ma’uqw ‘i’ tthu snuhwulhs | The duck and his truck

Delores Louie (Swustanulwut) supplies the Hul’q’umi’num’ translation and voice to this children’s story by the wonderful Jez Alborough.  

Please go to his website to find out more about his books
jezalborough.com

ma’uqw ’i’ the snuhwulhs

The duck and his truck

suw’ tskwims thu snuhwulhs tthu ma’uqw.
The duck’s truck is red.

yut’at’ukw’ tthu ma’uqw.
The duck is heading home.

yutl’i’lum’tus thu tskwim snuhwulhs, wulh yut’at’ukw’.
He’s driving his red car, going home.

’uhwiin’ tthu she’shlhs kwus yutl’a’lum’thut.
It’s a small road that he is driving on.

hwun’ yutl’a’lum’thut ’i’ ni’ wulh tiqw’ ’u tthu smeent.
He’s driving along and he bumps into a rock.

susuw’ nem’ ’uw’ hwust’ut’ikw ’u tthu st’iqul’.
And he gets stuck in the mud.

tstl’um qw’im ’u tthu tluk snuhwulhs, suw’ t’a’thut thxutus.
He jumps off of the truck and he tries to push it.

xi’xlhem’ tthu sxu’enhw.
The frog is watching.

suw’ thut-s tthu sxu’enhw, “aah, ts’ewuthamu tsun. thxuthamu tsun.”
And the frog said, “Oh, I will help you. I will push you.”

yey’sul’u t’a’thut thxutus tthu snuhwulhs.
The two of them try to push the truck.

’i’ ni’ hwun’ st’ut’ikw ’ul’.
But it was still stuck.

hwun’ t’ut’a’thut ’i’ wulh wil’ tthu na’nuts’a’ lumutou ’ula’ulh.
They were still trying and along came a sheep on his car.

suw’ temut-s thu ma’uqw, “’eyqthut!”
And he shouted to the duck, “Get out of my way!”

“skw’ey! ’i tsun st’ut’ikw!”
“I can’t! I’m stuck!”

“tstamut tst tse’? ni’ tst tse’ tstamut?
“What will we do? What will we do?

aaa, m’i tsun tse’ tl’uw’ ’ewu ts’ewuthamu thxut.”
Oh, I will come and also help you push it.”

lhhwelu t’a’thut thxutus tthu tskwim snuhwulhs—tthu ma’uqw, sxu’enhw ’i’ tthu lumutou.
The three of them tried to push the red truck—the duck, the frog, and the sheep.

ni’ hwun’ st’e ’ul’ hwun’ st’ut’ikw.
But it was still just stuck.

xut’e ’u tthey’ ’i’ wulh wil’ tthu neni, yu’i’tutum’.
They were doing that and along came a goat, dozing off.

’i’ wulh ts’elhum’ut kwus yututem’,
And he heard someone yelling,

tutem’, “st’ut’ikw thunu snuhwulh!
hollering, “My truck is stuck in the mud!

skw’ey kws m’is ’utl’qnamut.”
I can’t get it out!”

suw’ wenshum ’utl’ neni tthu xwi’lum’.
So the goat threw them a rope.

suw’ thut-st-hwus, “q’eput.
And he told them, “Tie it on.

aaa yust’ut’iqw kw’un’ q’eput ’u tthun’ q’lhan ’u tthun’ snuhwulh.”
Oh, tie it on tight to the front of your truck.”

’i’ tl’e’ wulh qulet thxutus ’eelhtun, hwi’ yey’sul’u ’ul’.
And then they tried again, the two of them.

’i’ hay tthu neni hay nilh tthu pout-s,
And there was the goat on his boat,

ha’kwushus kwus hwkw’atum, hwkw’atum ni’ ’u tthu qa’.
using it to pull, pulling from the water.

ni’ thxutum tthu sxu’enhw ’i’ tthu lumutou,
The frog and the sheep were pushing,

’i’ yu’ul’a’ulh tthu ma’uqw ’u tthu snuhwulhs
and the duck was on his truck.

hwun’ xut’u ’i’ ni’ wulh ’utl’qnamut, suw’ ’ulhep.
Finally it did come out, and (the rope) came off.

’i’ hay kwthu lumutou, tthu sxu’enhw, ’i’ tthu neni
And there’s the sheep, the frog, and the goat

hay ni’ hwuslhelhuq’ sun’iw’ ’u tthu st’iqul’.
sprawled out in the mud.

hay ni’ yusi’yus kwus yuhuy’u tthu ma’uqw,
And there’s the duck, happily going on his way,

yut’it’ul’um’ ’iyus kwus yuhuy’u, nem’ wulh yut’at’ukw’.
singing merrily, departing toward home.

’i’ hay kwthu neni, tthu sxu’enhw ’i’ tthu lumutou ni’ hwun’ st’ut’ikw.
And there’s the goat, the frog, and the sheep still stuck in the mud.

ni’ hay.
The end.

skwati ma’uqw!
Crazy duck!

Hul’q’umi’num’ translation and voice – Delores Louie
Transcription and editing – Delores Louie and Donna Gerdts
Sound recording and editing – Donna Gerdts
Video editing – Essa Gierc, Carolyn Ruttan, Donna Gerdts