The Red Crayfish and the Green Crayfish

Back in the olden days (when animals behaved as humans), two crayfish were walking along, they were approached by a "Skina". "Come this way with me." he told them. Only one crayfish decided to follow. As he kept getting closer and closer to the land of fire the temperature continued to gradually rise. As a result, the crayfish did not notice that his body was turning red from the heat.

The other crayfish following some distance behind noticed the change in his friend's shell. Instinctively, he began retreating backwards, in the motion in which crayfish have moved ever since that day. When he reached the water, it had scared him so much, that he jumped into the water and from that day forward, Tsi-stv-na (green crayfish) continues to dwell in that habitat.

Tsi-sgo-gi-li (the red crayfish) , when he realized his shell was burning, dug a hole in the soft mud to cool off. Tsi-sgo-gi-li has ever since lived in the mud. Its meat was spoiled by the heat and the Cherokees do not eat it. However, the water emerging from the hole, where Tsi-sgo-gi-li lives, is used for its medicinal properties and is used today for curing an individual who is hard of hearing. 

Phonetic Version

Note: The symbol ɂ represents the slight catch in your voice heard between two sounds. In English, for example, this sound is used to hear the difference between "aɂ nice man" vs. "an ɂiceman".
Some older texts represent this sound with a single apostrophe.
A dot under a vowel, i.e., [ạ] means that the vowel is pronounced short. A short vowel in Cherokee is held in speach 1/2 the amount of time as a long vowel. If a vowel has no dot under it, it's long. Both of these orthographic conventions are used in the Pulte/Feeling Cherokee English Dictionary

etịhyvhno tsigeseɂi ạnitalị tsịhsdvnạ tsạnaɂịsẹ. hạnạɂisvɂịhno tsịdunạtsoseɂị ạsginị. hiɂịtsa dịhsdena duwoselẹɂị. sogwọhno tsịhsdvnạ hudạhsdạwạdvsẹɂị. nạɂv nịgehsdịhno wanạɂịsvɂị dịgotvɂị udilegi nịgahlsdịsgẹɂị. gohị ɂịyṿhno nạdelọhosgvnạ geseɂị gịgạgeɂị nịgạhlsdisgvɂị. soɂịhno ohni ụwenvdạ tsịhsdvnạ yogọ hạdelọhosgeɂị hahlsdedạliyvsgvɂị ụyạhsgạhlvɂị. kịlạgwohno iyṿ usịnvsẹɂị higọ tsịnạnạdvnehoɂị yụhsdị. dohyuhnọ ạgadị usgasdạnelẹɂị ạmohịhno wulutsạ wudạnawịdṿhẹʔi. sgihno iyṿ dạyudạlenvda ạmohị ụwasạ tsanhoɂị tsịhsdvnạ. gigạgeɂịhno uleyvsṿ tsịhsgogịlị hụdelọhoseɂị hạgọhvsgṿɂị. sgihno iyṿ usgoseɂị sowotụ unelạdịhsdiyụ. sgihno iyṿ dạyudạlenvda sowotụ tsịganạgịloɂị gigạgẹ tsịhsgogịlị. hụleyṿsvhno uyọ nụhlsdạneɂị hạwiyạ.
sgiyụhsdịhno ạnitsạlạgị nịdạniyạgisgvna tsịhsgogịlị higohi. ạsehno hilṿ usgosṿɂị tsịgesọɂị tsịhsgogịlị tsịsgạnvgogọɂị amạ ụnạdạnvwodọhdị hanvdịhsgọɂị kilọ tsulịɂenị yigị.