Làpi Pili Wehixamukèsi Achimëwakàn

Another Wehixamukes Story . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1968.

English:

Here again is a Wehixamukes story.

Lenape:

Yushe làpi Wehixamukèsi achimëwakàn.

English:

One time when these Delaware men went hunting

Lenape:

Kwëtèn ènta alaihtite nèki Lènapeòk;

English:

men; and Wehixamukes went along with them.

Lenape:

lënuwàk òk na Wehixamuxès wìchi wite.

English:

They walked in a forest near a prairie

Lenape:

Enta shinkèk pëmëskaneo kixki mëkëkèk

English:

(and) suddenly the leader stopped.

Lenape:

wixkawchi na nikanixink lìnu nòkihëlan.

English:

Pointing to the north he said, "There are some of the enemy tribe.

Lenape:

Luwaneyunk linxke luwe, "She nèk awènhakeyòk.

English:

We will stay hidden and perhaps they will not see us."

Lenape:

Kàntahpihënàch tamse màta nèhkuwiwënanàk."

English:

Wehixamukes said, "You people wait for me! Let me

Lenape:

Naka Wehixamukèsa luwe, "Pèhikw! Lëhapa ni

English:

play a trick on those Indians."

Lenape:

mikwihawkch nèki awènhakeyòk."

English:

Then he left and he began to run that Wehixamukes

Lenape:

Na tòlëmskan tòlëmamehëlan naka Wehixamukèsa,

English:

when he came to a woods, big woods, he stopped because he saw

Lenape:

ènta shinkèk, xinkwi shinkèk, pate, nokihilan èli nèmën

English:

where a person had killed a deer. Different things were strewn about

Lenape:

ènta awèn hnilat ahtuho. Mësi kèku lànkòhte

English:

head, and horns, and bladder, and

Lenape:

wil òk shëmuwa òk shkitakan òk

English:

and there was blood all around. Wehixamukes

Lenape:

òk mhukòkwixën wèmi yu tali. Naka Wehixamukèsa

English:

picked up the deer bladder and put it on his head.

Lenape:

wètënëmën në shkitakàn ikahatun wilink.

English:

Then again he got ready, he went to lie down in the road,

Lenape:

Na làpi tòlëmamehëlan, may shènkihëlan tëmakànink.

English:

First he smeared [some deer's] blood on his face and on his neck.

Lenape:

Hitami shuhëmëna mhukw wëshkinkunk òk uxkwekànkànink.

English:

and first he hid his war club under his clothing.

Lenape:

òk hitami kàntënëmën në pahkàskinkwehikanëm èkwi èhahkwit.

English:

Then he quickly lay down again. He thought to himself that soon those "wild Indians" will come.

Lenape:

Na shènkihëlan làpi. Litehe xuniti nèk awènhakeyok peyòk.

English:

It must have been so, because when he opened his eyes a little bit

Lenape:

Kichi èt mah në le, èli ènta tunkshènink mahtiti

English:

he opened one of his eyes a little bit he saw that the "wild Indians"

Lenape:

kwëti na ushkinkëm wëneyo pèchultihtit nèki awènhakeyòk.

English:

When the "wild Indians" came near

Lenape:

Na ènta kixki pahtit nèk awenhakeyok

English:

they all stood around and looked at Wehixamukes.

Lenape:

òkakapuwàk pwënawò naka Wehixamukèsa.

English:

One of those Indians kicked Wehixamukes.

Lenape:

Kweti nèk awènhakeyòk shakhwìkao naka Wehixamukèsa. .

English:

Wehixamukes held his breath and did not even

Lenape:

Kokènëmën lexeon naka Wehixamukèsa òk

English:

did not even move. The "wild Indian" thought to himself,

Lenape:

màta ìli kwìchkwi. Litehe na awènhàke,

English:

This dead person must have been scalped."

Lenape:

"Manukala èt waka awènika."

English:

One of those Indians kicked Wehixamukes

Lenape:

Na kwëti awènhake shakhwikao naka Wehixamukesa,

English:

but he never moved. Then the "wild Indians" turned around

Lenape:

màta ìli kwìchkwi. Na èt ma ènta kwëlëpihtit

English:

the "wild Indians" got ready to leave.

Lenape:

nèki awènhakeyòk kahta èt ma alëmskeyok.

English:

Then Wehixamukes stood up and he quickly jerked out

Lenape:

Na nipain naka Wehixamukèsa kwëchilahtun

English:

he quickly jerked out his war club and began to hit those "wild Indians" in the head;

Lenape:

pahkàskinkwehikànëm alëmi lëlàphitehon nèki awènhakeyòk;

English:

he killed them all. There was not even one left.

Lenape:

wèkwihaok. Màta ìli kwëti pilihële.

English:

When he had finished doing that Wehixamukes began to give the war-cry.

Lenape:

Na ènta kishi në lësit naka Wehixamukèsa alëmi kukuwèmu.

English:

Then he ran back to where those [Delaware] men were.

Lenape:

Na mòchhatakixin èpihtit nèki lënuwàk.

English:

He was panting and he looked weak.

Lenape:

Lèxewsu òk shainakwsu.

English:

One of the men told him, "It is true.

Lenape:

Kwëti na lënu tëlao, "Kichi èt në le.

English:

You are [possessed of great] powers, and you are strong."

Lenape:

Kichi èt ma kchìpilësi, òk kchitànësi."

English:

Wehixamukes answered him saying,

Lenape:

Nòxkumao naka Wehixamukèsa, luwe,

English:

"Yes, my friend. Since long ago I have known that I [possess] power and

Lenape:

"Ahikta, nchuh! Lòmwe nochi nuwatun nchipilìsi òk

English:

I am strong because the Manitus gave me their own

Lenape:

nchitànìsi èli yuki manëtuwàk milkuk nèkaw

English:

strength and power.

Lenape:

chitànësëwakàn òk chipilësëwakàn.

English:

And now I must tell you that I feel that soon my life will come to an end, and

Lenape:

Ok ktëlëlhumo yukwe ntëlamùlsi xuniti nëwikòsì[ch] òk

English:

I will come again when these White people will treat you badly,

Lenape:

xu làpi mpa, ènta sòmihkwèkwe yuki weòpsichik

English:

and you will all know me because when I am born a finger will be off

Lenape:

òk xu knënaihëmo èli ènta wëskahpia ntëmëlëncha

English:

one of my hands, and my mother will be a pure young woman."

Lenape:

kwëti naxkink, òk wèkahèsin pilsit skixkwe."

English:

Those men were all very surprised when he said that

Lenape:

Kashelìntàmuk nèki lënuwàk ènta në luwèt

English:

Wehixamukes said that because since long ago they all knew

Lenape:

nàka Wehixamukèsa èli lòmwe nochi uwatuneyo

English:

he had acted silly and talked silly

Lenape:

tili kpichehòsin òk kpìchewtunhèn.

English:

Then they all went home together.

Lenape:

Na machultuwàk wemi.

English:

When they arrived where they lived, they began to cook . . .

Lenape:

Na ènta pahtit wikhatihtit, alëmi wixënuwàk...

English:

deer meat, and corn mush, and deer tongue.

Lenape:

ahtuhwi wiyus òk sapan òk ahtuhwi wilanu

English:

because Wehixamukes liked to eat deer tongue.

Lenape:

èli nàka Wehixamukèsa winkitàm ahtuhwi wilanu.

English:

Those men must have wanted to treat Wehixamukes good

Lenape:

Kahta èt ma nèki lìnuwàk wùlachahao na Wehixamukèsa

English:

because they were still surprised at the way Wehixamukes had talked.

Lenape:

èli kwiakwi chipelìntamuk èltunhèt nàka Wehixamukèsa.

English:

Then when they finished eating they went to sleep.

Lenape:

Na ènta kishi mitsihtit kaultuwàk.

English:

The next morning they all left again. They went to cut wood and trees.

Lenape:

Opànke làpi tolëmskaneyo mënaxeyok òk kiskhòò hitkuk.

English:

Then when one man was cutting down a tree, the tree fell

Lenape:

Na ènta na kwëti lënu kiskhòte hitukw ènta pënihëlak

English:

the tree fell and mashed Wehixamukes;

Lenape:

na hitukw shkwiskhitehò nàka Wehixamukèsa;

English:

and at that place he disappeared into the ground.

Lenape:

wtayi ènta hàkink tàli.

English:

Wehixamukes just disappeared under the ground.

Lenape:

Nàka Wehixamukèsa wtayi èkwi hàkink.

English:

The men hurried as they wanted to dig him up,

Lenape:

Alàpilahtuwàk nèki lënuwàk kahta èt ma ktahawò,

English:

but they couldn't do anything, it was too late now.

Lenape:

shuk kwilalësuwàk, tahchihële mèchi.

English:

Then the men left and went home, and when they got to

Lenape:

Alëmskeyok nèki lënuwàk machiyok ènta pahtit

English:

where they lived no one said anything,

Lenape:

wikhatihtit màta ìli awèn keku luweyòk,

English:

no one could eat.

Lenape:

màta kàski awèn mitsi.

English:

They just stuffed their pipes and smoked.

Lenape:

Chuwskënatuna nèk upokënëmëwò hupweok.

English:

They were all in a sad state of mind. The men just now

Lenape:

Shielìntàmuwamàlsuwàk nèki lìnuwàk kënchëwèna

English:

missed Wehixamukes.

Lenape:

kwilumëwo nàka Wehixamukèsa.

English:

But there was nothing they could do now,

Lenape:

Shuk kwilalësuwàk mèchi wemi keku tahchihile.

English:

For a long time I had heard our old people

Lenape:

Lòmwe nochi mpihpëntaok yuki kikayuyëmënaninkahke

English:

say, "We will wait for Wehixamukes."

Lenape:

tili luwèneyo, "Mpehawënàch nàka Wehixamukèsa."

English:

That is all that I can say of what was told to me by my late mother.

Lenape:

Nal në shuk nkàski luwèn ntihilùkènèp nàka nkahèsa.

Na Òkwës Òk Na Chëmamës Achimëwakàn

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