Peskw
Koluskap naka Wasis
[Koluskap & the baby]
Pihce, Pihce
[Long ago…]
Koluskap-yaq pemqepit.
[They say Koluskap was sitting, stretched out (on the ground).]
Kisi-piyemhantuwikotuwat yuhuht psiw, kiwahqi ayut motewolomu, cel peciw wocawson.
[He had conquered them all through his superior power the forest giants and the motewolonuwok, and even the wind.]
Psi nit ‘piyemhantuwikotomon.
[All of that he had defeated.]
On nit, yut pemqepit, sqotek qihiw, ‘toli-tpitahasu: “ Koma-al-te apc keq ihiw tan skat kisi-hp piyemhantuwikotomu.
[So as he sat there by the fire, he said to himself: “I guess there just isn’t anything that I wouldn’t be able to conquer.”]
On-yaq ehpit nutuwan. ‘tiyal-yaq “Cu-te-lu. Mec-te pesqon iyu keq, mesq piyemhantuwikotomuwon. Kat-te-hc-ona.”
[A woman heard him, they say. She told him, “Oh but there is. There is still one thing whose power you have not overcome. And you never will.]
‘tiyal -yaq “nsotummuwin-ehta. Keq nit? Wen not miyaw etuci nit, kinitahat?”
[He said to her, “ tell me about it, then. What is it? Just who is there that has such great power?”]
‘Tiyal-yaq “ Wasis-ehta.Wasis kat-op kpiyemhantuwikotuwaw.
Sipa qecellan.”
[She told him, “It is Baby. Baby you will never conquer. Just try it with him.”]
On-yaq wot, Koluskap ‘tiyan Wasisol “Ckuwi. Ckuwiyamin.”
[So then Koluskap said to the baby “Come here. Come to me.”]
Wot-yaq-olu Wasis etolitatok, sonawi-sukolis. Eckuwihtatok yut, tehpu ‘tolapomal.
Siktelomu wot wasis.
[Now Baby was sucking on a bit of maple sugar. He went on sucking it and just looked at him.
Baby laughed.]
Apc wot Koluskap ‘tiyan “Ckuwi. Ckuwi yut eyi.”
[Again Koluskap said, “Come here. Come over here where I am.”]
Ma-te ‘ciksotuwawiyol Wasis. Tehpu kekesk siktelomu. Neket-yaq mec ‘totlihtan yut.
[Baby paid no attention to him. He just laughed a little. All the while he was sucking on (the sugar)]
On-ehta, apc wot, Koluskap eci, tan-te eci-kisi-wasisuwihtaqsit, naka, qeci-wolihtaqsu wolamis-ona, wolamis ;ciksotakul wot Wasisol.
[So then Koluskap did his best to make voice sound like a baby’s; and he tried to sound nice, so that Baby would mind him.]
Pesqon-te wot Wasis tehpu ‘tolapomal. Ma ‘ciksotuwawiyol.
[All the same, Baby just looked at him. He didn’t mind him.]
On-ehta-yaq, kis ‘tamuwiluweyakul. On-ehta wtihin, kekesk ‘cipokihtaqsin. ‘Cipokihtaqsuwaman. Wot-yaq-ote wasis sasotemu. Eltaqsit-yaq etolotemit.
[By then (Baby) was making him a little angry. So he did something — he shouted a little. He hollered at him. And Baby cried. He made a great noise with his crying.]
Nit apc ‘toqeci, ‘toqeci-kskonan. Kotama. Koma ‘kisaellawiyol. Mam-te nit… mam-te nit elitahasit “Ntoqeci wot kekesk motewolonuwellan wot Wasis wolamis, wolamis nciksotaq.” Mam-te u, Mili-yaq qecehtu wot. Tehpu-yaq Wasis ‘tolapomal,’siktelomin. A wonehe wihqinuwal.
[Then he tried to calm him. But no. He couldn’t do anything with him. Finally he thought, “I’ll try a little of my power on this Baby, so that, so that he’ll mind me.” In the end, oh, he tried all kinds of things. But Baby just looked at him and laughed. Instead (of minding him), he saw him as funny.]
Psi-yaq keq ‘toqecehtun ayut, kisi… kisuwehetpon yuhuht, piyemhantuwikotuwat ihi, kci-motewolonu, ayut kiwahqi, ayut wocawson. Ayut wisokamoqessikil. Koma-te keq Wasis ‘taliyukuwon. Tehpu pomqepu, tolelomu
[He tried everything, even (the power) that he had used when he conquered the great Motewolonuwok, and the forest giants, and the wind. And fierce storms. Nothing had any effect on Baby, He just sat there and laughed.]
Itom-yaq, Koluskap “Eluwehkal wot, wasis npiyemhantuwwikotaq. Koma-ipocol nil nihtawankeyuwaw wasis eli mesq cpahkatomu.” Ktahcuwi, ktahcuwi-hc wot wasis mecimiw piyemhantuwikotakun.
[“This Baby seems to have defeated me,” said Koluskap. “For I don’t know how to take care of a baby, since i’ve never been married.” Indeed, the baby will always get the best of us.]
