‘Ìswut of San Luis Rey
A Luiseño Tale
Written by Cathleen Chilcote Wallace
(see translation here)
Many years ago, in the early 1900’s, you could buy a handful of candy for a penny. It was a time when there were not a lot of cars, roads, or houses in Southern California. It was also not unusual for a large family to send one of their oldest children to live with relatives in order to help with chores or because of a crowded home. So that is how a young girl came to live with her grandparents on a ranch in the lush San Luis Rey Valley.*
The girl had lovely brown skin and long shiny black hair that her grandmother wove into two thick braids everyday. She was small, thin, and had sparkling eyes and a sweet smile.
The valley was rich and fertile.
Abuelita, the girl’s grandmother, was a Luiseño Indian, the native people of the valley. Her grandfather, Abuelito, had come to California as a young man from France. As many people of his time, he emigrated from Europe looking for adventure and opportunity. He bought his ranch during a time when land was inexpensive and plentiful. 
The family spoke Spanish at home and English when they went to town. Abuelita often mixed in her native Luiseño when speaking. The girl also spoke Luiseño, especially when excited.
The work on the large ranch was endless. Although the girl was young, she was expected to do her share of daily chores. She didn’t mind the work because she was strong and enjoyed the outdoors. She gathered eggs in the hen house, milked cows, and took the family goat, Chivo, out to pasture.
The girl loved music and often hummed softly to herself as she carried wood into the kitchen for the stove or brought in buckets of water for washing dishes or weekly baths. As she gathered zanahorias, carrots; cebollas, onions; and chiles from the garden she would sing:
Summer sun sits up on high
Ripe acorns fall by and by
Flowers bloom on prickly pear
Earth and sky are everywhere
The girl had her own dog that followed her everywhere. It was said that he was part wolf, which is why his name was ‘Ìswut, Wolf, in the language of the girl’s native ancestors. ‘Ìswut was big and thick with a lustrous coat of brown and white speckled fur. He had huge ears that heard every sound. ‘Ìswut’s most striking feature however, was his eyes; they were crystal blue like the sky on a clear day.
Now, ‘Ìswut was no ordinary dog. He was very smart. The girl had trained him since he was young and he obeyed her every command. “Cierra la puerta, ‘Ìswut.” “Close the door.” “Tràme el palo.” “Bring me the stick.” “Ven aquì, ‘Ìswut.” “Come here ‘Ìswut.” “Busca el chivo.” “Look for the goat.”
‘Íswut considered himself the girl’s protector.
‘Ìswut was a good watchdog for the ranch but he considered himself the girl’s protector. ‘Ìswut never forgot that when he was a pup he had been rescued by the girl from under a fallen tree near the riverbank. He loved her fiercely and never let her out of his sight.
So it was that one beautiful morning in late summer the girl had completed all her chores. Abuelita handed her a cloth covered basket filled with food and surprised the girl by saying she could spend the rest of the day at the beach. Oh, how the girl loved the beach and the refreshing ocean, wet and cool. Her sweet smile spread across her face as she thanked her grandmother. With ‘Ìswut trotting at her side, the girl set off to the beach.
The westward journey to the beach was several miles and the girl always savored the walk. Since ‘Ìswut was with her, nobody at the ranch worried about the girl’s safety. 
The girl meandered along the path beside the clear and sparkling river, the San Luis Rey River that made the valley so rich and fertile. She walked among the wild grape plants and the blackberry bushes that had provided food for her ancestors. She walked under the oak trees and put a few acorns in her basket. She often helped Abuelita gather acorns for making wìiwish, once a staple food of the Luiseño people. She also added flowers and peppergrass to the basket as she walked beside the river.
Passing by the Mission San Luis Rey, the girl left the path and quietly entered the small cemetery next to the church. She laid the flowers, peppergrass, and acorns on the grave of a relative. She said a prayer and sang:
Summer sun sits up on high
Ripe acorns fall by and by
Flowers bloom on prickly pear
Earth and sky are everywhere
As she finished singing she saw a seagull fly overhead reminding her that she was still a fair distance from the beach. She left the cemetery, whispered, “Hanì cha!” “Let’s go!” and signaled ‘Ìswut to follow. They continued the walk west along the path. ‘Ìswut chased rabbits while the girl collected rocks.
Finally, they reached the spot where the river flowed into mòomat, the ocean. There was not a soul in sight. The white sand stretched for miles and glittered in the brilliant sun. The water sparkled and the sea breeze kissed the girl’s cheeks and fluffed the dog’s fur. She smiled.
Abuelita still gathered acorns for wíiwish.
The girl set down her basket in the dry sand, èxval. Then she and ‘Ìswut hurried to frolic in the water. They splashed in the refreshing ocean as they jumped over waves and swam.
After a while the girl looked toward the beach and saw two boys starting to rummage through her food basket. She called to them, “That’s my food! Leave it alone!” They just laughed and threw pebbles at the girl and her dog. As a pebble just missed hitting the girl’s head she yelled, “Qày! Qày!” “No! No!” in Luiseño. “Hatì ax!” “Go away!” “Pitòo!” “Now!”
The girl had a temper and grew angry. Staring at the boys and narrowing her eyes she said, “Scare them away, ‘Ìswut!”. ‘Ìswut bounded out of the water dripping wet and growling at the boys. They became frightened, dropped the pebbles and ran down the beach.
The girl smiled as she joined ’Ìswut on the shore. “No$ùun lòoviq, thank you.” She said as she stroked ‘Ìswut’s head. She laughed as the dog shook himself and sprayed her with water. As their bodies dried in the sun they walked along the shore collecting shells and chasing birds.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the mischievous boys came running by and splashed into the water. They were teasing and taunting her. “Farm girl, what are you doing here? Did you ride to town on your goat?”, they sneered. ‘Ìswut growled but the boys laughed as they jumped through the waves. 
“Ven, ‘Ìswut, come”, the girl said. She went back to her food basket and gave her dog a piece of meat. Then she pointed to the boys and said, “Guard ‘Ìswut. Don’t let the boys get out of the water.”
‘Ìswut sprinted back to the tide’s edge and stood watching the boys. When they tried to walk out of the water, ‘Ìswut growled and chased them back in. The boys swam up and down the beach with tired arms and chattering teeth but wherever they tried to leave the cool ocean, there was ‘Ìswut chasing them back into the waves. No matter how hard they tried they could not get onto dry sand.
Meanwhile, the girl enjoyed her lunch of chicken, a boiled egg, fresh tortillas, an orange, milk, and her favorite sugar cookies. She ate with the sun shining down on her and a sweet smile spread across her face.
When she finished eating she called, “Ven, ‘Ìswut, come.” He trotted back to her side. As they began the walk home to the valley the girl sang a little song:
Summer sun sits up on high
Ripe acorns lay by and by
Flowers bloom on prickly pear
Earth and sky are everywhere
It is said that the girl and her dog were never teased by anyone again.
The girl grew up and raised a family of her own in a little house near the beach in Oceanside. She was our grandmother and spent many hours telling us stories of the early days in her beloved valley. Today when I stand on the Mission grounds and a warm breeze blows through the valley, I can see the girl and ‘Ìswut passing by as they walk home from the beach and I can feel the quiet spirits of those who came before.
Hamù’ tàp—The End
*The San Luis Rey Valley is located in Oceanside, California. It is north of San Diego.
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