Synopsis: In the language learning world, it is often recommended to learn songs to support one’s language acquisition, as the repetitious practicing of the song will help one learn and remember the meaning of the words. Similarly, I find that stories are an ideal medium to transmit life lessons, as they have the ability to illustrate the timeless wisdom and experience they hold, allowing us to learn without going through the events ourselves. The following is a story originally told by Jon Meza Cuero in Tiipay, retold here in the ‘Iipay dialect so as to be available to northern Kumeyaay readers.
Heyaay hellyaaw ‘ehin tewaa. ‘Ewaa ‘ehin nyewich. Nyatewaam, Hantakch pekwilly waas. Pekwilly waa tewaach, um tewaa. Hellyaaw nyewaally ewaas, nyawihch, Hellyaaw nyewaally wepin tewaaches.
Hantakch pekwilly tewaa, nyapekwilly, wettukch pekwilly, wettukch pekwilly: Wettuk! Wettuk! Wettuk! Wettukch pekwillych waam. Nyaapum Hellyaaw nyewaa umches, ‘ewaa ‘ukuwaay um. Hellyaaw puully tewaa, wenak tewaa. ‘Ewaa ‘ukuwaay ‘uuchuch wesaaw tewaa. Nyii ‘uuchuch wiih umaawm Hantakch pekwilly waam.
‘Enyaa ‘ehin pekwilly, nyaapum ‘enyaa hewak, hemuk nyapekwillym, aakewayk pams Hantakvech. Pekwilly tuuyiwches, nyapaach, Hellyaaw nyewaa eyuk pehekwiis.
“Haawka!” Hantakvech wiis, “Memeyuu temewaa?”
“’Aahan ta’waa,” wii Hellyaawvech, “Maacha?”
“’Enyaach ‘aahan ta’waas.” Nyatuuyuuwch, Hantakvech wii, “Ii, ‘emtaar hechuurch apesiiws!”
“Hechuurchu? Uu, peyally ‘ukuwaaylly wepinch ‘ehan pa’waa.”
“Uu, ‘ehechuur ‘enyaach.”
Hantakvech esally henyaa, penyaa tuuyuuwches. “Ii hechuurch apesiiws!”
“Oo?” Hellyaawch wiis. “Nyaam kamp kaam wal ‘ehanh.”
“Ih, hechuurs. Kinemi, ‘uuchuch ‘iivek, ‘enyemechamkm menyewaa ‘ehaph.”
“Umaaw,” wiis Hellyaawvech. “Maa ‘emtaar kupaayches, ‘emtaarvi mepaamhs,” wii. “‘Emaay ‘Ehaavech pa’wiich mechuwm puy menyewaayph, ‘emtaarvi temewaah. ‘Enyaach pa’yuuh ‘emaaw: ‘enyaa hellyaawch ‘eyis; ‘enyaach ‘enyewaa ‘ukuwaay ‘enyewaaypches.”
“Hoo,” wiis Hantakvech, “kway nyinyuy nyewuuwh. ‘Enyaach ‘aamh.” Nyaapum wettukch waam. Wettuk! Wettuk! Tuly tuly wiich waam.
‘Enyaa hewak, hemuk nyapekwillym, Hantakvech aakewayk puwkch pam. ‘Ewaa ‘ukuwaay ewuuw. “Haawka, ‘echamaly!” wiis. “Memeyuu temewaa?”
“’Enyaach ‘aahan ta’waa. Maach memeyuu temeyuuw?”
“Oo, ‘enyaach ‘ehechuurch apesiiws,” Hantakch wiis.
“Hechuurch meyu?” akekwiis Hellyaawvech.
“’E-en, ‘ehchuurs.”
“Mu’yuum mehechuura? Maach ‘emtaar kweyiwches!” Hellyaawch wii. “Maach mehechuurh umaawhm tuuyuuw! ‘Emtaar kweyiw, maa!”
Pes ‘enyaach ‘ehechuurch apesiiw,” Hantakvech wii. Nyaapum mat winnp. “’Enyaa ‘emaat nyaamat chuukar pa’yuuws,” wiiches. “Chuukar-rrrr!-chuukarch apesiiws!”
“Mechiimally,” hellyaawch wii, “mewiim memaat chuukars. ‘Uuyuk tekewa’.”
“Hoo, ‘ehan!” Hantakvech wii, “Pes stikm ‘ehaphlly ‘ar.”
“Umaaw,” Hellyaawch wii. “’Enyaa ‘ehini, nyipilyvey umaaw.”
Puy tewaach, nyaapum waam, Hantakvech wettukch waam. Tuly tuly wiich waam. Nyatewaach, hellyaawvech iichaa tewaa. Iichaas, “Hantakch chiimally tewaa. Pes ‘esulyvech metiipulpches, hechuurch apesiiw,” wii tewaa. “Iinuypvek ‘enyaa ‘ehini puwkvek, ‘’Ehan, mehapvek,’ ‘iih. ‘’Ehan,’ ‘iih, ‘kehap!’” wematt tewaa.
‘Enyaa ‘ehini, Hantakch puwkch pam. Hellyaaw nyewaa nyapamch wiis, “Haawka, unyeway!”
“Haawka ‘esuly!” Hellyaawch wiis. “Memeyuu temeyuuw?”
“Uu, nyaam ‘ehchuurch apesiiws,” wiis Hantakvech. “Peyii ‘emtaarvi, ‘emaat ‘eharch apesiiw, mewuuwa? Aalap pa’waa! Wellich apesiiws!”
“Keyiw kehapna! Kehapna!” Hellyaawch wii. Nyaapum Hantakvech wehapch waam: Wettuk! Wettuk! Wettuk! Nyaapum ‘ewaavu nyawehapch, puully wenak tewaa.
“‘Uuch wehaya?” Hellyaawch akekwii.
“Tii ‘uy,” wii Hantakvech. “‘Aahan ta’waas ‘enyaach, pily ‘epin ta’waa.”
“Oo.” Puy penak tenyeway, nyaapum, ‘iiwaarm, “‘Ehan, ‘esuly,” Hellyaawch wii, “Wal ‘epuwkh.”
“Maaym maah?” akekwiis Hantakch.
“‘Aak ‘esuw ‘aayiwh.” Nyaapum Hellyaawch chepamch waam, ‘esuw aayiwh wiich. Waach ‘esuw hemay. ‘Esuw hemay tewaa, tewaa, tewaa, nyaapum kway nyatenaym puwk.
“‘Uuch wehaya,” wiis, “‘esuly?”
“Tii ‘uy,” Hantakvech wii, “Peyii ‘aahan ta’waa.”
“Oo, ‘ehan.” Nyaapum hellyaawch ‘esuw winy. ‘Esuw tenyeway.
“Uu, ‘esuw meyaamvech ‘ehanch apesiiws!” Hantakch wiis. Puy tenyeway ‘enyaa hewakm. Nyaapum Hellyaawvech nyinyuy ‘esuw hemaych Hantak winy. Kupilly ‘ehin ‘ewaa nyapam, Hellyaawvech pehekwiis Hantakvu ewuuws.
“Mehenuuch meyu?” Hellyaawch akekwiis.
“Umaaw,” wiis Hantakvech, “‘Aahan ta’waa.”
“Mu’yuum may’kuuch meyu?”
“Mu’yuum ‘aaykuu? Ih, kupilly nyaamat ‘esuw ‘enyeminy; pily ‘eshay!”
“Pily may’kuuch mapesiiws.”
“Umaaw, ‘enyaach ‘aahan, pes ‘ewaa peyaach ‘estikch apesiiw. ‘Ewaach nyeperewiivek, maach mehemuu maamkuha!”
“Umaaw, ‘aah ‘emaawh,” wiis Hellywaawvech. “‘Enyaa ‘enyewaaches, ‘enyaach ‘enyewiches.”
“Haa, ‘ehan,” Hantakch wii, “pes ‘enyaach ‘aaykuuch apesiiw. Nyaam ‘aaykuuch apesiiw, puknaach.”
“‘Ehan,” wiis Hellyaawvech. “Maach peyii tekewa’, ‘enyaach ‘aamh.”
Hellyaawch nyewaa ewuuw tuuyuuw; waamhlly warh umaaw. Pes ‘alypaayem apekwilpch wamp tewaa. Hantakvech ‘ewaally wenak tewaa, Hellyaaw wechamvi tewaa.
