Nsùkwis Nshinkalùkw

My Mother-in-Law Hates Me . . . Told by Martha Ellis to Nora Thompson Dean, Bruce Pearson, and Jim Rementer in 1977. Martha was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now the Delaware Nation). The same story was told in English to William Newcomb about 1955 by James H. Thompson.

English:

I want to talk about what some people now departed did a long time ago,

Lenape:

Yukwe nkata ahkënutëmen në èlsihtit hùnt lòmëwe awènikahke,

English:

the older folks. They had a daughter, a young woman.

Lenape:

khikayàk. Ahpiyo hùnt tònëwaa, skixkwe,

English:

it is said that eventually the young woman married someone, a young man.

Lenape:

Hùnt xantki awèni wëlahële na skixkwe, skìnu.

English:

It is said that the old one did not like her son-in-law; she hated him.

Lenape:

Na hùnt na kìkay ta ku hùnt ahi winkalaio nèl nòtunamako; wshinkalaa.

English:

Then the young man knew that his mother-in-law hated him.

Lenape:

Na na skìnu uwatun tëli shikalkwën wsùkwisa.

English:

He was sad. So then (that being the case) he went walking around at the edge of the brush

Lenape:

Mahchatènamu hùntànkw na hùntànkw tëli-ayahpamskan shaohwe nën.

English:

near the lake, he walked by there it is said.

Lenape:

kèxiti në mënëpèkunk, në pwëpamskan hùntànkw.

English:

Oh, the young man was in a quandary. He thought, "I wish my mother-in-law wouldn't treat me that way!

Lenape:

E, kwila hùntàkw lelëntàm na skìnu. Litehè hùnt, "Kwëlaha ta mata në ntëlihkuwën nsùkwis.

English:

I love her daughter, I love them all, I want to try to help them!" he said.

Lenape:

Ntahola nèl tòna, ntaholaok wèmi, nkata kwchi wichëmaok!" luwe hùnt.

English:

Then again the next morning he went there, then went to where they always got water.

Lenape:

Na hùnt nèli làpi òpànke làpi nanë tòn, nanë wële tòn èhèhèli mpi natamihtit hùnt.

English:

There was a spring there at the lake, that the old one always got water. That is where the young man went.

Lenape:

Thëpèkw në hate mënëpèkw, na në tihëlilaman na khìkay. Na në tòn na skìnu.

English:

Then when the young man got there, all at once a person approached. Oh, everything that he had on was very yellow;

Lenape:

Na hùnt ènta në an na skìnu, kèku hùnt wa awèn peyat. E, wëli wisae wèmi kèku ika ètakw.

English:

He had on hide leggings and he had something green he was wearing on his neck.

Lenape:

Xèsii kakuna ika hatu òk àskàskwe yukwe yushe tëli hùkwenin hùnt.

English:

He said to him, "What's the matter, my son, it seems like you are sad?"

Lenape:

Tëluwèn na, "Kèku hàch tëlsi nkwis, alàhshi a ta ksàkhòtènami?"

English:

"Oh, I really am sad because my mother-in-law hates me!" he said.

Lenape:

"O, khìchii ta nsàkhòtènami èli nsùkwis nshinkalùkw," luwe hùnt.

English:

That is the reason I am walking around." Then he told him,

Lenape:

"Na yukwe në shè hànkw nëwënchi ayahpamskan hànkw." Na hùnt tëlkwën,

English:

"I will help you! She will love you!

Lenape:

"Ni ta xu kwichëmel, ktahòlùkw xu.

English:

Now then you must come back, you must come very early tomorrow morning, while it is still dark."

Lenape:

Na yukwe kwëtki xu, xu alàpaiti xu kpa, kwiakwi piske."

English:

Then the young man did that. The next day he went there again.

Lenape:

Na hùnt nanë tënëmën na skìnu. Opànke làpi nanë tòn.

English:

Then he told him, "Now I want to show you what you must do."

Lenape:

Na hùnt tëlkwën, "Yukwe ta nkata wëntamulën xu wèlaihòsiàn.

English:

He told the young man, "Go and peel

Lenape:

Tëlao hùnt nèl skìnuwa, "Këmay kènu pòthòò kènu

English:

off the elm tree, the elm tree

Lenape:

lokanahunshi, nèl lokanahunshi.

English:

When you make straps and let them hang down. Then tie them

Lenape:

ènta kènu shëhkayuwik kpaxakënëmën nalch na kwëtënëmën ènta

English:

Then you must take them where they hang down

Lenape:

chichilukehi shèshèhëlak nèl na hùnt

English:

then you must tie them together and then you must make a ball," he told him.

Lenape:

na hùnt ktahònhùkòptuna, nalch këmanihan pahsahikàn," tëlao hùnt.

English:

"Then we will do it when you get here tomorrow evening

Lenape:

"Na ktënëmënèn xu kpaana alàpa lòkwike

English:

before anyone comes to get water," he said.

Lenape:

ta chich awèn mpi natamu," luwe hùnt.

English:

So the next day he went there when it got to be evening that is the way they did.

Lenape:

Na làpi òpànke na në tòn ènta lòkwik na hùnt në tënëmëneyo.

English:

It was already dark when he went there, and that one was standing there again.

Lenape:

Mèchi kìshi piske hùnt ika tòn, kèku wàn làpi nipait.

English:

He had placed everything there that he wanted to use.

Lenape:

Mèchi ta hùnt tohalehòn wëlituneyo nëni kèta hnakatink.

English:

Then he picked up that bark which he had

Lenape:

Na hùnt ènta wètënëmënèn ènta òhshàkayuwik

English:

peeled from that willow, or rather,

Lenape:

nèl pohathòwoo nèl nushemakw, shëmuch kènu

English:

elm. Then he told him, "Now we will leave

Lenape:

lokanahunshi. Na hùnt tëluwèn, "Yukwe ta yushe punitiwënèn

English:

this and we will make several balls from it," he said. Then they finished fixing it.

Lenape:

kèxàch manihahëna pahsahikana yu wënchi," luwe hùnt. Na hùnt në tòneyo

English:

they finished fixing it he told the man,

Lenape:

kìshi wëlituneyo na tëluwèn na lënu

English:

Then he said, "Then you say,

Lenape:

Na hùnt tëluwèn, "Nàch ki ktëluwèn,

English:

'Really, it is true, it is true!'" he said

Lenape:

"Kìchi, na në le, na në le." luwe hùnt.

English:

Then that other one told the man to say,

Lenape:

Na hùnt làpi takok kwëti tëlao lënu tëlao hùnt,

English:

"You will die, you will die!" he said. Then he said

Lenape:

"Ihànkël, ihànkël!" luwe hùnt. Na hùnt tëluwèn,

English:

She threw her bucket away and she ran back home very quickly.

Lenape:

Ikali hùnt tëlahèna tahusa kwëtahkixin tëki machhatahkihële.

English:

She said, "I really don't hate my little son-in-law!"

Lenape:

Luwe hùnt, "Taku ta shinkala natunamakwtët.

English:

"I think very highly of him!", she said. "What did you

Lenape:

Nëmaxinkwelëma," luwe hùnt. Tò tàch ktëlituneyo na

English:

with my little son's leggings? I want to soften them

Lenape:

na nkwitët kòkuna nkata ta tòkënëmëna

English:

and his shoes that he always wears,

Lenape:

òk mòchipahko ika èhatakwën nkëme

English:

they always did that long ago she softened the things which

Lenape:

ènta tëlënëmëneyo lòmwe tòkënëmaon awèn

English:

her son-in-law would wear

Lenape:

nòtunamako kèku èkwilit

English:

and use, and the shoes he put on,

Lenape:

wënchi kàski làpi ikahatun kèku ènta chipahkwèt.

English:

that is what that little old one did. Then he (the other man) told him

Lenape:

Na tënënëmën na kiketët. Na hùnt tëlao hùnt

English:

"Now after what we have done she will never again hate you.

Lenape:

"Mèchi yukwe she xu ktënëmënèn ta chich kshinkalku hùnt.

English:

Now then, you will see us the way we really look

Lenape:

Na yukwe ta kneihëna èlinakwsiènkw hùnt

English:

Then when he looked at him again, here he was a bullfrog,

Lenape:

Na ènta làpi pënaot kèku èt ma wa xànthane,

English:

both of them were bullfrogs

Lenape:

èlii nèk xànthanèyok nèk.

English:

Now the one jumped back into the water.

Lenape:

Na yukw na kwëti ktëki mpink lakihëleyunkahke hùnt.

English:

Oh, if ever she doesn't like her son-in-law,

Lenape:

E, ènta ku chich wshinkalaio nèl natunamako,

English:

then they said, then we will help you again!"

Lenape:

na hùnt tëluwèneyo, na làpi shè ktëli wichëmëlënèn."

Shè Yu Wëski Kèku

Alahòtuwàk

Mikwëna Tëlekhikàn Pwètanehëmaok Lënapeyunkahke

Moni Ta Nëni

Wàni Lënape Elixsit

Na Lënu Òk Nèl Mwekaneyëma