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scqescíłni ttwit
Little Falls Boy
                     Narrated by Orten Ford                                Illustrated by Diane Covington

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łuʔ t q̓sípiʔ u ep swiʔnúm̓t łuʔ č̓ scqescí.

A long time ago, there was a young man at Little Falls.

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łuʔ t nk̓ʷasq̓t, cuntm t lʔews, “n̓em kʷ xʷuy č̓ čłq̓liʔ u n̓em kʷ cʔuncút.”

One day, he was told by his father, “You will go to a lake and you will seek your vision.”

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“n̓e kʷ čičš łuʔ č̓ še, m̓ kʷ weʔm: ʔi……!”

“When you arrive there, you will shout, “Eeeeee!”

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kʷen̓t xʷist łuʔ č̓ čkʷlkʷltasq̓t čłq̓liʔs.

Then he walked to Benjamin Lake.

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tešlš n sx̣cin u weʔm, “ʔi…..!”

He stood up on the shore and shouted, “Eeeeee!”

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kʷen̓t máw̓is łuʔ x̣cnúm̓tis u nʔust.

Then he took off his clothes and dove in.

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nč̓rip č̓łʔišút u wičm t nšn̓esšn ʔec̓x̣íł t nx̣lenč.

He swam beneath and saw a rock cliff like a shelf.

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tl̓šeʔ nč̓rip u wičm heł nk̓ʷuʔ nšn̓esšn.

He swam some more and saw another rock cliff.

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ʔax̣í u čłtéšlšmis łuʔ sništétkʷ. Finally he stood on the bottom of the water.

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kʷen̓t čicntm t w̓suʔł.

Then he was met by a loon.

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čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ u epł t̓aʔt̓apmín u hec ncáʔaqʷ.

He had arrows stuck all over his body.

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cúti, “Ɂax̣l čn t̓ʔek̓ʷ, qʷu hec t̓apims t sqélixʷ, pn̓ ta pistém̓ qʷu hec mʔečtmms. nexʷ l̓šey̓ m̓ kʷ ʔec̓x̣íł.”

She said, “Whenever I come out of the water, the people shoot me, but it never bothers me. You will also be like that.”

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kʷen̓t čicntm t sqlew̓. nexʷ čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ u epł t̓aʔt̓apmín.

Then he was met by a beaver. He was also covered all over his body with arrows.

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tixʷł ʔesél snʔešʔeščén̓tn tl̓ sqlew̓. nk̓ʷuʔ epł hi kʷil scsust u nk̓ʷuʔ epł hi kʷriʔ.

He received two vessels from the beaver, one had a red drink and another had yellow.

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cuntm t sqlew̓, “n̓e kʷ lxʷup, m̓ kʷ sust m̓ kʷ x̣stwilš.”

He was told by beaver, “When you get hurt, you will drink and get better.”

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kʷen̓t čicntm t ltkʷuʔ u čmlk̓ʷmíc̓eʔ ep sq̓tq̓tim. kʷen̓t nk̓ʷƛ̓im t n̓in̓č̓mn łuʔ t sqeltčs.

Then he was met by an otter and all over his body he had scars. Then he pulled a knife from his body.

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cúti, “xʷʔit łuʔ i sq̓tq̓tim hu pn̓ ta piʔstém̓ qʷu hec lxʷupnúnms. nexʷ l̓šey̓ m̓ kʷ ʔec̓x̣íł.”

He said, “Many are my scars, but they never hurt me. You will also be like that.”

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“k̓ʷúl̓iš t n̓in̓č̓mn ʔec̓x̣íł t łiʔé hu pn̓ ta piʔstém̓ aqéc lxʷupnúnm łuʔ a snk̓ʷélixʷ.”

“Make a knife like this, but you must never hurt your fellow people.”

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l̓šey̓ u wíčis łuʔ suméšs.

That was how he saw his power.

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heł t̓ʔek̓ʷ u č̓uw łuʔ x̣cnúm̓tis. čtmelxʷ u heł xʷist łuʔ č̓ scqescí. 

He came out of the water again and his clothes were gone. He walked back to Little Falls naked.

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łuʔ heł čičš, u hec c̓qʷáʔaqʷi hecyáʕ̓ łuʔ stm̓mélisc.

When he arrived again, all his family was crying.

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cuntm t sk̓ʷuys, “ʔaslásq̓t u kʷ č̓uw. an lʔew u wi̓čis łuʔ an x̣cnum̓tn u qe nte u kʷ ƛ̓lil.”

He was told by his mother, “You were gone for two days. Your father found your clothes, and we thought you died.”

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šey̓ u hoy

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