Koluskap and Turtle

Peter Lewis Paul

Peter Dana Point, Maine¹

August 13, 1976

1.   Píhce=yaq tamà toli, toli-milŏnúkot. Ktonúkot. Skicinúwok etŏli-mawiyáhtit. Koti=yaq epeskomhòtŭwok, ayùt enawŏtultúwok, olŏtoqhultúwok. Psì=ehta kèq. Ktanáqot, koti-ktanáqot pahpŭwákon. Mam=ŏte nìt=yaq, Kŏluskàp=ŏna ’koti-líyan. Naci-íyu, natsatkìyŭwe. On=yaq Kcíhkŏnaqc=ŏna ’kotŭwiphóqan.

[Long ago, they say, a festival was being held somewhere. It was to be big event. The Indians were getting together there. They were going to play ball, even hold races and jumping contests. Just about everything. It would be a lot of fun. Then, they say, Koluskap wanted to go, too. He was going go and look on. And then, they say, Turtle wanted to tag along as well.]

2.   Kcíhkŏnaqc ìpŏcol, Kŏluskàp níhtol íyol, nicálkul. On nìt weci- yúhtol… -nicalkuwakúmat íyol, kcihkŏnáqcol, ìpŏcol kcíhkŏnaqc yalíptaq ’pahkámok, elìkŏtok. Ìpŏcol ’sánku pili-kisúhsok ’qocìkŏton. Nìt eli… skicinúwok elŏkitŏmúhtit ’qocìkŏton, ’sánku kisúhsok. ’Páhkam yá, kcíhkŏnaqc ìpŏcol ’sánku kehsakínul skonísol. Nànnul epahsì ya elamkáhtek ya naka nèwŏnul, nèwŏnul ehetŭwìw. Nìt ’sánku kéhsŏnul.

[Turtle, after all, is Koluskap’s mother’s brother. And it is because he has the turtle as his mother’s brother that the turtle carries around on his back the way a year goes. For there are thirteen new moons in a year. That’s the way… the way the Indians count out a year, thirteen moons. So on the back of a turtle there are thirteen round bones. Five are grouped together in the middle, and there are four on either side. So there are thirteen in all.]

3.   On nìt=te macehkawŏtìnĭya naci, naci-wici… witsakiyŭwànĭya. ’Tíyal=yaq wòt yá, Kŏluskàp yúhtol íyol, “Kìl=ŏna koti-witenáhkĭyon? Kisi=na witenàhk. Enawŏtultímok, kòsŏna elŏtoqhultímok, kòsŏna tàn=ŏte kèq koti-wiciyàtŏmon. Musà=lu… On=oc kwicuhkémol. Tàn… Musà=lu ktoli-aqamehtúhkoc naka tàn eli, eli-mìlol.”

[So then they set out to look on with the others. Koluskap said to (Turtle), “Are you going to join in? You can join in. In the races, or the jumping, or in whatever you would like to take part in. But don’t… And I’ll help you. But don’t go beyond what I give you.”]

4.   ’Tíyal, “Kàt=op.”

[He told him, “Of course.”]

5.   On=ehta nìt mam=ŏte petkawŏtúwok etŏli… etŏlonúkahk. Amsqàhs=ŏte nemihtúhtit, ’kisi- yúktok skicinúwok -nehpahawasŏpónil putepíyol. On=yaq nìt ’sesŏmitahatŏmònĭya tàn=oc ’toli-kisi-nattokacqe… nattokacqellànĭya. Kŏma tepiyèwĭyok eyultícik ’poqanànĭya yúhtol, putepíyol.

[So then they arrived at the place where everything was happening. When they first saw it, it seems that these Indians had killed a whale.     And they were wondering how they were going to be able to drag it ashore. There weren’t enough people there to move this whale.]

6.   ’Tiyà=yaq wòt yá… Mecimì ìpŏcol ali-ki… kincésu wòt yá, kcíhkŏnaqc. ’Tíyà=yaq yuhùht, “Ú, nìl téhpu nòt ’qotuhkayìw nkisi-kisahqenikála.”

[So then he told them… For this Turtle was always trying to be a tough guy. He told them, “Oh, I can carry it up the hill all by myself.”]

7.   ’Tíyal, “Wèn alok… Kìl=op=al. Elkilsóssĭyon.”

[Someone said, “Who the… Sure you can! You’re so small!”]

8.   “A, cu=té=lu. On mahkĭyèw skùwĭyoq.”

[“Oh, but I can! Just wait for me for a little while.”]

9.   On=yaq wòt macáhan yùt eyílit íyol, Kŏluskapíyol. On=yaq “Tàn=ŏte keti-ollúhkĭyon? Kkoti, kkoti-kisahqenikála wòt ĭyá, putèp?” ’Tíyal-yaq, Kŏluskàp, “Well… Kkisi, kkisi-=te=hc=ŏna nìt -ollúhkan. Musà=lu aqámok ktokk… ktokkonikaláhkoc naka yuhùl. Naka knostuhmúlon ehcŭwi-tokkonikálot. Mùs aqámok olŏmiyáhkoc.”

[So then he left for the place where Koluskap was staying. And he said, “What is this that you’re going to do? You’re going to carry this whale up a hill?” Koluskap told him, “Well, you’ll be able to do that. But don’t carry it any farther than I tell you. And I’ll tell you how far you should carry it. Don’t go any farther.”]

10.   Mam=ŏte ’kisi-nsotuhmúwan tàn=oc tekkonikálat yúhtol. Malom=ŏte on wesŭwéssin. On nìt peciyàts, ’tolaskuwyáwal yúktok. Tàn=oc yúhtol ’toli, ’toli-kísŏnikálan, elkilsóssit wòt? Elkílit!

[Then he told him how far he should carry it. After that, he went back. When he got there, they were waiting for him. How could he carry it, when he was so small? It was so big!”]

11.   On=yaq ’kisi-pihtŭwihpúsin yúhtol íyol, putepíyol. On=ehta=yaq maceníkan. Elŏmoníket, psìw wèn seskultúwok. Eci, eci-palitahamáhtit etutsonílit.

[Then he crawled in under this whale. And indeed, they say, he started to carry it. As he carried it along, everyone was screaming. They were really impressed at how strong he was.]

12.   Malom=ŏte ulítahásin yùt ehcŭwi-toli-pu… punellátpon… ehcŭwi-punátpon íyol, putepíyol. Nìt, nìt yùt pemtéhkok yùt yèy, yuhútpon ’tokkíyan. Nìt wòt ’sami-tkìqŏlul, nìt etŏli, etŏli-íyaht, kŏlíhkaht yùt ktahkŏmíkuk.

[In the end, he forget where he was supposed to put down the whale. Then he went on past the point he had been told was as far as he should go. Then because it was too heavy, it got to him and pinned him here on the ground.]

13.   Malom=ŏte, etŏlaskuwasultíhtit yùkt pŏmawsuwinúwok ’sakhi-nutahálin. Ma=te sakhi-nutehewĭyà wakà, kcihkŏnàqc. Malom=ŏte nìt, on=yaq, ’pimsqipo… ’pimsqipokŏmúlan yúhtol íyol, putepíyol. Wòt=tahk=yaq elóssik pihtŭwìw. On ’tíyan, “Tàn ktoléyin?”

[Then the people were waiting for him to come out into view. He didn’t come back out into sight, this vanished turtle. Finally, then, he slid out sideways from beneath this whale. And here he lay, sticking out from beneath it. So then (someone) asked him, “What happened to you?”]

14.   On nìt ítom=yaq, “Sŏla… sŏláhki=te pemŏnikì, sŏláhki npeci-kotùks. Ntolitahàs, ‘Pòl mahkĭyèw, mahkĭyèw nkopskíyan.’”

[So then he said, “All of a sudden, as I was going along carrying (the whale), all of a sudden I started to feel sleepy. So I thought, ‘I’ll just doze off for a moment.’”]

15.   On nìt, malom=ŏte nìt, ulamsotŭwáwal pŏmawsuwinúwok. Kenùk=ŏlu Kŏluskàp=yaq téhpu toli-kotŭwélŏmu. Nékom ’qocicíyal toli-ksonŏqíyol.

[And then, at length, the people believed him. But Koluskap, they say, just wanted to laugh. He knew that he was lying.]

16.   Malom=ŏte àpc pilŭwéyak àpc etŏli-qecessultíhtit yúktok skicinúwok. Malom=ŏte ’toli-tpinŭwà wòt ĭyá, Kcíhkŏnaqc etŏlotkuhultilicíhi. Nìt=te qihìw nìt yùt wìkŭwak éyit wòt ĭyá, épit Kŏluskàp.

[Then next, some different people were engaging in other contests. So after a while Turtle went to watch the people who were jumping hurdles. Near there, at this lodge where he was staying, Koluskap was sitting.]

17.   Malom=ŏte kisŏtoqhultílit, nékom ’tolíyan. Nékom=ŏna ’kisi-sqittóqhin yùt etŏli-alŭwi-sqittoqhultílit. ’Tiyà=yaq yuhùht, “Cèl=op nìt nisŏkèhs spahtèk nkisi-sqittóqhin.”

[Then, when they had finished jumping, (Turtle) went there. Now he could jump over where they had tried to jump and failed. He told them, “Even if it were twice as high as that, I could jump over.”]

18.   On=yaq ’tewepi-punŏmuwànĭya yùt etŏli-sqittoqhultíhtit. Kehtól=ŏte. ’Tolŏmi=yaq… Olŏmi=yaq sqitamŭwàkk. On ítom, ma apesíwi.

[So they raised the bar where they had been jumping. Sure enough. He sailed right on over. Then he said, it wasn’t enough for him.]

19.   Àpc mèc=ŏte koti-aqami-palihtáhsu. ’Tiyà=yaq yuhùht, ’tiyà=yaq “Nkisi-sqittóqhin yùt wìkŭwam éhtek.”

[He wanted to do something even more impressive. He told them, “I can jump over this lodge standing here.”]

20.   ’Tíyal wòt=yaq, “Sqittóqhi=éhta.”

[This one man told him, “So jump over, then!”]

21.   On=yaq wòt ’tíyal, “Pòl=ehta nkossáhan yùt lamikŭwàm.” On=ŏte ’kossáhan epílit yúhtol íyol, Kŏluskapíyol.

[So then he told him, “Just a moment while I go inside here.” Then he went inside where Koluskap was sitting.]

22.   ’Tíyal=yaq, “Kisi-ollúhkĭyon kísi-yáhak yúktok kusqittoqhalíhtŏmon yùt, yùt nìt wìkŭwam èyyon. ’Tíyal=yaq, “Ktiyulúhpon musà ihíhkoc, qeci-sqittoqhíhkoc.” ’Tíyal=yaq Kŏluskàp, “Well, sqittóqhi=éhta. Musà=lu, míyaw epahsì toli-sqittoqhíhkoc. Nomŏcinìw tamà.”

[(Koluskap) told him, “What you’ve done is to tell these (people) that you will jump over the lodge where you were.” He said, “I’ve told you not to do it, to try to jump over.” Koluskap told him, “Well, go ahead and jump over. But don’t jump over right in the middle. Along the side somewhere.”]

23.   On=ehta=yaq=ŏna wŏlitahásu Kcíhkŏnaqc, on nutáhan. Níta=ehta wesŭwéwsan. ’Qásqin. On=na ’tolŏtóqhin.

[So Turtle was very happy, and he went on out. He went right back there. He ran. And then he jumped.]

24.   On nìt, nékom=ŏlu mokŏnómon etŏli- nìt míyaw -spáhtek yùt yèy, wìkŭwam. On sakhomuhtíkil yúhtol opŏsíyol. Nìt=te míyaw elŏqi-sqittóqhit. Malom=ŏte, kŏma tepi-spotqihíwi. Yùt pésqon opòs sakhómik ánsa wŏli-pisŏmihtéhsin ’tahkúhkok. Nìt=te ekhúcit téhpu tolikŏnatútom. Malom=ŏte ’tahcŭwi… Malom=ŏte ’tahcŭwi-suhkahqŏnomŏníya yùt wìkŭwam, weci-kisi-mŏnelláhtit.

[But then he chose exactly the point where the lodge was highest. And these poles were sticking out. He jumped up right toward that point. In the end, he didn’t jump high enough. This one pole that was sticking up went right into his butt. He just hung there wiggling his legs. They finally had to take down all of the poles of the lodge in order to be able to get him off.]

25.   ’Tíyal=yaq, “Tàn, tàn ktoléssin?”

[Someone asked him, “What happened to you?”]

26.   ’Tíyal=yaq, “On=ehta keti- nahàhte -olŏtoqhì, on òlŏmuss ’kosŏka-qásqin, on napisqàmman. Nìt weci-napittehsìn yùt.”

[He told him, “Just as I was about to jump, a dog ran across (my path), and I tripped over it. That’s why I got stuck on the pole when I landed here.”]

27.   Kŏluskàp=yaq téhpu toli-kotŭwèlŏmu. ’Kocicíyal nékom àpc eli, eli-ksonŏqálit. Kŏluskàp=yaq ’tíyal, “Cuwítpot kìs kisŏkehkímkun yùt eli- skàt -cuwitpotúnuhk ktaqaméhtun tàn yuhúlok.”

[Koluskap just wanted to laugh. He knew that (Turtle) was lying again. Koluskap told him, “This should teach you for sure that you shouldn’t do more than you’ve been told you can.”]

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     ¹Peter Lewis Paul (1902–1989) was a Maliseet elder from Woodstock, NB This story was recorded on a visit to friends at Indian Township.