Julia Starritt: "Coyote Goes to the Sky" (1957)

Primary participants: Julia Starritt (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-08
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 190-193, Text 8
Additional contributor: Matthew Faytak (annotator)

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Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components

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[1]	káan	avansáxiich	áxak	kun-'íin-anik
	there	boy	two	3pl(>3s)-(two).be-ANC

Two boys once lived there.

[2]	xás	páy nanu'ávahkam	kúuk	kin-p-ôonva
	then	sky	to.there	3pl>3pl-ITER-take.(people)

And they were taken to the sky.

[3]	xás	tá	kun-xús	kíri	kun-'ípak
	then	PERF	3pl(>3s)-think	I.wish	3pl(>3s)-come.back

Then (people) thought, "Let them come back!"

[4]	xás	vúra	hûut	chí	pa-kúuk	kun-kupá-'uum-ah-eesh
	then	Intensive	how	soon	NOMZ-to.there	3pl(>3s)-MODAL-arrive-Modal-FUT

And how were they to get there?

[5]	xás	pihnêefich	u-píip	chími	aan	nu-paríshriihvu-naa
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-say	soon	string	1pl(>3)-twine-PL

Then Coyote said, "Let's twine string!"

[6]	xás	koovúra	pa-parishríhv-aan-sa	u-píip	ôok	kii-vyíhuk-i
	then	all	the-twine-Agentive-PL	3s(>3)-say	here	2pl(>3)-come.(pl.)-IMPER

And he said, "All twiners, come here!"

[7]	xás	pihnêefich	vúra	uum	sípnu-kaam	t-óo	thárish	pa-káan	u-máhyaan-eesh
	then	coyote	Intensive	3.SG	storage.basket-large	PERF-3s(>3)	put.down	NOMZ-there	3s(>3)-put.in-FUT

And Coyote put a big storage basket down where they were to put it in.

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[8]	xás	káan	avansa-tínihich	u-kûuruthuna-tih
	then	there	man-flat	3s(>3)-slide.around-DUR

And a flat man was sliding around there.

[9]	xás	pa-'aan-tunvêech	kun-'ivitshur-oo-ti	víri	vaa	u-'ífik-tih
	then	NOMZ-string-small.(pl.)	3pl(>3s)-pull.off-PL.ACT-DUR	so	so	3s(>3)-pick.up-DUR

And when they picked off the little strings, he was picking them up.

[10]	xás	vaa	u-parishríihvu-tih
	then	that	3s(>3)-twine-DUR

And he was twining that.

[11]	xás	pa-mu-sípnuuk	uum	ipshûunkinich	kúna	vúra	tinihyâach	káan	u-'uuchnímach
	then	the-3sPOSS-storage.basket	3.SG	low	in.addition	Intensive	quite.wide	there	3s(>3)-sit.(short.round.object)

And his storage basket was short, but it was sort of wide, it was squatting there.

[12]	xás	pihnêefich	t-óo	piip	yée naa	yiivárih
	then	coyote	PERF-3s(>3)	say	well	rather.far

And Coyote said, "Hey, go away!

[13]	iim	vúra	pu-faat--hára
	2sg.	Intensive	NEG-what--NEG

You're just nothing!"

(Bright: "The 'flat man' was xah "spider.")

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[14]	xás	vaa	vúra	koovúra	kun-ikyá-vunaa-tih
	then	so	Intensive	all	3pl(>3s)-make-PL-DUR

And they were all twining.

[15]	xás	chavúra	kun-píkyaar
	then	finally	3pl(>3s)-finish

And finally they finished.

[16]	xás	ta'ítam	kun-kunih-úraa-na-heen	pá-'aan
	then	so	3pl(>3s)-shoot-up-PL.ACT-ANT	the-string

And so they shot the string up.

[17]	pihnêefich	u-píip	naa	píshiip	pa-niní-'aan	á'	kii-kuníh-uraa
	coyote	3s(>3)-say	1sg.	first	the-1sPOSS-string	above	2pl(>3)-shoot-up

Coyote said, "Shoot my string up first!"

[18]	xás	u-p-ikyívunih
	then	3s(>3)-ITER-fall.downward

But it fell back down.

[19]	xás	chavúra	koovúra	kun-kuníh-uraa
	then	finally	all	3pl(>3s)-shoot-up

And finally they shot them all up.

[20]	xás	chavúra	pu-yítha-xay	sakriiv-hára
	then	finally	NEG-one-not	hard-NEG

And finally not one (stuck) fast.

---

[21]	xás	pa-'avansa-tinihyâach	u-píip	chími	naa	pa-niní-'aan	kii-kuníh-uraa
	then	the-man-quite.wide	3s(>3)-say	soon	1sg.	the-1sPOSS-string	2pl(>3)-shoot-up

Then the little flat man said, "Shoot my string up!"

---

[22]	xás	pihnêefich	u-píip	oo	vúra	iim	pu-faat--hára
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-say	oh!	Intensive	2sg.	NEG-what--NEG

And Coyote said, "Aw, you're just nothing!

[23]	xáyfaat	ku-kuníh-uraa
	don't!	2pl(>3)-shoot-up

Don't shoot it up!"

---

[24]	xás	ta'ítam	kun-kuníh-uraa-heen
	then	so	3pl(>3s)-shoot-up-ANT

But then they shot it up.

[25]	xás	xánahich	xás	axmáy	ú-traax
	then	after.while	then	suddenly	3s(>3)-strike

And in a little while, suddenly it struck.

[26]	xás	pá-'aan	u-kéen
	then	the-string	3s(>3)-move

And the string quivered.

[27]	xás	kun-ishripíhpih
	then	3pl(>3s)-tug.at

And they pulled on it.

[28]	xás	vúra	sákriiv
	then	Intensive	hard

And it was fast.

[29]

xás

pihnêefich

u-'aachíchha

xás

u-píip

kúnish

íp

ní-pa-at

pa-mú-'aan

uum

káan

ú-kyiim-eesh

then

coyote

3s(>3)-be.happy

then

3s(>3)-say

sort.of

PAST

1s(>3)-say-PAST

NOMZ-3sPOSS-string

3.SG

there

3s(>3)-fall-FUT

And Coyote was glad, and he said, "I sort of said his string would reach there!"

---

[30]	xás	ta'ítam	kun-'iru-voorúraa-na-heen
	then	so	3pl(>3s)-PL-crawl.up-PL.ACT-ANT

And so they crawled up.

[31]	xás	pa-'á'	kun-ívyiihma	xás	kun-píip	kun-'íhukar-ahi-tih
	then	NOMZ-above	3pl(>3s)-go.to.(pl.)	then	3pl(>3s)-say	3pl(>3s)-go.flower-dancing-ESS-DUR

And when they got up, then they said, "They're having a flower-dance."

[32]	víri	pa-'avansáxiich	uum	áachip	pa-kun-'íih-tih
	so	the-boy	3.SG	middle	NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-dance-DUR

There were the boys dancing in the middle.

[33]	xás	tá	kun-ímuus-ti	pa-'iihvúnaa
	then	PERF	3pl(>3s)-look.at-DUR	the-brush.dance

And they watched the dance.

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[34]	xás	pihnêefich	u-píip	chími	naa	kan-'íh-i
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-say	soon	1sg.	1s(>3)-dance-IMPER

And Coyote said, "Let me dance!"

---

[35]	xás	kun-ipêer	hôoy if	í-kfuuyshur-eesh
	then	3pl(>3s)-say.to	no.way	2s(>3)-be.tired-FUT

And they told him, "No, you'll get tired.

[36]	yakún	uumkun	yúruk	ithivthaneen-'ípan	kun-'íh-m-oo-tih	káru	káruk	ithivthaneen-'ípan	kun-'íh-m-oo-tih
	you.see	they	downriver	land-end	3pl(>3s)-dance-to-PL.ACT-DUR	also	upriver	land-end	3pl(>3s)-dance-to-PL.ACT-DUR

They dance to the downriver end of the world, and they dance to the upriver end of the world."

---

[37]	xás	pihnêefich	u-píip	naa	vúra	vaa	ni-kuph-eesh
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-say	1sg.	Intensive	that	1s(>3)-do-FUT

And Coyote said, "I can do that!

[38]	yâamahukach	nik
	easy	a.little

It's easy!"

---

[39]	xás	káakum	vaa	káan	kun-'iruvêehriv	p-oo-súruruprin-ahi-tih-irak
	then	some	so	there	3pl(>3s)-stand.(long.objects)	NOMZ-3s(>3)-have.holes-ESS-DUR-where

And some of them were standing where the hole was (through which they had entered the sky).

[40]	xás	kun-píip	pa-'avansáxiich	káan	tá	kun-'íih-m-ahaak	ík	kári	ku-pêethkee-vish
	then	3pl(>3s)-say	NOMZ-boy	there	PERF	3pl(>3s)-dance-to-when	must	then	2pl(>3)-take.back.out-FUT

And they said, "When the boys dance to there, you people must pull them out."

---

[41]	xás	kári	kun-'íih-vunaa
	then	then	3pl(>3s)-dance-PL

Then they danced.

[42]	xás	pihnêefich	axmáy	hôoyva	u-kpêehva	shúuuuuhuuuuu
	then	coyote	suddenly	somewhere	3s(>3)-shout	coyote.howl

And suddenly Coyote hollered somewhere, "Shuuuuuhuuuuu."

[43]	xás	yánava	vúra	tá	kun-ithyúru-tih
	then	visible	Intensive	PERF	3pl(>3s)-drag-DUR

And they saw they were just dragging him.

---

[44]	xás	káan	pa-'avansáxiich	tá	kun-'íih-ma	p-oo-súruruprin-ahi-tih-irak
	then	there	the-boy	PERF	3pl(>3s)-dance-to	NOMZ-3s(>3)-have.holes-ESS-DUR-where

And the boys danced there to where the hole was.

[45]	ta'ítam	kun-p-ithyúruripa-heen
	so	3pl(>3s)-ITER-pull.out-ANT

So they pulled them out.

[46]	xás	ta'ítam	kun-p-ihmáruni-heen
	then	so	3pl(>3s)-ITER-run.downhill.from.here.(pl.)-ANT

And so they ran back down (to earth).

[47]	púra fát-aak	pihnêefich
	nothing-Locative	coyote

Coyote was nowhere (to be seen).

[48]	xás	ta'ítam	kun-p-ithyúruni-heen
	then	so	3pl(>3s)-ITER-drag.down.from.uphill-ANT

And so they hauled (the string) back down.

---

[49]	xás	pihnêefich	u-'íipma	p-oo-súruruprin-ahi-tih-irak
	then	coyote	3s(>3)-return	NOMZ-3s(>3)-have.holes-ESS-DUR-where

Then Coyote got back to where the hole was.

[50]	ník	u-túraayva
	a.little	3s(>3)-look.around

He was looking for it.

[51]	yánava	vúra	pukára	káan-hára
	visible	Intensive	nobody	there-NEG

He saw there was nobody there.

[52]	xás	u-píip	oo	tá	kan-éepshaamkir
	then	3s(>3)-say	oh!	PERF	3pl>1s-abandon

And he said, "Oh, they've left me!

[53]	víri	hûut	vúra	pa-ni-kupee-p-vûunih-ah-eesh
	so	how	Intensive	NOMZ-1s(>3)-MODAL-ITER-get.down.from.uphill-Modal-FUT

How am I going to get back down?"

[54]	xás	u-tnûuprih
	then	3s(>3)-look.through

And he looked through.

[55]	xás	u-píip	yee	vúra	ník	kúnish	ûumukich
	then	3s(>3)-say	well	Intensive	a.little	sort.of	near

And he said, "Say, it's kind of close!

[56]	yukún	p-eethívthaaneen	vúra	thúkinkunish	xás	kúnish	ûumukich
	you.see	the-land	Intensive	blue-green	then	sort.of	near

The earth is so green and kind of close.

[57]	naa	ni-xú-ti	vúra	ni-shkákunih-eesh
	1sg.	1s(>3)-think-DUR	Intensive	1s(>3)-jump.downhill.from.here-FUT

I think I'll jump down."

---

[58]	xás	ta'ítam	ú-skaaksur
	then	so	3s(>3)-jump.off

And so he jumped off.

[59]	xás	p-óo-kyiim-ti	t-u-kuchnáxavrin	xás	t-óo	krírihivrin	xás	vúra	xára	u-kyiivúur
	then	NOMZ-3s(>3)-fall-DUR	PERF-3s(>3)-turn.end.over.end	then	PERF-3s(>3)	roll.over.and.over	then	Intensive	long.time	3s(>3)-fall.for.a.long.time

And when he fell, he turned head over heels, and he rolled over sideways, and he was falling for a long time.

[60]	itahara-hárinay	u-kyiivúur
	ten-year	3s(>3)-fall.for.a.long.time

He fell for ten years.

[61]	xás	p-oo-kyívish	vúra	ípi	kích	káru	pa-mú-maan
	then	NOMZ-3s(>3)-fall.down	Intensive	bone	only	also	the-3sPOSS-skin

And when he landed, he was just bones and his skin.

[62]	xás	vaa	páy	uum	pihnêefich	u-kúph-aanik
	then	so	this	3.SG	coyote	3s(>3)-do-ANC

And Coyote did that.