ni’ tsun ts’twa’ t’xum silanum ni’ tsun tahw nemutus quw’utsun’ sta’luw’ ’uw’ shtutes ’utl’ kwa’mutsun thew’t-hw . When I was about six, I was down the hill by the river at Quamichan near the longhouse.
ni’ tsun ts’lhum’ut tun’ni’ ’u kwthu na’nuts’a’ s’elhuw tst shni’s kwthu hulelum’ tst tthu kwa’mutsun mustimuhw, hwts’alha’um. I heard from one elder about the places where the houses are built, hwts’alha’um.
niilh ’uw’ stutes ’u kwthu theew’t-hw, kwa’mutsun theew’t-hw, niilh ’uw’ ni’ kwthu ’uhwiin’ shelh kwus ni’ yu t’ahw ’i tsun yu hunum’ ’u tthu sta’luw’. It was down by the Quamichan big house, just by the little path, you know, the one that goes down to the river right near the longhouse.
ni’ tsun [ts]shun’tsu ’u kwthu skwun’ehw. I caught a Bullhead fish.
ni’ tsun kwu’nelh sht’eewun’ kwunus nu swe’ tse’ nu ’een’thu hwiyulasmut, ni’ tsun kwu’elh t’ukw’stuhw. And I decided I wanted a pet fish to look after, and so I took it home.
’i’ ni’ tsun xlhul’tslh thunu shqwaluwun, ni’ tsun xlhul’tslh. I was so sad about it, I suppose.
ni’ tsun xlhul’tslh xuytl’ kwthu qa’. I just felt so sorry for it because the water was so cold.
tthunu shqwaluwun t’ukw’stuhw tsun tse’ tthunu shun’tsu ’i’ ha’kwush thu kw’e’lus qa’ kwunus tse’ yu shakw’ut thunu shun’tsu. I decided to bring my catch home and give it a nice warm bath.
ni’ tsun kwu’elh ’imushstuhw tthunu syaays tu ni’ ’u thunu shqwaluwun. And so I brought it home, just like I decided.
hay tsun ni’ sht’eewun’ ’uw’ niin’ hakwush kw’ kw’e’lus qa’ hay tu ’un’thu yath tsun ’uw’ ha’kwush tthu kw’e’lus qa’ ’u kwunus ni’ shakw’um. And so I thought that I’d give it a hot bath because I like hot baths.
ni’ tsun kw’lhet kwthu qa’ q’ept tthunu suw’a’lum’ ni’ tsun hwu’a’lum’ lemut kwthu skwu’eenhw ’uw’ ’un’nehw ’ul’ ’uwu niis kwuyxthut . I dumped it in the water, and I went to get lots of toys for it, but when I got back, it didn’t move.
ni’ kwu’elh yuthusthelum, “ ’uwe ’u ch tum’temuhw ’i’ hakwush tthu kw’e’lus qa’ kwus ni’ qwul’st kwthu hun’utum’ noodles” Then they told me, “Don’t you use hot water for cooking noodles?”
ni’ tsun tth’ey’kw’ niihw tsun qw’ulut thunu shun’tsu. I was so shocked that I must have cooked the fish.
’uw’ tl’lim’ ’uw’ thu’it tthunu sqwul’qwul’ kwunus hwun’ ’uwhiin’ hwun’ ni’ ts’its’usum’ hay tseep ewulh And that’s actually a true story about when I was little and still growing up.