Xkwechëch òk Pilaechëch

The Girl and the Boy - Told by Lillie Hoag Whitehorn (1902 - 1994) to Nora Dean, Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1977. Lillie was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now The Delaware Nation), and she was half Caddo.

English:

Now I want to tell a story the way my departed grandmother and mother did.

Lenape:

Yukweshe nkata achimwi naka nuhëma tihëlachimwin òk nkahèsa.

English:

Long ago they lived together

Lenape:

Lòmwe hùnt mah nihëlàchi wikhatuwàk . . . Note: The Lenape word “hunt” is used frequently in this story. It can be translated as “it is said’ or “supposedly.” It means the teller did not actually witness the events of the story. In the English translation we did not repeat the translation each time.

English:

the Delawares. Then a short distance away a woman lived.

Lenape:

Lënapeyok. Na paliichi wikuwàk na xkwe hùnt.

English:

She had two children, a girl and a boy.

Lenape:

Nisha hùnt wënichanëna, xkwechëch òk pilaechëch.

English:

They were orphans because long ago their father had left (meaning he had died)

Lenape:

Na nèk shikwineyo hùnt uxëwaa lilòmëwe nëkalëkëwaa,

English:

Then the woman told her children

Lenape:

Na hùnt hànk na xkwe tëlan nèk wënichanëna,

English:

Go off and play, go way off and play

Lenape:

“Ikali may papi, ikalìchi may papikw

English:

someone will pity you, someone who will take pity on you.

Lenape:

kètëmakelëmukuwa, awèn wixkawchi ahpu kètëmakelëmùkèkw,

English:

Then they left to go far away to play. Suddenly

Lenape:

Na alëmskeyok hùnt ikalëchi may papuwàk. Wixkawchi

English:

and they saw some children, they were many

Lenape:

ta hùnt wëneyoneyo mimënsàk, xaheluk hùnt

English:

nearby the lake at the edge of the water where these children played together.

Lenape:

kixiti në mënëpèkunk shopenk tënta paphatineyo nèk mimënsàk.

English:

They made dishes, the dirt is what they used, clay.

Lenape:

Manituwàk kènu lòkènsa në hàki hnatamuk sisku.

English:

Then suddenly one of them said, “You should go with us.

Lenape:

Na hùnt wixkawchi na hùntànk wënchi luwèn na kwëti “Kwicheihëna a.

English:

All of us here will walk on this part of the earth

Lenape:

Wèmi yu ta niluna ntëluxwenèn yu èlkikwixink haki

English:

This that was created by our Father" the one said.

Lenape:

yushe ènta tëlelëmukunk Kuxëna” luwe hùnt na kwëti.

English:

Then he told the girl “You should go with us.” Then he told the boy

Lenape:

Na tëlan na xkwechëcha “Kwicheihëna a.” Na hùnt tëlawa na pilaechëcha,

English:

“You should go back and tell your mother that she goes with us.

Lenape:

“Ki a kwëtki këmay la na kahèsëwa kènu awèn wichewkuna

English:

because we carry water over the whole area.

Lenape:

èli wèmi pëmëxòhtunèn yu mpi èlkikwixink

English:

so that when it rains things will grow well. Our Father the Creator

Lenape:

ènta sukëlànk wënci wëlikën kèku. Kuxëna wa Kishelëmukònk

English:

the way he fixed it so we can walk around," he said.

Lenape:

tëlixtun tìli ahpamskanèn," luwe hùnt.

English:

Then he said, “That’s alright.” The boy then he returned, then he went to tell his mother

Lenape:

Na hùnt na tëluwèn, “Na ta nëni!” Na pilaechëch na ktëki, na may lan na kohèsa.

English:

Then the boy left when he saw her.

Lenape:

Na alëmske hùnt nàni pilaechëch ènta neyòt.

English:

He looked back and he looked at then and they arose in a group.

Lenape:

ktëkinkwèxin pënaan këku nëkahke alëmultuwàk àspiyok hùnt.

English:

They must have been little spirits and they must have had wings.

Lenape:

Na èt mah nèk manëtutëtàk èt mah kènu wëlunkònuwàk hùnt.

English:

Then when they carry water it thundered all over and they spilled the water.

Lenape:

Na ènta pëmëxòhtuhtit mpi hùnt pèthakhòn wèmi yu tali sukhamëneyo yuni mpi.

English:

Then suddenly they returned again it rained then the girl returned

Lenape:

Na wixkawchi ta hùnt na làpi pèchii ktëkiyok na ènta sukëlànk na hùnt ktëki pè na xkwechëch.

English:

Then she told her mother, “Don’t cry."

Lenape:

Na hùnt tëlan nèl kohèsa “Kàchi ta mëlimwihàn."

English:

She said to her, "When you hear me that is me carrying water.”

Lenape:

Tëlao hùnt (or ènta) “pëntayane ni ntëli ìka wìchi pëmëxòhtun mpi."

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