) kwunus hwun’ stu’ehwulh ’i’ ya.a.thulh tsun ’uw’ ’uy’stuhw kwunus nem’ tsetsul’ulhtun’ ni’ ’u tu tsetsuw’ tsuwmun ’utl’ snuw’nuw’us.
When I was a kid, I always liked to go fishing down the beach in Snaw’naw’as.
2) nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ ni’ tsun nem’ huye’ nem’ tseelhtun.
One day I took off by myself to go fishing.
3) wulh suw’q’thelum ’i’ nilh tunu si’lu, yath ’uw’ hun’utut ’ukw’ Papa Sam, nilh suw’q’tham’sh.
My grandfather, we called him Papa Sam, looked all over for me.
4) mukw’ ’untsu ni’ shnem’s kwus sew’q’, ’i’ ’uwu kwus kwunnam’shus.
He was searching everywhere, but he couldn’t find me.
5) ni’ tuw’ hith ’i’ ni’ wulh kwunnam’shus ’i’ ni’ tsun ni’ ’u tu tsetsuw’ kwunus hiin’a’nuts’a’ tsetsul’ulhtun’.
He finally found me down at the beach fishing alone.
6) suw’ huy’aatheelt ’u tunu si’lu, xut’uste’lum’, “la’lum’uthut ch.
And my grandfather warned me, saying, “Watch out.
7) ni’ ni’ kwthu nuts’a’ hay ’ul’ thi.i.i sqi’mukw’ ni’ sqwuqwis, xisul’ hay ’ul’ thi.
There is a big octopus that lives in the water there, big and fierce.
8) ’uwu ch kwu’elh tum’temuhw ’i’ ’uw’ hiin’a’nuts’a’ ’ul’ kwun’s tsetsuw’ ’i ’u tun’a.”
So, don’t ever be taking off alone down to the beach here.”
9) kwunus ’uw’ hwun’ swiw’lus’al’lh, ’i’ yath ’uw’ huy’aathe’lum’ ’u tunu si’lu ’u kwthu hay ’ul’ thi sqi’mukw’ ni’ ’u tu tsetsuw’.
When I was young, my father warned me of the big octopus down here at the beach.
10) nilh kwu’elh nush ’i’ huy’aatha’mu, huy’aata’lu, “’uwu tseep tum’temuhw ’i’ m’i t’at’uhw ’e’wu ’u tu tsuwmun hiin’a’nuts’a’.”
That’s why I am warning you, “Don’t be coming down to the beach alone.”
11) suw’ ’ulh xwi’a’m’usthelum ’u tunu si’lu, qwiil’qwul’:
Then my grandfather told me a story, saying:
12) nuts’a’ skweyul ’i’ ni’ nem’ t’ahw tu swiw’lus nem’ kwunutus tu snuhwulhs tu si’lus Nukomus ni’ nem’ huye’.
One day one of the young men went down to the beach and took his grandfather Nukomus [Nanoose Bob]’s canoe and went out on the water.
13) ’i’ ’uwu ’iis m’i tl’e’ hun’umut.
And he never returned.
14) mukw’ tu musteyuhw ’uw’ suw’q’t, ’uwu te’ kw’ lhwet ni’ kwunnuhw.
They looked all over for him but couldn’t find him.
15) ni’ yul’ew’ kwthu kw’in skweyul ’i’ wulh m’i wuqwulh thu snuhwulh ’i’ ’uwu te’ ’u kwthu swiw’lus.
A few days later, the canoe washed ashore but there was no sign of the young man.
16) suw’ thut-s tu s’ul-hween, nilh ’i’elh kwthey’ thi sqi’mukw’ ni’ kw’lhet sus ’uw’ huya’stum kwthu swiw’lus.
The Elders said that it was that octopus that tipped his canoe over and took him away.
17) ’uwu ’ul’ niis tl’e’ yu kwunnum kwthu swiw’lus.
They never found the young man.
18) sisuw ’uw’ yath ’uw’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ huy’aata’lum’ tun’a stl’ul’iqulh, tun’a lhnimulh stl’ul’iqulh, ’uweet tum’temut ’i’ nem’ hunum’ ’u tu tsuwmun, kwsuw’ yu hali tst ’ul’.
They warned all of us kids to never ever go down to the beach by yourselves.
19) nilh kwu’elh ni’ sxwi’a’mustham’shs kw’unu si’lu.
That’s what my grandfather told me.
20) sis tl’uw’ xwi’a’mustham’shus ’u kwthunu shhwum’nikw Ronnie, qwiil’qwul’:
Grandfather also told me a story about my uncle Ronnie, saying:
21) kwusuw’ hwun’ stu’ehwulh lhun’ ten ’i’ tu shhw’aqw’a’s Ronnie ’i’ ni’ huye’st-hwus thu snuhwulhs, nem’ ’aalh ’u thu snuhwulh susuw’ huye’, tseelhtun.
When your mom was still a child, her brother Ronnie got on his canoe and went out fishing.
22) ni’ ’uw’ hwun’ yu ’ula’ulh ’u thu snuhwulh ’i’ ni’ wulh kw’lhathut, ’uwu te’ ’ul’ ni’ shni’im’s ’i’ nuw’ kw’lhathut ’ul’.
His canoe tipped over for no reason.
23) suw’ qwiil’qwul’s kwus sqwuqwis ’i’ ni’ ni’ kwthu ni’ hwakw’t tu sxun’us.
He said that some strange thing pulled on his leg.
24) quy’e’tus tu shuptuns susuw’ tth’iqw’utus kwthu ni’ kwun’el’s ’i’ nuw’ thu’it ’uw’ qtl’umnamut.
He took out his knife and slashed and slashed till he was able to free himself.
24) sus nem’ ’uw’ t’itsum nem’ nem’ ’u tu tsuwmun.
Then he managed to swim ashore.
25) nilh kwu’elh nush ’i huy’aata’lu hay ’ul’ xisul’ kwthey’ ni’ ni’ ’u tu qa’.
This is why I warned you all about that fierce creature there in the water.
26) yath tseep ’uw’ syaa, la’lum’uthut tseep ’u kwun’s ni’ stutes ’u tu qa’.
I am warning all of you to always be careful when you are down at the beach.
27) ’i’ ha’ ch qwsuthut ’i’ tl’lim’ ch ’uw’ hwiil’asmuthut xisul’ kwthu ni’ sqwuqwis.
If you go into the water, you have to watch out for that fierce thing that is under the water.
28) ya.a.ath tsun ’uw’ kwu’elh ’uw’ he’kw’ ’u tu ni’ si’aam’s tunu si’lu, kwus ts’i’uta’lum’ qwaqwul’, huy’aata’lum’ ’u tu ni’ sht’es kws xisul’s tu tsuwmun.
I always remembered my grandfather’s warning, what he had alerted us about, warning us about that fierce thing down at the shore.
29) kwunus hwun’ swiw’lus’al’lh ’i’ ’u.u.uy’stuhwulh tsun kwunus hiiw’a’lum’ ni’ ’u tu tsuwmun.
When I was a young man, I really loved playing down at the beach.
30) nilh ni’ saay’stum tu ni’ ’u tu tsuwmun st’e ’u kw’ sq’ulets’utun ni’ saay’stum ni’ kwu’elh ’uy’st-hwen’ nu shhwunum’ulh.
There was a breakwater (i.e. a place on the shore that was like a shelter) where I liked to go.
31) yathulh tst nuw’ le’lum’nuhw tu hay ’ul’ thi s-hay’ul’uq ’u kwutst xi’xlem’ut tu kw’atl’kwa. ’i’ ’uwu te’ shtatul’stuhw tst ’uw’ niis nutsim’ tu ni’ st’ee kw’uw’ ha’yul’uqum’stuhw tu qa’.
We could see big waves and currents underneath the water, but I couldn’t tell why.
32) stem yuhw ’a’lu kwthu ni’ tswe’ ts’ul’uthut ’u kwthu ha’yul’uqum’?
What was making the big waves?
33) qul’et kweyul ’i’ ni’ tst hwi’ nem’ shishkw’am’ nem’ ’u tu s’ulqsun, kwun’atul’ ’u tunu shhw’a’qw’a’ Samuel.
The next day my cousin Samuel and I went out swimming, going out to the point.
34) ’i tst ’uw’ hwun’ sqwuqwis ’i’ ni’ tst wulh lumnuhw tu mu.u.unmun’lh sqi’mukw’, qux, hay ’ul’ qux ni’ lumnuhwut ni’ sqwuqwis stutes ’u kwthu ni’ shni’tst.
After a few minutes, we noticed a whole lot of small octopuses swimming right beside us.
35) sutst tuw’ suli’si’.
We were quite scared.
36) hwi’ xwum t’itsum nem’ lheel, si’si’me’t tu ni’ lumnuhwut.
We took off swimming really fast, swimming back to shore, frightened by what we saw.
37) hay ’ul’ qux mumun’lh sqi’mukw’.
There were really a lot of those little octopuses.
38) sutst ’uw’ sht’eewun’s tuw’ qwuliil’qwul’tul’, “wuwa’ nilh me’mun’us kwthu hay ’ul’ thi sqi’mukw’.
My brother said, “Maybe those were the babies of a really big octopus.
39) ’uw’ thu’it kwu’elh, ’uw’ thu’it ni’ ni’ kwthu hay ’ul’ thi sqi’mukw’ ni’ ’u tun’a tsuwmun tst, snuw’nuw’us.”
So, it’s true, there really is a big octopus that lives here.”
40) ’uwu kwu’elh tl’e’us stsekwul’ ’i’ nem’ tst hwu’alum’ nem’ ’u kwthey’ s’ulqsun.
That’s why we never went back there to the point again.
41) yathulh ’uw’ huy’aata’lum’ ’uw’ ’uweet ’uw’ tum’temut ’i’ tasthut ’u tu tsuwmun qa’.
We were always told to never ever go near the water.
42) kwutst m’i tuw’ yu ts’its’usum’ ’i’ yath’uw’ huy’aata’lum’ “’uwu tseep tum’temuhw ’i’ ’uw’ hay tseep ’ul’ nem’ hiin’a’nuts’a’ hunum’ ’u tu tsuwmun.
When we were growing up we were always warned, “Don’t ever be going down to the beach by yourself.
43) ha’ tseep nem’ ni’ ni’ ’u tu qa’ ’i’ yath tseep ’uw’ hwiil’asmutul’. la’lum’uthut tseep ’un’s ’uw’ le’lum’ut tun’ siiye’yu.”
Always make sure you are looking out for one another when you are out on the water.”
44) hay ch q’a.
Thank you.
The PDF of this story can be found here.
