snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
w̓aw̓íckʷl̓eʔ
Meadowlark
Narrated by Orten Ford
Illustrated by Diane Covington
exʷ spilyeʔ tʔe hu xʷist y̓e nk̓ʷasq̓t. exʷ x̣ʷa č̓ č̓en̓ hec
xʷuyi.
As usual, Coyote walked by here this one day. As usual we wonder tho where he is going.
exʷ hi čqʷuqʷawšn. łi y̓e n s̓iʔy̓ustis hu wičm nt̓t̓k̓aqs
hi y̓e qqe...eʔt l̓ul̓k̓ʷ stem̓.
As usual, his feet were looking for mischief. Right here on his path and he saw laying in the path this here tiny little twig or something.
"hoy hiqs čql̓uteneʔn," nte.
"Awe, guess I will step on it" he thought.
łuʔ čłql̓uteneʔis, hi qaxʷ hu caʕa swet
Just as he stepped on it, it went, "snap!" and arose a cry of pain from someone.
ih! kʷss̓us spilyěʔ, łťup č̓ ʔe hu heł tesšlš.
Wow! This startled coyote, he leaped up to here always a
nd again landed on his feet.
"x̣ił ta kʷeʔc čx̣esšin̓m, eneʔ! c̓er̓c̓r̓t! qʷu čql̓utaqsčšntn, ene...!"
"Very much you don't watch your step, owie...! It hurts! You broke my leg. Owiiiiiii!"
ene, neʔk̓ʷ y̓e w̓aw̓ickʷl̓eʔ lʔe hu t̓t̓k̓ʷn̓cut qs itši. hu pn hu čql̓utaqsčšntn t spilyeʔ
Oh my, apparently this meadowlark here had lain down for a nap. And just then stepped on his leg
by Coyote.
hoy spilyeʔ nqʷn̓n̓miys, hu np̓nnłniwtnmiys n y̓e w̓aw̓ickʷleʔs sc̓uʔšis. kʷen̓t x̣ʷa t stem̓ hu čłč̓a...qstšis. Then Coyote felt sorry for him and he found a couple of tiny twigs and made a splint on each side of this meadowlark's leg. Then whatever he found and he bound the twigs to his leg securely.
ho...y, łuʔ p̓ʔax̣ w̓aw̓ickʷl̓eʔ. kʷen̓t pentcʔ hi winxʷ, c̓x̣ił hec čč̓č̓ʔaqsčšn łuʔ lšeʔs lxʷups.
So then he healed did meadowlark. But will always be visible just like it's a ridge around his leg right where it had broken.