This typed version was reviewed and corrected by Prof. Sharon Hargus.

SAHAPTIN INDIAN LANGUAGE 101/102
Virginia Beavert, Instructor 
Heritage College, Toppenish, WA 98948
10/30/2000

SHÁAX̱ STS’ÁT SCARY NIGHT

Anakú i’anátx̱a luts’á álx̱ayx̱, kúuk pa’átx̱a chilwit, pat[ú]uman. 
When the red moon rises,      that’s when bad things come out.   

Ttúush pawá anakúsh t[ú]uman tíinma, ttúush pawá kákyama.       
Some resemble people, and some are animal beings. 

Kúukx̱i, ɬch’ách’ama pa’átx̱amsh. 
At the same time, ghosts come out.

Pawyáninx̱a pima’atɬ’awyáshax̱a ɨníit ɨniityaw. 
They go around begging house to house.    

Páysh nam cháw ásaypta, kunam chílwit pawawtk’íwita. 
If you don’t give them food they will do bad tricks to you.

Míimi anakú tiinmamí átx̱anax̱ana ámch[ni]k atáwaas anakúsh tun ɨlíit ɨliit, 
A long time ago when the people had outside toilets that looked like little shacks, 

pashapátxatikw’ikanix̱ana.
they would tip them over. 

Íkuuk nam pawa[w]tk’íwita tɬ’aax̱w míshkin.  
Today they play all kinds of tricks on you. 

Pawawtímiinitaam ɨníit pinaḵ’in[u]t’áwaaspa. 
They draw pictures in your house windows.         

Ttúushma nam payáx̱tiinita "garbage".   
Some of them will tip (spill) over your garbage. 

Íkush awkú pá’ashx̱a chilwít luts’á álx̱ayx̱in. 
This is how the red moon affects them.

Chmúk tíshpun itx̱ánax̱a piitɬ’[ya]wíɬam. 
The black widow spider becomes a killer.

Lachatláchatnɨm nam páyu ichánpta. 
The bat will bite you. 

T’at’aɬíya iwyáni[n]ta 1 iwyá[’]awita myánashmaman,
The Witch Woman looks for little children, 

ku ináktux̱ta ku itkwátata. 
and she takes them and eats them. 

Łch’ách’anɨm nam ichách’wikta. 2
The ghost will strike you mute.

Kúuk nam áykta 3 tún nch’íki inúu,
And then you will hear something making loud sound,  

ku cháw tún kwnák iwá. 
but there won’t be anything there. 

Íkush awkú itx̱ánax̱a, sháax̱. 
That’s how it gets scary.

Ttúushma paḵ’ínuta hawláak ḵáyx̱ lúmt láḵayx̱it 4 iwyáninxa, 
Some people see spacy blue lights floating around,

ku cháw tún kwnák iwá.  
but nothing is there.

Chmúk Kitismí átx̱anax̱a páyu luts’á áchaash, ku káatnam áttawax̱ta asá asa.
The black cat becomes red-eyed, and his claws become long.

Íkush awkú hawláakma chilwít t[ú]uman patáx̱shix̱a sts’áat sts’átpa. 
That is how bad spirits become alive during the dark night. 


TRUE STORY 


Lísxaam nápu tíinin patúxshayka ɨníitkan. Patkw’anína kaaspáynk. Ku payíkna....t[ú]umanna patwína. Payíkna wyáwatiktyaw. Papx̱wíshana, páysh pmách’ax̱i patúx̱sha. Pa’iwáx̱ix̱ana, patḵátutix̱ana, ku watíksh átḵatutix̱ana. Awkú pawyáych’una. "Láakna pashapátkwapwiluukta." Ku pawáyx̱tya, kúshx̱i watíksh áwayx̱tya. Awkú paḵ’ínuna lawiishḵíshish 5, anakúsh tún tíin.  

Chaawíyat awkú pawyánawishayka ɨníityaw, kúuk ɨwínsh isx̱íx̱na, ku i’ína áshiipa, áwnash ashapnitát[']asha. 

Mísh natk awku pátwapinx̱a? Ku kítu iwayx̱ty[ú]una Iawiishḵ’íshishnan, iwíi’iipa hawláak. Cháw tún kwnák iwachá tíin, awkɬáw tálx̱ anakúsh tún shwát’ash. Íkush Hal[l]oweenpa Sts’átpa pákuya ɬch’ách’ayin 6 nápu tíininan.


TRUE STORY Translation 
(by Sharon Hargus, checked by Virginia Beavert)

One time two people were returning to their house. They were walking along the railroad tracks. Then they heard someone following them.7  They heard footsteps.  They thought, maybe they’re going home too.  They would wait, they would stop, and the footsteps would stop.  Then they got scared.  "Maybe they’re going to rob us." Then they ran, and the footsteps also ran.  Then they saw a shadow, just like a person.

They had almost reached their house when the man got mad and said to his wife, now I want to ask him 8 something.

Why are you chasing us?  Then he quickly ran toward the shadow, and he charged through empty space.  There was no person there, only something like an empty cloud.  That’s how a ghost bothered two people on Halloween night.