Peter Lewis Paul
Woodstock, NB
July 10, 1963
1. Píhce Kŏluskàp mehci-yali-wicuhkémat skicinù, metsónu. On nìt mŏníhkuk naci-spotéqsin, ’tatŏlahsímin.
‘Long ago, when Koluskap had finished going around helping the Indians, he grew tired. So he went to take a nap on an island, to rest.’
2. Wòt=ŏlu Pukcinsqèhs mecimì ’tali-tpìnŭwal yúhtol, naka wcoskuwálan. Elitahásit, “Tŏkèc=oc nkiseyúwa.” Eci-kŏmutŏnómat wtúl, nìt ’qosŏka-súkin. Nòkŏlan Kŏluskapíyol yùt mŏníhkuk.
‘Now this Pukcinsqehs (“Jug Woman”) was always watching him everywhere, and she envied him. “Now I’ll get the best of him,” she thought. So she stole his canoe, then paddled across (to the mainland). She left Koluskap behind on the island.’
3. Nìt wecíyat. Litahásu, “Ìpŏcol nkisi-=hc wòt -pkukŏnàn yuhùht pŏmawsuwinù eci-ksitahámiht.”
‘Away she went. She was thinking, “Because of this, I will now be able to take these people away from him, who think so highly of him.”’
4. Malŏm=ŏte nìt tuhkiyàt Kŏluskàp, qilŭwápit kŏma wtúl. Wèn ’kisi-kŏmutŏnatŏmòne. Wŏlì=te wewitahámal. “Wòt nòt Pukcinsqèhs mecimì yali-kotùnŏlit kisi-kŏmutŏnómit.”
‘When Koluskap woke up and looked around, his canoe was gone. Someone had stolen it. Right away, he knew it was her work. “It is that Pukcinsqehs, who is always out to get me, who has stolen it from me.”’
5. On=na wihqíman qaqsóssol. ’Tíyal=yaq “Ksoka, ksoka-wicuhkemìn.” ’Sòqŏnek ’tùtŏnal. Qáqsoss ’kosŏkàmmon. Koluskàp wkolahqalŭwénal.
‘So he called a fox to him. He told him, “Help me to get across.” He grabbed the fox by the tail. Then the fox swam across. Koluskap held on to his tail.’
6. Mam=ŏte petkawŏtíhtit ŏkámok. Wtúl éhtek nìt. Wetaptáhsit yúhtol Pukcinsqéhsŭwol.
‘At last they arrived on the other side. There was his canoe. From there, he set out to track Pukcinsqehs.’
7. Mam=ŏte nuhsúhkŭwan. Elŏmíyat, elŏmíyat. Malŏm=ŏte, cù=al=lu wewúlal yúhtol nihkanì elŏmiyalícil.
‘So then he pursued her. He traveled and traveled. Finally she must have sensed him as she traveled on, up ahead.’
8. Malŏm=ŏte ’kosaciphuwàn nicàn Pukcinsqèhs. Nìt=te tòmk meskuwacíhi Kŏluskàp. Elitahásit, “Kámot yúktok nposqoléllan, wŏlámis skàt àpc yali-wapŏlolukhotìwĭyok skitkomìq.” Kehtól=ŏte ’kisí-psqoléllan yuhùht pukcinsqehsŭwi-wasìs.
‘Finally, Pukcinsqehs had to run on, leaving her children behind. So they were the ones Koluskap found first. “I had better burn them up,” he thought to himself, “so that they will never again go around doing evil in the world.” Sure enough, he burned up these Pukcinsqehs-children.’
9. Nìt tŏké weci- pukcinsqehsŭwi-wásis -kolŭwósit ’písun, kisàqŏsit. Skiyawŏmùt=op=ŏlu, knehpóhoq.
‘That is why, now, (the root of) Pukcinsqehs-Child (jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott) is a good medicine, when it is cooked. But if it is eaten raw, it will kill you.’