuq' tintun.
There the boys first have a snack and then they do mathematics for half an hour.
ts'uhwle' 'i' nilh tthu sxul' skw'shem nilh ni' syaaysth 'i' nilh 'e'ut tthu suw'alum' skw'shem nilh 'i' yath nuw' hakwushus 'eelhtun.
Sometimes they do algebra in their workbooks, but usually they play mathematical games.
yath nuw' saay' tthu swe' 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts suw'alum'.
Small Number's favourate is always the games.
hay 'ul' 'uy'st-hwus kws suwq's 'u tthu stl'its 'i' nilh kws hwsxwumul's 'u tthuw' mukw'!
He enjoys finding patterns faster than anyone else!
tthu ni' hay 'ul' 'uy'st-hwus suw'alum's 'eelhtun tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lus 'i' nilh tthu situn smukw ni' 'u tthu thi hiiw'alum'ew't–hw.
What the boys like the most is playing basketball in the Centre's gym.
tahw 'uw' xu'athun tthu saaysituns smukw ni' 'u tthey' thi hiiw'alum'ew't-hw 'i' ni' st'e 'ukw' hun'ts'a'wuqw tthu nuts'a' situn smukw nuw' st'e 'u kw'uw' nuw' suxits 'ul' tthu ni' shni's kwus t'e't'qw'itul' ni' 'u tthey' tthu nuts'awuqw.
There are four basketball hoops in the gym, which allows each group of players to use just a fraction of the court.
nilh hay 'ul' tl'its'um 'u tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'u tthu ni' ts'lhq'uq'a's 'i' nilh kws hays 'ul' hwsxwumul'.
Small Number is the shortest boy in his group, but he is very fast.
stl'i' 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts kws hays 'ul' 'uw' hwu 'uy' kws huw'a'lum's st'e 'u tthu siiye'yus thi syelkw', 'i' nilh hay 'ul' 'uw' tl'uqtemutth' ni' 'u tthu nuts'aw'uqw.
He tries hard to be as good a player as his best friend Big Circle, who is the biggest boy on the team.
nilh tse' kwthu thi situn syulkw' spe'ptitul' ni' tse' ni' 'u kwthu s-hwulmuhwa'lh skweyul, 'i' stl'i's tthu tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lusallh kws nem's q'a'thut.
A big half-court basketball tournament will happen on Aboriginal Day and the boys want to enter it.
ni' 'u tthu hun'ts'a'wuqw 'i' t'xumulu 'i' 'uw' lhhwelu 'ul' tthu ni' nem' hiiw'a'lum' 'u tthu nuts'ehw.
Each team must have six players, but only three players are allowed on the court at one time.
'i' 'uw' lhq'utsse'lu 'ul' tthu swaaw'lus ni' 'u tthu hun'ts'a'wuqw 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts siiye'yu.
There are only five boys in Small Number's group of friends.
suw' qwuliil'qwul' tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lusallh 'uw' nilhus lhwet tse' kw' ptem'utus kws hwu t'xumulus 'eelhtun.
The boys start talking about who they might ask to be their sixth player.
qwal thi syul'kw', thut, “nilh kw'u hay 'ul' tl'uqtemutth' sew'q'tut 'i' kws xwums 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens tthu situn syul'kw'!”
Big Circle says, “We need somebody who is tall, fast, and a good shooter!”
mukw' 'uw' hwtil'qatul' tthuw'ne'ullh 'i' skw'ey kws tul'nuhws 'eelhtun 'uw' nilhus lhwet kw'u q'patus.
All the boys agree, but they can't think of anyone to join their team.
kwus wulh nem' t'akw' kwi'kwushnuts 'i' wulh tul'nuhwus thu tsi'tsut kwus tl'lim' 'uw' 'uwu kwlh qwal.
When Small Number comes home, his mom notices that he is quieter than usual.
suw' putum's thu tsi'tsut, “ni' tseep 'a'lu tstamut?”
So Mom asks, “What happened?”
'i' hwiinem' thu tsi'tsut 'u tthu ni' kwus huy'thustum' 'u tthu mun'us, hwyunumus thu tsi'tsut suw' thut, “tl'uqtemutth', xwum, 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens.”
After listening to Small Number's explanation, Mom smiles and says, “Tall, fast, and a good shooter.”
“ni' ch p'uw' shtatul'stuhw 'uw' nilhus lhwet kw' st'e 'u tthey'! ni' tst 'uw' mukw' shtatul'stuhw!”
“You for sure know who is like that! We all know!”
lemutus thuw'nilh thu shhw'aqw'a's stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts, 'i' nilh 'i' hwu tsulel 'i' hay 'u tthu syaaysth shkw'shem.
She looks at Small Number's sister Perfect Number, who is just finishing her math homework.
thut-s kwi'kwushnuts, “nan ch 'uw' nu stl'i', te'!” qwumtsustus thu tens.
Small number says, “I love you, Mom!” hugging his mom tightly.
lemutum 'eelhtun 'utl' stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts, hwu sts'uts'eq'.
Perfect Number looks at them, very puzzled.
kwus wulh qul'et kweyul, wulh tus 'u tthu sq'uq'a's suw' thut-s kwi'kwushnuts, “'uwee kwu'elh ptem'ut lhunu shuyulh stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts?”
The following day Small Number says to his friends, “Why not ask my sister, Perfect Number?”
“slheni' q'u!” thut thi syel'kw' wulh kwutxuminus.
“But she is a girl!” says Big Circle, feeling his heart beating a bit faster.
yu sul'iqtul' tthu suw'walus kwus qwal 'uw' hwhun'ts'ehwqun', suw' thut, “'uw' thu'it, slheni', 'i' tl'uqtemutth' thulh, xwum 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens tthu situn smukw!”
“Yes, she is a girl but she is also tall, fast, and a good shooter!” respond the rest of the boys in one voice.
qwal kwi'kwushnuts, “ha' sq'uq'a' stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts kws huw'a'lum' tst 'i' xwum ni' kw' tskw'ush nuts'a'wuqw ni' 'u tthu lhuxunuptun 'i' wuwa' skw'ey kws lhtsiw's kw' lhwet.”
“With Perfect Number playing with us,” continues Small Number, “We can have twenty different teams on the court and nobody is ever going to get tired!”
xiq'a'qwum thu thi syal'kw', suw' thut, “ni' stsekwul' kwun's ni' xetst tthey'?”
Big Circle scratches his head and says: “How can you calculate things like that?”
“'i' nilh kwunus hay 'ul' 'uw' stsuw'et kwunus huw'a'lum' 'i' nilh tse' yath 'uw' hiiw'a'lum'!”
“And, since I'm the best player, I have to play all the time!”
“ha' kwus st'e 'u kwthey' kws 'apun hun'ts'a'wuqw ni' 'u kwthu lhuxuptun 'i' 'uy'staam 'u lhuw'nilh,” thut kwi'kwushnuts.
“In that case, we can have ten different teams on the court… And she likes you too!” says Small Number.
sus 'uw' huye' xwchenum nem' lhew' 'i' hwu t'it'iyeq' thi syal'kw', susuw' huyinum tthu sq'uq'a's.”
He runs away from a very angry Big Circle while their friends start laughing.
ni' hay.
The end.
sptem' tu'i: ni' stsekwul' tthu kwi'kwushnuts kwus shtatul'st-hwus 'uw' niis huw'a'lum' tthu stl'atl'um' kwushnuts sq'uq'a' 'u tthu siiye'yus, 'i' ni' thut kws xwums 'i' hwu stl'atl'um' kws tskw'ush nuts'aw'uqw kws ni's 'u tthu lhuxunuptun kws 'eey's kwthu pe'putitul'?
Question: How does Small Number know that if Perfect Number were to play with him and his friends, they would be able to have twenty different teams on the court during the tournament?
