snxʷmeneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn
6190 Agency Loop Road
PO Box 100
Wellpinit, WA 99040
509-258-4222
Spokane Tribe Language and Culture
qwil pins
How Red Bean Became
Illustrated by Frank Campbell
Narrated by Orten Ford
Tj/u/t łi/e nJasQt ddede/ge/s, huO lxteLis, hiʔe hi Jil pins, wsSneOp ssPqiN, hu CiZCZt. hoy, zu/y hu Tppcne/tj hiʔe n ccWeSe/. hayo!
They walked along this one day the three of them, they were good buddies this one Red Bean, Long Stemmed wheat, and Red Coal. So they traveled along and soon found themselves standing on a shore of this little creek. Oh my!
jeNt ldeN m axi/Lm m nyife/J? hoy Dłpa/xnte/s, hoy cuti hiʔe wsSneOp ssPqiN “Euy/e Ou/ hi dn wisSn ce/j Ne dn TJncut hiʔe l/e n sxcin. jeNt Ne put Ou/ d n/isAut DOCicn jeNt Sey m Eu dzstalEmntp m p nyifeJ.”
Just how will they manage to get across it? So they thought and plotted, finally said this Long Stemmed Wheat “it shall be me since I am the longest in length if I should lie down right here on the bank, then I will just to the other side reach then that way me you will upon you folks will get across.”
hoy xest Dłjenzcntm, jeNt SeY sTJncut Ou/ wsSneOp ssPqiN JuLOcut t nxxLeWs. jil pins Ou/ s S/it dxesSNiM hu nyifeJ. hoy, Oi/e CixcZt cnigc dszstalE. Put nyihheWsM Ye n ccWeSe/, DOwulip hiʔe CiZCZt hu nTifpetj, nglletj!
So good they all agreed on this plan promptly then he laid and stretched himself out did Long Stemmed wheat he made himself like a bridge. Red beans was the first he carefully placed his steps and got across. So then the Red Coal himself began walking upon him. Just got on to the middle of the little stream. He burned did red Coal and fell into the creek and he drowned!
Jil pins widis Ou/ tL n n/isAut hoYncut hu dTLpeWs! hoy Za t swet hu WeWidNtM hu Ye t piq sTopqs hu heO dToEeWsNtm, heO zlil hec nppNeWs.
Red Beans saw this from the opposite bank he laughed until he burst! Finally I guess someone came along and found him and with a white piece of thread did again pull him together and stitched him up, he came back to life he sat up but now he is bent over.
jeNt lSe/ hu nyaFpmist, hi jil jeNt hec npNeWs hu hiʔe t JJYuMe/ t piq hu hec dxPeWs, hiʔe jil pins.
Then that’s how he has stayed since, he is red then he is hump-backed and there is a tiny bit of white showing where he was stitched back together, this the Red Bean.