Mary Marshall

Coyote and Crane (1927)

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Text identifier: MM3
Speaker: Mary Marshall
Primary documentation: Edward Sapir
Edition: , Howard Berman, "Yurok Texts", Collected Works of Edward Sapir, volume 14, Northwest California Linguistics, ed. by Victor K. Golla and Sean O'Neill, pp. 1017-1022
Manuscript source: Edward Sapir, Yurok field notebook, American Philosophical Society

  1. Segep me kweget kohchee Mrkwteeks.
    One time Coyote went visiting Crane.
  2. 'Em newom' skueyen' soo 'ol' na'an' 'w-ahpew.
    He went and saw how well Crane lived with his two wives.
  3. 'O kohchemo'o'l.
    He stayed all night.
  4. Koypoh 'o lem', Chue 'o'lep kee kol' lue nep'oh.
    In the morning he said,Let's go into the house and eat.
  5. Keech 'o wey kol' 'we-nepek'.
    He finished eating.
  6. 'O lem' kee kemeyk'.
    Coyote said, I'll go home.
  7. Keech 'o keme'y.
    He went home.
  8. 'O le's,Kues kee sonowok' kee hlook' k'ee 'ue-ma'a'?
    He thought,What shall I do to take away that spear of his?
  9. Ko 'o mensom' mehl kue 'w-ahpew.
    Then he'll buy it back with his wives.
  10. Wee'eeet kue sonowok', kee nuemee peleen nepuey, wee' kee nek w'eet kee chpee soo hlook' k'ee 'ue-ma'a'.
    That's what I'll do, I'll make myself into a very big salmon, that's the only way I can catch his spear.
  11. Kwesee' pa'aahl 'o sootok'.
    Then I'll go into the water.
  12. Keech 'o nepuey wee'.
    Then he turned into a salmon.
  13. Kwesee' Mrkwteeks wee 'o wenokw', 'ap newom' nepuey peleen.
    Then Crane was coming, and he saw a big salmon.
  14. Kwesee' 'o ma'ahskem'
    He speared it.
  15. Kwesee' Segep wee' kue nepuey.
    That salmon was Coyote.
  16. 'O le's Mrkwteeks, Kue ma'ahskek'.
    Crane thought, I'll go spearing (for fish).
  17. Kwesee' 'o newom' peleen nepuey, kwesee' 'o ma'ahske'm.
    He saw a big salmon, and he caught it with his spear.
  18. Kwesee' 'o slekon' kue 'ue-ma'a'.
    Then his spear was pulled out.
  19. Kue nepuey wee' keech nege'm.
    That salmon took it.
  20. Kwesee' 'o keme'y.
    Then Crane went home.
  21. Keech mo'okw' kue 'ue-ma'a'.
    He had lost his spear.
  22. 'R'gerrch 'ee kap soot'.
    He went right into the sweathouse.
  23. Hlenuetue' chmey' noohl 'oohlke's 'o 'r'gerrch.
    He lay in the sweathouse until finally it was evening.
  24. 'Em legee',Kon' nue' nep's.
    Then he was told,Come in and eat.
  25. 'O lem', Paas!
    Crane said, No!
  26. Neemee cheeweyek'.
    I do not feel hungry.
  27. Keemol' keech sonowok'.
    I did badly.
  28. Keech hoo'yk'etek' kue kol' mehl ho nepe'moh.
    I lost what we used to eat with.
  29. Kwesee' 'o newee' Segep keet nes.
    Then they saw Coyote coming.
  30. 'O lem', Kues sonowole'm? ham' Segep.
    Coyote said, What is the matter with you?
  31. 'O lem' Mrkwteeks, Keemol' keech sonowok' keech hoo'yk'etek' 'ne-ma'a'.
    Crane said, I did badly, I lost my spear.
  32. Teen' kye kwen kee kol' mehl nepe'moh?
    How are we going to get our food?
  33. Nepuey wee' nege'm.
    A salmon took it away.
  34. 'O lem' Segep,Teen' kee nahcha' mocho' kee yekwsek'?
    Coyote said,What will you give me if I find it?
  35. Kwesee' 'o lem', Kee nahchechek' 'ne-cheeek mocho' kee yekwsem' k'ee 'ne-ma'a'.
    Then Crane said, I'll give you money if you find that spear of mine.
  36. Kwesee' 'o lem', Tee'nee'shoo kee nahcha'?
    Coyote said, What are you going to give me?
  37. 'O lem', Mo' tee'nee'shoo skewokseme'm?
    Crane said, What is that you want?
  38. 'O lem', Kue k'-ahpews.
    Coyote said, Your wives.
  39. 'O lem', Koreen has k'ee 'n-ahpew?
    Crane said, One of my wives?
  40. 'O lem', Paa'!
    Coyote said, No!
  41. 'O lem', Keekee na'a'n!
    He said, Both of them!
  42. 'O lem', Chuue'!
    He (Crane) said, All right!
  43. Hahl tue' kue neee'nowos'o'.
    Let me go and tell them.
  44. Kwesee' Segep 'r'gerrch nee 'okw'
    Coyote stayed in the sweathouse.
  45. Kwesee' Mrkwteeks 'o 'neskwechok'w.
    Then Crane came back (from talking to his wives).
  46. 'O lem', Chuue'!
    He said, All right!
  47. To' keech 'ee k'-ahpewehl.
    Now they've become your wives.
  48. Noohl 'o nach' kue 'ue-ma'a'.
    Then Coyote gave him his spear.
  49. 'Ol' kas 'ee so sloychokw' reeek'ew, 'o laay' so puel.
    He went just down the river a little ways, he went downstream along the edge of the river.
  50. Kwesee' 'o na'amo'yhl noohl 'r'gerrch nee 'okw' Segep.
    Then Coyote stayed in the sweathouse for two days.
  51. Kwesee' kue 'w-ahpewehl 'em wonkewehl 'o kas keech tem legee' Segep, Ko'n nue' nep's.
    His wives were soaking acorns down the river after trying to tell Coyote to go and eat.
  52. 'O lem', Nega'amo'yhl 'emsee kol' nepek'.
    He said, I always eat every two days.
  53. Keech 'o nuemee tyohpeyoksemehl.
    Then they hated him worse.
  54. Kwesee' 'r'gerrch lakws 'ee chyuuek'ween' 'o newom' kue 'w-ahpewehl 'ee wonkewehl hoorechewehl.
    Then he just sat down outside the sweathouse and he saw his wives just then soaking acorns and making baskets.
  55. Kwesee' 'o newee' keech lechkenekw' kue hooloh.
    Then he saw the baskets floating down the river.
  56. Kwesee' 'o legoo's.
    Then he shouted.
  57. 'O lem', K'-ooloh keech lechkenek'w!
    He said, Your baskets are floating away!
  58. Kues keech le'mo'w?
    Where have you gone to?
  59. Wee' nee ko'o' kue 'ue-wonkewehl.
    They had left their acorn-soaking.
  60. Kwesee' wo'geek 'ee rek'eeen 'w-oolohl, woop neekee laaychkenekw' so puelekw.
    They were sitting inside their baskets, they were floating along downstream in the middle of the river.
  61. Kwesee' Segep reeek'ew 'o raayo'rep'
    Coyote ran along the shore.
  62. Hlontue rek'woy ho pkwo'rep'.
    Finally he came out at the mouth of the river.
  63. Kwesee' 'o newom' Mrkwteeks keech nohso'l.
    Then he saw Crane flying.
  64. 'Onuemee wee'eet nek'ol' kue hooloh weno'omech.
    Right there he lit on those baskets which were floating along.
  65. Kwesee' wo'geek 'ee rek'eeen kue hoolohl.
    They were sitting in those baskets.
  66. Keech megelokw' Mrkwteeks 'o kue 'w-ahpewehl.
    Crane went with his wives.
  67. Segep 'o tetoloo'hl 'o reeek'ew.
    Coyote cried by the river bank.
  68. Keech mo 'w-ahpew.
    He had no more wives.
  69. Mrkwteeks keech kwomonep' 'w-ahpew.
    Crane had taken back his wives.
  70. 'O peeshkaahl keech le'm.
    They went on the ocean.
  71. Negenert'
    They were ducks.
  72. Wee't ho weryermerkwerhl.
    The story has ended.