KUMEYAAY STORY Translated into English by Amy Miller, Gloria Pinto. Kumeyaay language Kumeyaay story Kumeyaay linguistics stories Kumeyaay storytelling. Kumeyaay story and translation Contributed by Daleane Adams Kumeyaay Jamul Indian Village tribe

KUMEYAAY STORY TRANSLATED

The Rabbit Versus The Rattlesnake
Kumeyaay English

Nya'kurlly ke'nap-pu lly'aaw mat kuwaaylly nyewaayk tewa. Chepat cha'saw shemay waam. Nyawaam nyatuuyawm a'wit weyiw nyewa-pelly wexap. "Peyally ta'wa lly'aaw-pu shuuyaw ta'wa akway nyapaakm nyaat saawx."

Once upon a time, there was a rabbit who lived in a burrow in the ground. One day he went off looking for food. While he was away, a rattlesnake came along and went into his house. "I'll wait here for the rabbit, and when he gets back I'll eat him," the rattlesnake said to himself.

Kuur wichm llye'aaw-pet nyewa-pu akway paa. Pes yay-pet xantuk xemaaw; melaayk. "Paychach-pu chiilliich nyewa-pu llyewa kexa," paycha tuuyaw. "Nyewa-pu shkux xiipuk. Skayp nyawikm xapx."

After a long time, the rabbit came back home, but he felt uneasy. Something was not right. "I think there might be something bad inside," he thought. "First I will knock at the door. If it is quite, then I'll go in."

Penya'wit nyewa-pu shkux. Ku'aaylly aaman "Aawka" we'i. Llye'aaw-pet penyauchat, "Nyaap nyewa-pet "Aawka" nye'aa maw. Paychat-pu chiilliit llyewa kexa." Nya'wit skant waam.

So he knocked at the door. From deep inside came a "Hello!" The rabbit thought, "My house never talks to me. There must be something bad inside, alright." And he took off.

A'wi-pet skayp wi tewa nyapuum llye'aaw-pu wesaawx tuuyaw-pes naynaat ch'am.

The snake had waited, intending to eat the rabbit, but he messed it up himself.

Nyaam aawatt.

The end.

- Story translation: Gloria Pinto and Amy Miller

Native American California Indian Stories STORYTELLERS featuring the Samuel Brown Kumeyaay stories of the Brown-Curo family of Barona and Viejas, including a 1960s audio recording of a Kumeyaay elder woman storyteller, and links to many Native American stories, the anecdotes fables tales myths mythology of the California Yuman Native American Indians.