Nettie Ruben: "The Story of Skunk" (1957)

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[1]	víri	vaa	káan	uum	vúra	kun-'ûupvu-naa-ti	tayiith
	so	so	there	3.SG	Intensive	3pl(>3s)-dig.roots-PL-DUR	Brodiaea

(Ground squirrels) were digging brodiaea roots there.

[2]	máruk	tá	kun-ítraa-tih
	uphill	PERF	3pl(>3s)-look.upward-DUR

They looked uphill.

[3]	axmáy	ík	máruk	ára	u-'íhunih-eesh
	suddenly	must	uphill	person	3s(>3)-dance.down.from.uphill-FUT

Suddenly a person was about to dance down.

[4]	chátik	vúra	tá	ûumukich
	finally	Intensive	PERF	near

Finally he was close by.

[5]	púyava	kun-ímuus-tih
	you.see	3pl(>3s)-look.at-DUR

So they looked at him.

[6]	tá	kun-tápkuup	pa-kun-ímuus-tih	u-'íih-tih
	PERF	3pl(>3s)-like	NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-look.at-DUR	3s(>3)-dance-DUR

They liked him as they watched him, he was dancing.

[7]	púyava	kun-'áraarahi-tih	kun-ímuus-ti	axchaytunvêech-as	mukún-uuthkam	t-u-píhivriin
	you.see	3pl(>3s)-live.(pl.)-DUR	3pl(>3s)-look.at-DUR	little.ground-squirrels-PL	3plPOSS-seaward	PERF-3s(>3)-dance.back.and.forth

So they sat, the little ground squirrels watched him, he danced back and forth in front of them

[8]	púyava	kári	xás	t-óo	pif
	you.see	then	then	PERF-3s(>3)	fart

And then he broke wind.

[9]	kári	xás	tá	kun-iktírish	pa-'axchaytunvêech-as
	then	then	PERF	3pl(>3s)-faint	the-little.ground-squirrels-PL

And the little ground squirrels fainted.

[10]	kári	xás	t-óo	p-sáansip	pa-tayíith	tishnamkanvínusunach
	then	then	PERF-3s(>3)	ITER-take.and.leave	the-Brodiaea	skunk.sp.

Then (the type of skunk called) tishnamkanvínusunach carried off the brodiaeas

[11]	ii!	tá	kun-pifúksiip
	oh!	PERF	3pl(>3s)-get.back.up.(pl.)

Oh, then they got up again.

[12]	kári	xás	tá	púfaat	pa-mukun-táyiith
	then	then	PERF	nothing	the-3plPOSS-Brodiaea

And they had no brodiaeas.

[13]	púyava	kúkuum	vúra	imáan	chími	nu-'ûupvan-v-i	kúkuum
	you.see	again	Intensive	tomorrow	soon	1pl(>3)-go.to.dig.roots-PL.ACT-IMPER	again

So again the next day (they said), "Let's go dig roots again!"

[14]	púyava	táay	tá	kun-'ûupva	pa-tayíith
	you.see	much	PERF	3pl(>3s)-dig.roots	the-Brodiaea

So they dug a lot of brodiaeas.

[15]	xás	kúkuum	kun-ítraa-tih	kúkuum	t-u-'íhithun
	then	again	3pl(>3s)-look.upward-DUR	again	PERF-3s(>3)-dance.around

And again they looked uphill, he was dancing down again.

[16]

kári

xás

u-piip

púya

payêem

ík

vôohara

mûuk

i-vúr-eesh

pa-pay'ôok

t-u-'íhithuna-haak

nunú-thvaaykam

then

then

3s(>3)-say

and.so

now

must

digging.stick

with.(by.means.of)

2s(>3)-jab-FUT

NOMZ-right.here

PERF-3s(>3)-dance.around-when

1plPOSS-front

And (one) said, "Say, this time we must jab him with a digging stick when he dances around here in front of us."

[17]	xás	púyava	vúra	t-u-'íhuni	tá	ûumukich
	then	you.see	Intensive	PERF-3s(>3)-dance.down.from.uphill	PERF	near

And so he danced down close.

[18]	púyava	vúra	tá	kun-káriha	pa-kun-kupa-vúr-ah-eesh
	you.see	Intensive	PERF	3pl(>3s)-be.ready	NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-MODAL-jab-Modal-FUT

And they were ready to jab him.

[19]	kári	xás	víri	vaa	t-u-puxíchkaanva	p-oo-'íih-tih	kûufan 'an 'an 'an
	then	then	so	that	PERF-3s(>3)-work.hard	NOMZ-3s(>3)-dance-DUR	kûufan 'an 'an 'an

And there he was exerting himself as he danced, (singing) "kûufan 'an 'an 'an."

(Bright: "These words evidently contain kuuf, the name of a species of skunk. It is not clear whether kuuf and tishnamkanvínusunach are two names for the same species.")

[20]	kúuk	t-u-kúchnaaxma	u-píf-eesh
	to	PERF-3s(>3)-stick.buttocks.towards	3s(>3)-fart-FUT

He turned his buttocks toward them, he was about to break wind.

[21]	kári	xás	chikus!	t-u-vur
	then	then	sound.of.poking	PERF-3s(>3)-jab

And wham! They jabbed him.

[22]	kári	xás	u-kyívish	áfup	pa-tá	kun-vúr	vôohara	mûuk
	then	then	3s(>3)-fall.down	buttocks	NOMZ-PERF	3pl(>3s)-jab	digging.stick	with.(by.means.of)

Then he fell down, when they jabbed him in the buttocks with a digging stick.

[23]	kári	xás	pa-mukun-táyiith	kun-ipsháansiip	kun-p-íhmar
	then	then	the-3plPOSS-Brodiaea	3pl(>3s)-pick.up.(things)	3pl(>3s)-ITER-run.(pl.)

Then they carried off their brodiaeas, they ran home.

[24]	kun-p-írurav
	3pl(>3s)-ITER-run.away.(pl.)

They fled.

[25]	púyava	vúra	koomahich
	you.see	Intensive	little.bit

So that's all.