大象传媒

Small Number and the Old Canoe 鈥� Haula色as  -  Ha虂usa  du  glw虛a

 

Small Number is a little boy,

Haula色a鈥檜is wi虂sm ha虂usla虂ya,

And he is always getting into mischief.

Gi hia虂laq虛am na虂nu虂色tuba la.

He is in the care of his grandparents,

鈥機i虂slasuis g虒aqg虒峁兲乸a虂si,

For they put up with the way he plays. 

鈥橩say虛asi wa虂n虛iqas hialama h虛a虂ml虛i虂nisi.

Grandpa has to carve a feast dish,

鈥橩ia虂gilaxv g虒ag虒mpasi 色u虂q虛va 位ia虂lac虛i茮,

Go out and play with the other children.

Gi h虛aua虂 ya虂pa ha虂us岣穉虂鈥� qn la虂isi, h虛a虂m色uls du w虛a虂ukvas x虒ix虒apxv.

It鈥檚 a nice spring sunny day,

Ha虂ix茮alapsis hay虛峁囂亁虒s  pxlas  k虛vq岣穉虂,                                                                                          

And they ran down to play in the water.                                                                              

gi h虛aua虂 k虛i虂k虛x虒vnc虛s la虂 h虛a虂m色a  la  w虛a鈥檃虂mpax虒i.

Everything they see sparks a new game,

鈥橦a虂kq虛a峁兲揳虂s duqvlasusi  wa虂li  q虛a虂yax虒鈥檃idailas  h虛a虂lu色ts  h虛a虂ml虛i虂ni虂,

and Small Number鈥檚 friend Big Circle suggests they see who can make a stone skip the farthest on the surface of the water.

Gi h虛aua虂 q虛ay虛ax虒鈥檃it 鈥橯aikasas klxsm qn h虛a虂gva茮iay虛alana虂s t虛i虂sm gila c虛x虒鈥檃虂itsi la w虛a鈥檃mpax虒i.

The boys learned if they want their stones to go far, they had to use a flat oval shape stone.

Ha虂l虛akaiq虛a鈥� a虂u色鈥檃茮岣穉 wi鈥檌虂sma虂x虒i n虛ax虒vi ms岣穉虂 qn x虒vi虂sgi虂li虂s t虛i虂sm  hia虂g虒lmsi yi虂a虂q色gila虂y虛asi  pa色tus  gl色tu虂xst虛uxvs  tism.

Small Number walked far looking for the rock that will win.

Yia虂laglis  Ha虂ula虂色as  Ha虂us岣穉虂  x虒vi虂x虒vsgi虂la虂  li虂ta  t虛i虂sma虂ts  h虛a虂ikua虂y虛u.

He was walking in the grassy area and he kicked into something, and fell head first into an old canoe hidden in the grass.

Tua虂  laglisi  la  k虛i虂t峁兲乮sax虒i  gi  h虛aua虂  q虛a虂q虛nx虒峁嘺虂la  m虛nu虂xvs  m虛a虂s.  Ki虂x虒c虛u  xva虂k虛vna虂  gu色dia  t虛a虂y虛a虂la虂  la  k虛i虂t虛峁僡虂x虒i.

Even if he hit his head he was very happy over his find.

Waxv鈥欋箖i 茮虛uxva虂la虂 ha虂ixt虛ia虂si gi w虛alas h虛a虂ik虛q岣穉s q虛a虂kanx虒vasi.

 

He called out to his friends, they went running to him.

Ya虂ux虒v岣穒 w虛a虂ukvasi gi h虛aua k虛i虂k虛v岣穉虂 la虂ka虂qi.                                  

The boys were standing around the canoe.

位ax位uis wi鈥檌虂峁僡虂x虒i la w虛uistayas xva虂kv峁嘺虂yax虒i.

They were touching the sides of the canoe.

鈥橮akaxdax虒vu wuwakiax虒six虒s xva虂kv峁嘺虂yax虒v.

It looks old and look big to them.

g虒aialaxst虛uxv鈥檌la q虛a虂ikast虛uxv.

Small Number asks

Gi h虛aua虂 hau虂ma虂 Ha虂ula虂色as Ha虂us岣穉虂

How many people do you think will fit in there, asked Big Circle.

G峁囂乧aukvi  di虂tgva虂峁噈  xvutiy虛aus  qn  hai色x虒v  la虂x虒v 鈥檘uik  n虛ix  kl虛xsm.

How many generations ago was it built?

G峁囂乤ca虂ukvix虒ndilic  鈥櫰沬虂茮uw虛lstua虂  lay虛acx虒v  x虒si虂la虂su?

The boys forgot the game they had been playing.

鈥櫰浱搇i虂staq虛am wi鈥檌虂sma虂x虒v h虛a虂ml虛i虂na虂y虛asi.

 

They were talking about the canoe wondering who could have used it.

Gi h虛aua虂 pk虛va虂la虂q虛ams glw虛a虂ya虂x虒i q虛a鈥檃虂u茮虛ix虒sda yiaq色ats glw虛aka鈥檃uax虒i.                                                                                       

As they were talking Big Circle鈥檚 tummy began to growl.

La bi虂pk虛va虂la虂y虛asi 鈥橯vu虂ml虛a虂la虂x鈥檌t  tk虛ia虂s 鈥橯a虂ikas Kl虛xsm.

 

鈥淚鈥檓 hungry. Let鈥檚 go eat鈥�, he says to his friends,

Puw虛i虂s峁冡箛u虂gva 鈥檞aixsints hmsa, niki w虛a虂ukvasi,

And they all ran home.

Gi haua虂 k虛i虂kx虒v鈥檌t la虂i n虛akv.

 

Small number ran home,

鈥橩i虂x虒vla Haula色as ha虂us岣穉虂 la虂in虛akv,

At the place where grandpa was carving the surface of a huge (wooden) dish.

La la鈥檃sas g虒ag虒峁僷asi k虛ia虂lagi色 wusg虒miy虛as q虛a虂ikaska鈥檃虂ua虂s 色u虂q虛va.

And he shouted,

Gi h虛aua虂 h虛a虂t岣穉虂,

And he looked up.

Gi h虛aua虂 t虛ix虒si虂sta du虂x虒v鈥檌t.                                                                                                                      

He saw the bruise on Small Number鈥檚 forehead.

Du虂qv岣穉虂i h虛a虂xva虂ya虂 la w虛u虂gvi虂wa虂yas ha虂ula虂色as ha虂us岣穉虂.                                                                 

What happened asked grandpa.

鈥橶i虂x鈥檌虂txdas nix g虒a虂g虒ma虂 ha虂um.

Small Number had forgotten that he bumped his head and started to tell Grandpa about finding the canoe.

鈥櫰沴i虂sta ha虂ula色as ha虂usla虂-ya lay虛asi t虛s鈥檃虂la ha虂ixt虛ia虂si, gi ni色as qakay虛si g岣诽亀虛a.

I found an old canoe down on the beach.  It must be at least a hundred years old.

鈥橯a虂ka虂nu虂gva glw虛a gvau色 la wil虛iax虒i laganmits w虛u虂p虛nxsta虂is鈥檌la w虛a虂sa虛la虂sasi.

Grandpa smiled, it was one of the fastest canoes of our village.

M岣诽亁vla虂 g虒a虂g虒a虂mpa q虛a鈥檃虂u茮峁噓gva g岣诽亀虛a虂ya虂x虒i Mnu虂kvis yixa虂la虂gvuts g岣诽亀虛as qnts gvu虂kvia虂sax虒.

 

It was built by my father and two of his brothers.

鈥橦a虂茮虛asugvau色is qs h虛aumpa du ma虂鈥檃虂lukvas w虛aq虛va虂si虂.

Grandpa proudly continued, all the sons of my grandfather were known as the great carvers.

Ni虂色tu g虒a虂g虒mpa gi ni虂色as 鈥檋a虂ga虂m sa虂sma虂s qs g虒a虂g虒ma虂 q虛a鈥檃虂u茮虛nx虒vs yis w虛alas h虛a虂iki虂ma虂s k虛ia虂.

You know those three (old) totem poles in front of the bighouse?

鈥橤a鈥檃虂u色鈥檓su qi yu虂du虂kvas c虛uw虛a虂x虒si la w虛uw虛a虂x虒sia虂s 位ia虂c虛iax虒i?                                                                                                                                         

Each of them was built by one of my uncles.

鈥橦a虂ga虂mi k虛ia虂sus qs m虛nu虂kvas xv色mp.

One evening before going to sleep, Small Number thought, I鈥檇 like to build a canoe and totem poles just like my ancestors.

Mnu虂kvis g虒a虂nu虂色 h虛a虂bas laxstasai色ay虛asi qn k虛a色鈥檌t x虒si虂li虂x虒sdnugva du 鈥檆uw虛a虂x虒sigila g虒via虂la qs h虛a虂ia虂mbi色gvai色dia.

 

I will ask my grandfather tomorrow how many brothers his father had, two, three, four, five or more.

Ha虂uma虂茮峁噓gva g虒a虂g虒ma虂 色ans茮ats gncaukv w虛i虂w虛aq虛va虂yaci h虛aumpasi, ma鈥檃lukv, yu虂du虂kv, mu虂kv, sk虛aukv, dun虛ax虒vi q虛a虂ina虂m.

 

Question:  Why did Small Number think his great grandpa had two, three, four, five great grandparents?

鈥橫a虂si xvu虂tagi色ts ha虂ula虂色鈥檜as ha虂us岣穉虂 qits ma鈥檃虂luxv, yu虂du虂xv, mu虂xv, sk虛a虛u虂xv g虒a虂g虒asl虛ayats g虒a虂g虒mpasi.