Vocabulary
ᎤᏪᏘ - old
ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏂᏙᎸ - it happened (legend)
ᏓᎦᏏ - turtle
ᎠᎾᎩᎸᏗᏍᎩ - riders (cf. ᎠᎩᎸᏗᎭ a¹kị²lv³²dị²ha)
ᏌᏊ ᎢᏳᏩᎫᏘ - One time
ᏯᏂᏓ (ᎠᏂᏓ)- young (pl)
ᎠᏁᏙᎮᎢ - they were walking around (cf. ᎡᏙᎭ)
ᎠᏙᎯ - in the woods, forest (ᎠᏓ - wood + locative ending)
ᎨᏒᎢ - it was
ᏓᎾᏁᎶᎲᏍᎨᎢ - they were playing, I was told.
ᎤᎵᏍᏗᏃ [sic] (cf. ᏄᎵᏍᏛᏊ or ᎤᏰᎶᎢᏍᏗ) - suddenly, all the sudden
ᎤᏂᎪᎮ - they saw it, I was told.
ᎤᏔᎾ - huge, enormous
ᎠᎢᏎ - s/he it was walking, I was told.
ᎤᏬᏡᏗ (ᎤᏬᎵᏗ)- funny, fun
ᎤᏁᎵᏎ - they thought, figured (I was told)
ᎢᏳᏃ - if
ᏳᎾᎩᎸᏔᎾ - if they rode it. (see also CED - ᎠᎩᎸᏗᎭ a¹kị²lv³²dị²ha)
ᏙᎯᏳᏃ - really
ᎤᎾᎩᎸᎾᏃ - and so they rode it.
ᎤᏕᎵᎬ (ᏭᏕᎵᎬᎢ)- in the west
ᏫᏚᏭᎪᏔᏁᎢ - away (where) it decided (to go) (I'm told) (see: ᏕᎫᎪᏗᎭ)
ᎪᎯᏃ ᎢᏴᏓ - after a while (ᎪᎯᏓ = a long time)
ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎯ (ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎢ) - an old man
ᎦᏙᎨ - s/he was present/standing (I'm told).
ᎠᎾᎢᏒᎢ - they were walking
ᎯᎠᏃ - and this
ᏂᏚᏪᏎᎢ - s/he said (to them), I was told.
ᏞᏍᏗ ᏰᏣᎩᎸᏕᏍᏗ - y'all don't ride him/her! Ᏹ + ᎡᏣᎩᎸᏕᏍᏗ- y'all will ride him/her
ᎠᏎᏃ - but, however
Ꮭ ᏳᎾᏠᎢᏎᎢ - they didn't get off, I was told.
ᏄᏂᏪᏎᎢ - they remarked, said (I'm told)
ᎤᏬᏡᏗᏳ (ᎤᏬᏢᏗᏳ) - fun (-Ᏻ suffix intensifies)
ᏃᎦᏛᎾᏕᎦ - they hung on to it (? - TBD)
ᎤᎾᏚᎵᏍᎨᎢᏃ - and they were wanting
ᏏᏊ - again, some more
ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏒᏊ - that it would just walk on with them (on it)?
ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎯᏃ - (and) the old man
ᏚᏍᏗᏰᏔᏁᎢ - he begged them (RRD ᎠᏍᏗᏰᏗᎭ)
ᎢᎬᏩᏛᏁᏗᏊ - his capability, to the best of his ability
ᏚᏭᎪᏗᏗ - it has decided (This seems to be a variation (or typo) of ᏧᏭᎪᏙᏗ) - it has decided (to go there)
ᎤᎾᏠᎯᏍᏗᎢ - them to get off of it
ᎢᏣᏠᎯ - you all get off of it
ᎾᏊ - now then, well now
ᎠᏂᏧᏣᏃ - But the boys
ᎯᎠ - this
ᏄᏂᏪᏎᎢ - they remarked, said (I'm told)
ᏂᎦᎥ - every
ᎪᎱᏍᏗ - thing
ᎣᏏᏊ - all right, fine
ᎨᏎᏍᏗ - it will be
ᎾᏍᏊ - now that
ᏓᎦᏏ - turtle
ᎠᎺᏉᎯ - towards the big lake/sea
ᏱᏭᎷᏣ - if/when it arrives there
ᏲᏣᎵᏔᏚᎦ - we will jump off (yi+ots+altadega)
ᎠᏏ - while, when
ᏫᏄᎷᏨᎾᏊ - when it arrives, gets to there
ᎠᎺᏉᎯ – at the sea/lake
ᏙᏳᏃ - really
ᏂᎬᏩᎾᎩᎴᏊᏃ - and so since they were on it
ᎤᏕᎵᎬ - west
ᏗᏜ - towards
ᎤᏕᎵᎬ ᏗᏜ westwards, to the west
ᎤᏛᏐᏅ - old man
ᎯᏃ - this, them
ᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏎ - them he followed (I'm told) (CED ᎠᏍᏓᏩᏕᎦ a¹sda³²wạ²de³ga)
ᎣᏂ - behind, after (also:last)
ᏓᎦᏏᏃ - but the turtle
ᎠᎺᏉ - lake/sea
ᏭᎷᏤ - it arrived there (I'm told) (wi+ulutse)
ᎠᏂᏧᏣ - the boys
ᎤᎾᎵᏔᏗᏅᏗ - for them to jump (see: ᏓᎵᏔᏕᎦ)
ᏚᏄᎫᎪᏔᏁᎢ – they decided (digugtodi, duwugtanv)
ᎠᏎᏃ – but
ᎤᏂᏄᎸᏁᎢ – they failed, they were unable
ᏧᎾᏔᏍᏕᏂ – their feet
ᏚᏩᎭᏙᏎᎢ – it (the turtle) latched onto them (their feet)
ᏓᎦᏏᎢ – on the turtle
ᏚᏂᎾᏫᏛᎮᏃ – it carried them off (ᎦᎾᏫᏗᎭ)
ᎠᎺᏉ – big water/lake/sea
ᎭᏫᏂ. – into
ᏚᎪᎭᏃ –he saw them (ᎠᎪᏩᏘᎭ)
ᎠᎦᏔᎿᎢ – wise/knowledgeable
ᎤᏟᏍᏗᏳ – quickly (CED - ᎤᏟᏍᏓ, ᎤᎵᏍᏓ)
ᎠᎹᏳᎶᏗ (ᎠᎹᏳᏟᏗ) – shore, bank, beach
ᏭᎷᏤᎢ – arriving there, went there
ᎠᎴ – and
ᎤᏬᏢᏁ – he made
ᏅᏬᏘ – medicine (nvwoti)
ᏅᏬᏘᏃ – and that medicine
ᎢᎧᏲᏔᏁᎢᏃ – it dried it up (rep)
ᎠᎺᏉᎯ – the lake/sea (big water place)
ᎠᏂᏧᏣᏃ – and the boys
ᎨᏥᏍᏕᎸᎮᎢ (ᎠᏍᏕᎵᎭ) – he rescued (helped) them (I'm told)
ᎤᏪᏘ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏂᏙᎸ ᏓᎦᏏ ᎠᎾᎩᎸᏗᏍᎩ
ᏌᏊ ᎢᏳᏩᎫᏘ ᏅᎩ ᏯᏂᏓ ᎠᏂᏧᏣ ᎠᏁᏙᎮᎢ ᎠᏙᎯ
ᎨᏒᎢ ᏓᎾᏁᎶᎲᏍᎨᎢ. ᎤᎵᏍᏗᏃ ᎤᏂᎪᎮ ᎤᏔᎾ ᏓᎦᏏ ᎠᎢᏎ. ᎠᏂᏧᏣᏃ ᎤᏬᏡᏗ ᎤᏁᎵᏎ ᎢᏳᏃ ᏳᎾᎩᎸᏔᎾ
ᏓᎦᏏ. ᏙᎯᏳᏃ ᎤᎾᎩᎸᎾᏃ ᎤᏕᎵᎬ ᏫᏚᏭᎪᏔᏁᎢ.
ᎪᎯᏃ ᎢᏴᏓ ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎯ ᎦᏙᎨ ᎠᎾᎢᏒᎢ ᎯᎠᏃ ᏂᏚᏪᏎᎢ, "ᎢᏣᏠᎯ! ᏞᏍᏗ ᏰᏣᎩᎸᏕᏍᏗ ᏓᎦᏏ". ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮭ
ᏳᎾᏠᏎᎢ. ᎯᎠ ᏄᏂᏪᏎᎢ ᎤᏬᏡᏗᏳ ᏃᎦᏛᎾᏕᎦ ᎤᎾᏚᎵᏍᎨᎢᏃ ᏏᏊ ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏒᏊ. ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎯᏃ ᏚᏍᏗᏰᏔᏁᎢ
ᎢᎬᏩᏛᏁᏗᏊ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎤᎾᏠᎯᏍᏗᎢ. ᎯᎠᏃ ᏄᏪᏎ, "ᏓᎦᏏ ᎠᎺᏉᎯ ᏚᏭᎪᏗᏗ. ᎢᏣᏠᎯ ᎾᏊ". ᎠᏂᏧᏣᏃ ᎯᎠ
ᏄᏂᏪᏎᎢ, "ᏂᎦᎥ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎣᏏᏊ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ. ᎾᏍᏊ ᏓᎦᏏ ᎠᎺᏉᎯ ᏱᏭᎷᏣ ᏲᏣᎵᏔᏚᎦ ᎠᏏ ᏫᏄᎷᏨᎾᏊ ᎠᎺᏉᎯ".
ᏙᏳᏃ ᏂᎬᏩᎾᎩᎴᏊᏃ ᎤᏕᎵᎬ ᏗᏜ ᎤᏛᏐᏅᎯᏃ ᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏎ ᎣᏂ.
ᏓᎦᏏᏃ ᎠᎺᏉ ᏭᎷᏤ ᎠᏂᏧᏣ ᎤᎾᎵᏔᏗᏅᏗ ᏚᏄᎪᏔᏁᎢ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏂᏄᎸᏁᎢ. ᏧᎾᏔᏍᏕᏂ ᏚᏩᎭᏙᏎᎢ ᏓᎦᏏᎢ
ᏚᏂᎾᏫᏛᎮᏃ ᎠᎺᏉ ᎭᏫᏂ. ᏚᎪᎭᏃ ᎤᏛᏐᏅᏃ ᎠᎦᏔᎿᎢ ᎤᏟᏍᏗᏳ ᎠᎹᏳᎶᏗ ᏭᎷᏤᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏬᏢᏁ ᏅᏬᏘ, ᏅᏬᏘᏃ
ᎢᎧᏲᏔᏁᎢᏃ ᎠᎺᏉᎯ ᎠᏂᏧᏣᏃ ᎨᏥᏍᏕᎸᎮᎢ.
The Parable Of The Turtle Riders
One time there were four boys who were out in the woods playing.
All of a sudden they saw an enormous turtle go by. The boys thought
it would be fun to get on that turtle and go for a ride, so they all
jumped on and went riding.
After a while they came to an old man and he told them to get off,
that they shouldn't be riding that turtle like that. They didn't get
off though. They said they were having a lot of fun and that they
wanted to ride that turtle some more. The old man begged and pleaded
with them to get off of it. He said that the turtle was headed for
the sea and that they should get off right away; but the boys, said
everything would be all right, that if the turtle went into the sea,
they would jump off in plenty of time. So they rode along to the
west and the old man followed along behind.
When the turtle came to the sea the boys decided to jump off, but
they couldn't. Their feet had got stuck to the turtle and they were
carried down into the seas. When he saw that, the old man hurried
down to the seashore and made some medicine. That medicine dried up
the sea, so the boys were saved.
Story by Rev. Walt Spade and Willard Walker from "Cherokee
Stories" published by the Carnegie Corporation through the
University of Chicago in 1966.
Transcription, formatting, and vocabulary glosses by ᏔᎻᎵ.
Transcription, formatting, and vocabulary glosses by ᏔᎻᎵ.
