snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
sn/eRsijM
Turtle Lake
łi čnaqs sql̓tmixʷ łuʔ n nʔer̓sikʷ hu x̣ʷaʔ c̓ščeni, lšeʔ hu emcnetkʷ. hi kʷen̓t hu wičis łiʔ kʷtu···nt sp̓rk̓ʷaqs c̓nes. cxʷu···y, ctešlš łuʔ sp̓rk̓ʷaqs. cxʷu· · ·ymis hu čʕacšntes, nte···
This one man there on Turtle Lake and whats he doing, there he sat on the shore. Suddenly he saw this huge turtle coming towards him it came, stood in front of him did the turtle. He went to him he tied him on the foot, he thought…
"ho·y, hi qeʔł xʷuym!" łi n̓e n šʔit hu čʕacšntes, č̓ ʔe heł łaqšls.
“Bo..y, I’m taking this one home!” After he had first tied him up by the foot, over to here again sat down.
hu sewneʔ łuʔ t nƛ̓x̣cin, c̓x̣ił t st̓r̓t̓r̓eʔm! hu t ac̓x̣is· · ·łi łuʔ snʔiwlm··· teʔčen̓!
And he heard something very loud. Just like it was thunder! And he looked at the sound that wave…it was humongous!
łuʔ s nwist łuʔ snʔiwlm, hu c̓nes! hu kʷen̓t wičis łuʔ snčłc̓aʔsqax̣eʔ lšeʔ hu hec aw̓tpałq. hi q̓ʷay łuʔ snčłc̓aʔsqa! šey̓ hu psap łuʔ sql̓tmixʷ
So very high was the wave, and coming toward the man and then he saw it the horse right behind and it wasfollowing the huge wave. It was black the horse! That’s when overcome was the man
xʷt̓t̓pn̓um̓t, łuʔ č̓ šrtmus, łuʔ xʷt̓ip! xʷt̓i···p, č̓ lkʷu··t hu ƛ̓lip. heł ac̓x̣···
he jumped up quickly, and to the steep hill he did run! He ran, to far away and stopped. He looked back
č̓uw! č̓uw łuʔ snʔiwlm··č̓uw łuʔ snč̓łc̓aʔsqa! hoy, emu··t hu heł cxʷuymis łuʔ sʕacsqax̣eʔs---č̓uw nexʷ č̓uw łuʔ sʕacl̓aʔxʷsqax̣eʔs łuʔ sp̓r̓k̓ʷaqs.
Gone! Gone was the wave.. gone was the horse! There he sat and again Went to see about his staked out animal gone! Also gone was the tied up animal, the turtle!