Translation

[Nadja Adolf]

Lush san khapa mesayka:

Good day to you:

Ntsa Latwa Laqw Grand Ronde Shawash Ili?i sitkum san chandi. Ntsay
kEltEs kuri stuwah khapa Depoe Bay. Qhanchi chaku Depoe Bay, ntsay
kEltEs nanich pi iskEm mEkmEk khapa Sea Hag. Michael mEkmEk crab pi
na mEkmEk pish. Wik nanich tunus salt-tseqw lacaset - ya hilu.

We went off Grand Ronde Indian Country at noon Sunday. We drove for
fun south to Depoe Bay. When we got to Depoe Bay we looked around
and ate dinner at the Sea Hag. Michael ate crab and I ate fish. We
didn't see the little aquarium - it's gone.

Khimta mEkmEk, nstay weXt Latwa stuwah. Qhanchi ntsay qha khapa lateh
olhayu ya tXwap khapa ili?i, ntsay chaku-kikwEli pus nanich lateh olhayu.

After dinner, we again went south. When we got to Sea Lion Caves we
went down to see the sea lions.

Uk tXwap phatL salt-tsEqw pi hayash stun miLayt khapa salt-tsEqw. Khapa
uk tXwap miLayt Lones 12 lateh olhayu. Makwst man lateh olhayu miLayt
khapa stun, pi hayu LushmEn lateh olhayu. Ixt man lateh olhayu manaki
hayash maksdi. Ixt LushmEn lateh olhayu munk tutush. Uk tunus lateh
olhayu hayash pi tukti.

That cave is full of salt water and a big stone is in the sea. In that
cave were maybe 12 sea lions. Two bull sea lions were on the stone, and
many female sea lions. One bull sea lion was much bigger than the other.
One female sea lion was nursing. That baby seal lion was big and pretty.

Ixt man lateh olhayu miLayt khEltEs ixt khapa tXwap wall. Ya Latwa
khakwa ya chaku-p!eq-p!eq.

One bull sea lion lived alone on the cave wall. He moved like he had
been beaten up.

TXwap ya khul pi ntsay chaku-Lax. Ntsay chaku uk kikwEli-saXali lacaset.
Lun tilixEm hayu-ata yawa. Ntsay chaku tElay tEmtEm qhanchi lacaset wik
chaku. Alta hayu tilixEm chaku pi Laska wawa "qha-uk lacaset?" pi "ikta-
qhata?" Laska ilEp chaku salEks.

The cave was cool and we wanted (forgot tiki) to go out. We went to the
elevator. Three people were waiting. We were surprised when the elevator
didn't come. Now more people came and they said "what's with the
elevator?" And "what's wrong?" They began to get angry.

TXwap man nanich tilixEm phatL pi wawa khapa man ubut saXali uk tXwap.
Man saXali uk tXwap alki kEmtEks kikwEli-saXali lacaset ya kakshEt.
Las munk paya chaku-Latwa. Las nanich lacaset. Ya hay kokshEt.

The cave staff man saw the crowd and talked to the man at the top
of the  cave. The man at the top of the cave soon knew that the e
levator was broken.  They tried working the electrical switches.
They looked at the elevator. It was still broken.

Tilixem chaku khul. Khanawi uk tiki chaku-saXali. Wik hayu chaku k!was.
Tunus hayu tilixEm munk-shoX-shoX. Michael pi na chaku kikwEli tunus
haws qha paya miLayt pi chaku wam weXt.

The people became cold. All of them wanted to go up. Some became afraid.
A few were verbally abusive. Michael and I went to the shack where the
heater was and got warm.

Ntsay hayu-ata. TXwap tilixEm wawa pus munk-Lush man. Ntsay mithwit
alta pi mEkmEk c!hux pi tseqw.

We waited. The cave staff talked to the repairman. We stood now and had
chips and water.

Munk-Lush man miLayt qha-saya, khapa Veneta. Alta kikwEli san pi xulxul
chaku kikwEli tXwap; Las hayu tukti pi hihi pus nanich.

The repairman was far away, in Veneta. Now it was late and mice came
down the cave; they were pretty and funny to watch.

Man ubut saXali uk tXwap wawa "wik lili." Na chaku tEmtEm wik qhanchi.
Ntsay hayu-ata. Wik lacaset chaku-XalaqL. Munk-Lush man wik chaku pi
nstay chaku thil.

The man up top at the cave said "soon." I began to think never.
We waited. The elevator didn't open. The repairman didn't come and
we became tired.

Alta, ntsay munk kwolan lateh pi man ubut saXali wawa "Munk-Lush man ya
yakwa." Alki lacaset chaku kikwEli pi chaku-XalaqL. Ntsay kuri-kuri
khapa uk lacaset pi chaku-saXali. Ntsay supEna Laqw lacaset pi kuri
khapa TXwap makuk haws pi wik k!ilEpay nanich.

Now, we heard a noise and the man at the top of the cave said "The
repairman is here." In a little while the elevator came down and opened.
We ran onto that elevator and came up. We jumped out of that elevator
and ran to the cave shop and didn't look back.

TXwap tilixEm tiki munk Lush pi munk-k!ilEpay ntsay dolla. Las Lush
tilixEm.

The cave people made good and gave back our money. They are good
people.

Pus may nanich t!sipi, nixwha munk t!sEm khapa nesayka.

If you see mistakes, please write to me.

nadja