Section 3.6 Hul'q'umi'mum' - KWI'KWUSHNUTS 'I' TTHU SITUN SMUKW SPE'PTITUL'
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Jean-Paul Csuka
Hul'q'umi'num' translation, transcription, and editing by: Sti'tum'at | Ruby Peter, Donna Gerdts, and Randeana Peter
Funding for Hul'q'umi'mum' translation: First Peoples' Cultural Council
'uhwiin' stl'i'tl'qulh tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'i' yath 'uw' ni' 'u tthu ti'ya'xween.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief.
ni' tthu lelum's 'eelhtun 'u tthu hay 'ul' thi tawun鈥攌wun'atul' 'u thu tens 'i' tthu shuyulhs stl'atl'um' kwushnuts.
He lives in a big city with his mother and his older sister, Perfect Number.
thume 'u tthu nuts'a' suxulhnet kws nem's hunum' 'u tthu hiiye'yu lelum' kwun'atul' 'u tthu siiye'yus.
Twice a week he goes with his friends to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
mukw' tthey' suw'wuy'qe'allh yuw'en' kwus tl'uw' xlhas 'i' yelhsus yaays 'u tthu skw'shem 'u tthu lhsuq' tintun.
There the boys first have a snack and then they do mathematics for half an hour.
ts'uhwle' 'i' nilh tthu sxul' skw'shem nilh ni' syaaysth 'i' nilh 'e'ut tthu suw'alum' skw'shem nilh 'i' yath nuw' hakwushus 'eelhtun.
Sometimes they do algebra in their workbooks, but usually they play mathematical games.
yath nuw' saay' tthu swe' 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts suw'alum'.
Small Number's favourate is always the games.
hay 'ul' 'uy'st-hwus kws suwq's 'u tthu stl'its 'i' nilh kws hwsxwumul's 'u tthuw' mukw'!
He enjoys finding patterns faster than anyone else!
tthu ni' hay 'ul' 'uy'st-hwus suw'alum's 'eelhtun tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lus 'i' nilh tthu situn smukw ni' 'u tthu thi hiiw'alum'ew't鈥揾w.
What the boys like the most is playing basketball in the Centre's gym.
tahw 'uw' xu'athun tthu saaysituns smukw ni' 'u tthey' thi hiiw'alum'ew't-hw 'i' ni' st'e 'ukw' hun'ts'a'wuqw tthu nuts'a' situn smukw nuw' st'e 'u kw'uw' nuw' suxits 'ul' tthu ni' shni's kwus t'e't'qw'itul' ni' 'u tthey' tthu nuts'awuqw.
There are four basketball hoops in the gym, which allows each group of players to use just a fraction of the court.
nilh hay 'ul' tl'its'um 'u tthu kwi'kwushnuts 'u tthu ni' ts'lhq'uq'a's 'i' nilh kws hays 'ul' hwsxwumul'.
Small Number is the shortest boy in his group, but he is very fast.
stl'i' 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts kws hays 'ul' 'uw' hwu 'uy' kws huw'a'lum's st'e 'u tthu siiye'yus thi syelkw', 'i' nilh hay 'ul' 'uw' tl'uqtemutth' ni' 'u tthu nuts'aw'uqw.
He tries hard to be as good a player as his best friend Big Circle, who is the biggest boy on the team.
nilh tse' kwthu thi situn syulkw' spe'ptitul' ni' tse' ni' 'u kwthu s-hwulmuhwa'lh skweyul, 'i' stl'i's tthu tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lusallh kws nem's q'a'thut.
A big half-court basketball tournament will happen on Aboriginal Day and the boys want to enter it.
ni' 'u tthu hun'ts'a'wuqw 'i' t'xumulu 'i' 'uw' lhhwelu 'ul' tthu ni' nem' hiiw'a'lum' 'u tthu nuts'ehw.
Each team must have six players, but only three players are allowed on the court at one time.
'i' 'uw' lhq'utsse'lu 'ul' tthu swaaw'lus ni' 'u tthu hun'ts'a'wuqw 'utl' kwi'kwushnuts siiye'yu.
There are only five boys in Small Number's group of friends.
suw' qwuliil'qwul' tthuw'ne'ullh swaaw'lusallh 'uw' nilhus lhwet tse' kw' ptem'utus kws hwu t'xumulus 'eelhtun.
The boys start talking about who they might ask to be their sixth player.
qwal thi syul'kw', thut, 鈥渘ilh kw'u hay 'ul' tl'uqtemutth' sew'q'tut 'i' kws xwums 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens tthu situn syul'kw'!鈥�
Big Circle says, 鈥淲e need somebody who is tall, fast, and a good shooter!鈥�
mukw' 'uw' hwtil'qatul' tthuw'ne'ullh 'i' skw'ey kws tul'nuhws 'eelhtun 'uw' nilhus lhwet kw'u q'patus.
All the boys agree, but they can't think of anyone to join their team.
kwus wulh nem' t'akw' kwi'kwushnuts 'i' wulh tul'nuhwus thu tsi'tsut kwus tl'lim' 'uw' 'uwu kwlh qwal.
When Small Number comes home, his mom notices that he is quieter than usual.
suw' putum's thu tsi'tsut, 鈥渘i' tseep 'a'lu tstamut?鈥�
So Mom asks, 鈥淲hat happened?鈥�
'i' hwiinem' thu tsi'tsut 'u tthu ni' kwus huy'thustum' 'u tthu mun'us, hwyunumus thu tsi'tsut suw' thut, 鈥渢l'uqtemutth', xwum, 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens.鈥�
After listening to Small Number's explanation, Mom smiles and says, 鈥淭all, fast, and a good shooter.鈥�
鈥渘i' ch p'uw' shtatul'stuhw 'uw' nilhus lhwet kw' st'e 'u tthey'! ni' tst 'uw' mukw' shtatul'stuhw!鈥�
鈥淵ou for sure know who is like that! We all know!鈥�
lemutus thuw'nilh thu shhw'aqw'a's stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts, 'i' nilh 'i' hwu tsulel 'i' hay 'u tthu syaaysth shkw'shem.
She looks at Small Number's sister Perfect Number, who is just finishing her math homework.
thut-s kwi'kwushnuts, 鈥渘an ch 'uw' nu stl'i', te'!鈥� qwumtsustus thu tens.
Small number says, 鈥淚 love you, Mom!鈥� hugging his mom tightly.
lemutum 'eelhtun 'utl' stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts, hwu sts'uts'eq'.
Perfect Number looks at them, very puzzled.
kwus wulh qul'et kweyul, wulh tus 'u tthu sq'uq'a's suw' thut-s kwi'kwushnuts, 鈥�'uwee kwu'elh ptem'ut lhunu shuyulh stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts?鈥�
The following day Small Number says to his friends, 鈥淲hy not ask my sister, Perfect Number?鈥�
鈥渟lheni' q'u!鈥� thut thi syel'kw' wulh kwutxuminus.
鈥淏ut she is a girl!鈥� says Big Circle, feeling his heart beating a bit faster.
yu sul'iqtul' tthu suw'walus kwus qwal 'uw' hwhun'ts'ehwqun', suw' thut, 鈥�'uw' thu'it, slheni', 'i' tl'uqtemutth' thulh, xwum 'i' stsuw'et kws hwnuw'qeens tthu situn smukw!鈥�
鈥淵es, she is a girl but she is also tall, fast, and a good shooter!鈥� respond the rest of the boys in one voice.
qwal kwi'kwushnuts, 鈥渉a' sq'uq'a' stl'atl'um' kw'ushnuts kws huw'a'lum' tst 'i' xwum ni' kw' tskw'ush nuts'a'wuqw ni' 'u tthu lhuxunuptun 'i' wuwa' skw'ey kws lhtsiw's kw' lhwet.鈥�
鈥淲ith Perfect Number playing with us,鈥� continues Small Number, 鈥淲e can have twenty different teams on the court and nobody is ever going to get tired!鈥�
xiq'a'qwum thu thi syal'kw', suw' thut, 鈥渘i' stsekwul' kwun's ni' xetst tthey'?鈥�
Big Circle scratches his head and says: 鈥淗ow can you calculate things like that?鈥�
鈥�'i' nilh kwunus hay 'ul' 'uw' stsuw'et kwunus huw'a'lum' 'i' nilh tse' yath 'uw' hiiw'a'lum'!鈥�
鈥淎nd, since I'm the best player, I have to play all the time!鈥�
鈥渉a' kwus st'e 'u kwthey' kws 'apun hun'ts'a'wuqw ni' 'u kwthu lhuxuptun 'i' 'uy'staam 'u lhuw'nilh,鈥� thut kwi'kwushnuts.
鈥淚n that case, we can have ten different teams on the court鈥� And she likes you too!鈥� says Small Number.
sus 'uw' huye' xwchenum nem' lhew' 'i' hwu t'it'iyeq' thi syal'kw', susuw' huyinum tthu sq'uq'a's.鈥�
He runs away from a very angry Big Circle while their friends start laughing.
ni' hay.
The end.
sptem' tu'i: ni' stsekwul' tthu kwi'kwushnuts kwus shtatul'st-hwus 'uw' niis huw'a'lum' tthu stl'atl'um' kwushnuts sq'uq'a' 'u tthu siiye'yus, 'i' ni' thut kws xwums 'i' hwu stl'atl'um' kws tskw'ush nuts'aw'uqw kws ni's 'u tthu lhuxunuptun kws 'eey's kwthu pe'putitul'?
Question: How does Small Number know that if Perfect Number were to play with him and his friends, they would be able to have twenty different teams on the court during the tournament?
