
snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
ƛ̓uxʷ šey̓ lʔe n šiyulexʷ We have always walked this land
Albert Sam
hiʔe hu ax̣istm łu hamałtn hu xʷlxʷilt
łu ntx̣ʷetkʷ hu mʕʷop
How the Fly Saved the River
Narrated by Orten Ford
Illustrated by Orten Ford

q̓sipi. q̓sipi, c̓iyu hepł sqelixʷ łuʔ n st̓ulixʷ, čmiš t xʷixʷeyuł; łuʔ puti sic łuʔ st̓ulixʷ, kʷet kʷepł hec moʕʷop t qʷamqʷmt.

łuʔ sw̓ew̓ł nx̣̓aqsm łuʔ łiʔe n hec moʕʷop, kʷet nexʷ łuʔ sewłkʷ hi xʷuk̓ʷ hu nx̣setkʷ; kʷet hec ya łuʔ xʷixʷeyuł lše hec xʷuʔy qs suʔsti.
Many, many moons ago, when the world was new, there was a beautiful river. Fish in great numbers.

Fish in great numbers lived in this river, and its water was so pure and sweet; that all the animals came there to drink.
hu łiʔe teʔčen̓ sx̣aslqs č̓łmipn̓un̓t kʷet nexʷ xʷuy qs susti, hu pn̓ mił kʷtunt, kʷet łuʔ sust, kʷet šey qs nsoʕʷpmi. č̓ ƛ̓mey u hec moʕʷop.

kʷet č̓łtaqpeʔls uł sqlew̓, łu sck̓ʷul̓ł ciʔtxʷs łuʔ sewłkʷ kʷet hac c̓spmi, ta qs q̓sip łuʔ čiʔtxʷs n̓em m̓uʔm̓awt.
kʷet nexʷ č̓łtaqpeʔels uł č̓č̓lexʷ, n̓em esčeʔnm łuʔ ne hoy s moʕʷop, lčen̓ łu qł sxʷlxʷiʔlts?
A giant moose heard about the river, but he was so big, and he drank so much, the water began to sink lower and lower.

The beavers were worried the water around their lodges was disappearing. Soon their homes would be destroyed. The muskrats were worried too, what would they do if the water vanished, how could they live?
nexʷ č̓ł̓taqpeʔls uł swewł, łu k̓ʷiƛ̓t xʷixʷeyʔuł łuʔ n st̓ulixʷ n̓em xʷlxʷiʔlt n̓e nsoʕʷop, pn̓ ta łuʔ cniʔłc.

the fish were worried too, the other animals could live on land if the water dried up, but they could not.
hoy kʷet hecyaʕ̓ uł xʷixʷeyuł čłpax̣nteʔs qs ƛ̓eʔqʷšmš łuʔ sx̣aslqs tn̓ ntxʷetkʷs hu pn̓ łuʔ s kʷtunt, kʷet nx̣eʔlmis, nexʷ łuʔ nłamqe. kʷet nexʷ, nx̣elmis łuʔ sx̣aslqs

then all of the animals tried to think of a way to keep away the moose from the river but he was so big, they were afraid, even the bear was also afraid of the moose
hoy łiʔe hamałtn cuti, n̓em cniłc m qixʷis łuʔ sx̣aslqs hoy xʷaxʷaʔey uł xʷixʷey̓uł. lčen m łiʔe teʔčen̓ hamałtn nx̣lx̣elis liʔe teʔčen sx̣aslqs? tas ec̓iʔnt hamałtn.

At last the fly said he would drive the moose away, all the animals laughed and jeered. How could a tiny fly frighten a giant moose? The fly said nothing.
kʷet łu sx̣asalqs čič kʷet šey̓ hu ax̣lwis hamałtn. n sč̓maqstšists sx̣aslqs hu t̓uxʷt hu k̓ʷeʔntes, łt̓mstem̓ sx̣aslqs. kʷet tr̓qem kʷet łu heł łt̓ip kʷet łuʔ st̓ulixʷ nt̓iʔpp kʷet xʷéʔtwilš łuʔ sewłkʷ.



But that day as soon as the moose arrived he went into action. He landed on the moose's foreleg and bit sharply, moose stamped his feet hard