Lënuwa Kiikàmaok Pèthakhuweyok

A Man Visited The Thunder Beings. . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Nicholas Shoumatoff in 1977

English:

Now on this evening I want to tell an old story

Lenape:

Yukwe ènta lòkwik nkata xuachimwi

English:

told to me by my now deceased ancestors.

Lenape:

ntihëlùkuk lòmwe nkikayuyëmënaninkahke.

English:

They said that once a man wanted to go and

Lenape:

Luweyok hùnt kwëtën mah lënuwa kahta hùnt may

English:

visit with the thunder beings.

Lenape:

kiikàmao nèki pèthakhuweyok.

English:

The man notified everyone there.

Lenape:

Wèmi tëli may wehomasin naka lënuwa.

English:

He told the men all village,

Lenape:

Tëlao nèl lënuwa wèmi èlikhatink,

English:

"I wish you would all help me, I want to cut some wood.

Lenape:

"Kwëlaha ta kwichëmihëmo, nkata mànàxe.

English:

I want to heat this boulder.

Lenape:

Nkata kshësëmën yushè xinkwi ahsën.

English:

Then when is is really hot, to

Lenape:

Na ènta kìshi këkhìchi kshëtèk, xu

English:

throw it into the big river."

Lenape:

ìka chòpònihin ènta xinkwi sipunk."

English:

Everyone came there, and for many days

Lenape:

Na wèmi awèn ìka pè, xahelukwëni

English:

they cut wood and finally they had a lot of

Lenape:

mànàxeyok, xantki xaheli

English:

wood. Then they began to heat the

Lenape:

taxàna ulhatuwàk. Na alëmi chësasu na

English:

big rock. When it got very hot,

Lenape:

xinkwi ahsën. Na ènta kìchi kshëtèk, na

English:

they threw it into the big river.

Lenape:

chòpònihineyo ènta xinkwi sipunk.

English:

Then when the steam arose

Lenape:

Na ènta na ehòlèk àspihëleyu

English:

the man jumped into it.

Lenape:

na ìka tëlakihëla naka lënuwa.

English:

He went in the direction where those

Lenape:

Na ènta pèchi pètuxweyu ènta nèki

English:

thunder beings live.

Lenape:

awènik pèthakhuweyok wikihtit.

English:

Oh, they all "made over" the man.

Lenape:

O, wèmi awèn pahòkòlao naka lënuwa.

English:

That one told him, "I am glad because you came here

Lenape:

Luwe, "Nulelìntàm èli paan yushe tali

English:

where we live, and soon we will eat.

Lenape:

wikinèn, òk xulënìti xu këmitsinèn.

English:

Oh, everyone shook hands with that man. Finally when it got to be evening,

Lenape:

O, wèmi ànkunsu naka lënuwa. Xantki ènta lòkwik,

English:

the thunder beings began to gather bones.

Lenape:

talëmi maehëmëneyo xkàna nèki pèthakhuweyok.

English:

They ate them when they made soup.

Lenape:

Na mwitsineyo ènta manituhtit kshitay.

English:

He said, "That soup, oh it looked good.

Lenape:

Luwe hùnt, "Në kshitay o,wëlinakòt në kshitay.

English:

Those beings had eaten it before

Lenape:

Nèki awènik mihëmichineyo

English:

whenever they ate. The bones,

Lenape:

ènta mitsihtit. Nèl xkàna,

English:

oh, they were wrinkled and dry and white,

Lenape:

o, pisëleyo òk kaxkteyo òk òpeyo,

English:

and the bones were old." The one

Lenape:

xuweyo èt mah nèl xkàna." Na kwëti

English:

old being told the man,

Lenape:

hilusës èt mah nàn lutëlao

English:

the man, "You people might hear us sometimes."

Lenape:

naka lënuwa, pwëntaihëmo èt wixkaochi.

English:

Soon after the old being said that he heard them a little,

Lenape:

Na ènta na hilusës kèku èluwèt mahtìti pëntaksu,

English:

but when those young thunder beings

Lenape:

shëk ènta nèk wësksichik pèthakhuweyok

English:

make a loud noise they are heard

Lenape:

xahi kèku luweyok ènta pëntahsihtit

English:

when it is going to rain. After the man

Lenape:

ènta kahta sukëlànk. Xantki na lënu

English:

had visited the thunder beings for several days,

Lenape:

kèxukwëni kiikàmaok nèki pèthakhuweyok,

English:

he told them, "Now I wil be going home."

Lenape:

xantki tëlao nèl awènik, "Mèchi xu nëmachihëna [nëmachi].

English:

Then when a little cloud floated by near where he was standing

Lenape:

Na ènta na këmhòkwtët pèmihëlak kixki nipay

English:

he jumped onto it. Then the man went home

Lenape:

na ìka tëlakihëlën. Na mòchin naka lënuwa

English:

he notified everyone and they held a council. He said, "Here is what was told to us

Lenape:

wehumasu achimàlsahtit. Tëlao, "Shè ta na kèku ntëlkuna

English:

by the thunder beings." Everyone was surprised

Lenape:

nèki pèthakhuweyok." Wèmi awèn kanshelìntàm

English:

when the man told the story.

Lenape:

ènta achimwit naka lënuwa.

English:

That is all I can remember of what

Lenape:

Nal në shëk nkàski mëshatàm nek

English:

my relatives of long ago told me.

Lenape:

elànkumàkik lòmwe ntëlkune.

Na Òkwës Òk Na Chëmamës Achimëwakàn

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