tthu kw’ekw’i’ spe’uthallh

Hungry Little Bear

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aaa shaa! ni’ ’a’lu ’untsu tthu stth’oom?
Oh! Where are the berries?

hwu xelu tthu stth’oom!
The berries are scarce.

nilh ’ulh qux ’u kw’unu lhuw’ulhne’.
There were plenty the day before yesterday.

’i’ hwu ’uwu te’ st’e ’u tthey’.
Now I can’t find them anymore.

nan tsun ’uw’ kw’eykw’i’.
I am very hungry.

suw’ stem tse’ kw’unu s’ulhtun?
What do I eat now?!

pkw’um pkw’um pkw’um tthu qa’.
Splash, splash splash!

stem ’a’lu kwthey’?
What was that?

pkw’um pkw’um pkw’um tthu qa’!
Splash, splash, splash

aaa! stseelhtun p’e’!
Oh! It is salmon!

ni’ tsun tse’ xwchenum tstl’umut tthu stseelhtun.
I shall run and catch the salmon!

aa shaa! ni’ tsun qwixwut!
Shucks! I missed it!

ni’ tsun tse’ tstl’um nuqumut tthu stseelhtun.
I shall dive in after the salmon!

ni’ tsun kwunnuhw! ni’ tsun kwunnuhw tthu stseelhtun!
I caught it! I caught a salmon!

’i tsun hwu sum’miq’. ’uwu tsun ’iin’ tl’e’ kw’ekw’i’.
I am full and not hungry anymore.

ni’ hay. hay ch q’a’.
The end. Thank you.

Story: Martina Joe and Delores Louie
Art: Martina Joe
Voice: Delores Louie
Sound: Dylan George-James and Donna Gerdts