One Wehixamukès Story . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1968.
English:
Long ago there was a person who was named Wehixamukes.
Lenape:
Lòmwe hunt ahpu awènika luwènsu Wehixamukès.
English:
When he talked Delaware he talked incorrectly
Lenape:
Amàchixsu ènta alënixsit
English:
and he seemed like he did not have good sense
Lenape:
òk alàshi màta wëleòtamuu,
English:
but Wehixamukes was powerful and wise;
Lenape:
shukw chipilësuwa òk lëpwe nàka Wehixamukèsa;
English:
he just acted that way because he must have wanted
Lenape:
lëni në tëlayhòsin kahta èt mah
English:
to fool people, and he could thus find out
Lenape:
kiòlawo awènik, òk kahta watun
English:
what his status was among his people.
Lenape:
èlelëmùksit withakeyunk.
English:
One time he went along when several men went out hunting.
Lenape:
Kwëtën wite ènta kèxa lënuwàk alaihtit.
English:
They told him what he must do was cook and
Lenape:
Na tëlawòo kahta ta wixëni òk
English:
cut wood and clean everything.
Lenape:
mënàxe òk pilitu wèmi kèku.
English:
Wehixamukes said, "Oh yes, I can do that."
Lenape:
Luwe nàka Wehixamukèsa, "Òsòmi, nal tà nën."
English:
When the hunters left
Lenape:
Enta alëmskahtit nèki èlaichik
English:
Wehixamukes picked up an axe,
Lenape:
nàka Wehixamukèsa wètënëmën tëmahikàn,
English:
and he went into a big woods to cut wood.
Lenape:
xinkwi shinkèk tòn may mënàxe.
English:
When he was cutting wood he accidently hit himself.
Lenape:
Enta mànàxèt pwititehò hokaya.
English:
He began to holler, saying, "You all help me! You all help me!"
Lenape:
Alëmi xaholamu, luwe, "Wichëmikw, wichëmikw!"
English:
He forgot that he was alone because for so long
Lenape:
Wànin tìli xuhànin èli lòmëwe nochi
English:
he had acted silly that finally that was the way he lived.
Lenape:
kpëchehòsu xantki chimi në tëlawsin.
English:
When the men returned from hunting
Lenape:
Enta apalaihtit nèki lënuwàk
English:
they saw him all stretched out in a bark house.
Lenape:
wëneyò shipanàkèxin hòkèsikaonink.
English:
They asked him, "What are you doing?"
Lenape:
Tëlawo, "Kèku hàch ktëlsi?"
English:
Wehixamukes said, "I hit myself by accident.
Lenape:
Luwe nàka Wehixamukèsa, "Mpithiteho hnàkay.
English:
My hand is hurting."
Lenape:
Ntahelìntàm nàxkink."
English:
The head man told him,
Lenape:
Na nikanixink lënu tëlao,
English:
"Tie some bark on your hand to heal it."
Lenape:
"Kaxkwtu hòkès knàxkink."
English:
Wehixamukes heard everything that he said.
Lenape:
Pwëntao nàka Wehixamukèsa wèmi kèku èluwèt.
English:
When morning came they could not find him,
Lenape:
Ènta opànkw kwilao,
English:
finally one man saw him up in a tree;
Lenape:
xantki kwëti lënu wëneyo hitkunk tali;
English:
he had tied his hand to the tree.
Lenape:
kaxpilasu nòxk hitkunk.
English:
He told him, "Get down, get down! That's not the way.
Lenape:
Tëlao, "Lixi, lixi! Tètxan ta nën.
English:
I told you to tie that bark on your hand, but first cut the bark off the tree."
Lenape:
Ktëlël kaxkwtu në hòkès hìtamìch wis'hò na hitùkw."
English:
Wehixamukes said,
Lenape:
Luwe nàka Wehixamukèsa,
English:
"I would have done so if you had told me!"
Lenape:
"Shai a mah liàntpàne!"
English:
Nora said that there is a lesson in the Wèhixamukès stories, and it is told by his response, "I would have done so if you had told me.” The lesson is to be careful and think about what you say.
