Ararahih'urípih

Chester Pepper: "Coyote's Journey" (1957)

Primary participants: Chester Pepper (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-03
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 170-177, Text 3
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)

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

[1] pihnêefich vaa ukúphaanik.

Coyote did that.

[2] panámniik u'ífanik.

He grew up at Orleans.

[3] vaa káan muthívthaaneen.

That was his country there.

[4] kári xás uxúsaanik " chími káruk ishpúk kanikyâan kahyúras."

And he thought, "Let me go upriver to get money at Klamath Lakes!"

[5] xás uparíshriihva antunvêech.

And he twined little strings.

[6] ithéeshyav uparíshriihva.

He twined a whole winter.

[7] achavúra ithá'iithva vaa kóo uparíshriihva.

Finally he twined a whole pack.

[8] kári xás uvâaram.

Then he left.

[9] xás páy pasâam usaamvárakti u'árihroov.

And he went upriver downhill where that flows down from upriver.

(Bright: "páy pasâam usaamvárakti 'downhill where that flows down from upriver' is a circumlocution meaning simply 'by the river.'")

[10] koovúra pa'áraar umáahvunaatih, " iimkun vúra pufáatsahara.

He saw all the people (and said), "You-all are just nothings.

[11] naa kahyúras tá nivâaram."

I am leaving for Klamath Lakes."

[12] chavúra ôok ithivthanéen'aachip tu'árihroov.

Finally he traveled upriver to the center of the world here.

[13] káan xás umáh áraar, uphikirîihvutih.

And there he saw a person, he was sweating himself.

(Bright: "This person was chiimûch 'Lizard'; cf. sentence 177.")

[14] káan tuvúrayvikeethun.

(Coyote) walked around there.

[15] yánava páy fâatva utháthriinaa.

He saw something sitting in baskets.

[16] xás uxúti " tîi kanpakatkâatih."

And he thought, "Let me taste it!"

[17] kári xás upakatkátaheen.

So he tasted it.

[18] amayaa'íshara.

It was very good-tasting.

[19] chavúra koovúra upáfip.

Finally he drank it all up.

[20] xás pamu'asíphaar uthaxávxav.

And he chewed up (the person's) baskets to boot.

[21] kári xás ta'ítam u'áhooheen.

And then he traveled (on).

[22] xás úpeenti " îim ôok keemisha'îin i'áveeshap."

And he told (the person sweating), "A monster outside here is going to eat you."

[23] kári xás poovôonupuk ikmaháchraam uvôonupuk.

And when he went out, (the person sweating) came out of the sweathouse.

[24] xás uxúti " eee! naa nipêesh ' pihnêefich ôok uvúrayvutiheen.'

And he thought, "Ah, I'll bet Coyote has been around here!

[25] vaa panini'íshaha tupafipsîiprinaheen.

He's drunk up that juice of mine.

[26] kíri íshaha úxrah."

May he get thirsty!"

[27] xás uxúti " vaa kíp kôok uvíshvaanti xathímtas."

And he thought, "He just likes that kind, roasted grasshoppers."

[28] xás upíip " chími kám'iinvi mú'aavkam."

And he said, "Let there be a forest fire in front of him!"

[29] kárukvari tu'árihroov.

(Coyote) went on upriver.

[30] tu'invákaamha.

There was a big forest fire.

[31] xás tutúraayva, vúra uum táay paxathímtas.

And he looked around, there were lots of grasshoppers.

[32] " vúra puna'áveeshara."

"I won't eat them."

[33] chavúra yiimúsich tu'uum.

Finally he went a little ways.

[34] xás uxúti " tîi matée kóomahich kan'ífapvi paxathímtas.

And he thought, "Let me pick up a few roasted grasshoppers for a moment!"

[35] hínupa chími u'ífapveesh.

He was going to pick them up.

[36] kári xás uxúti " hûut áta kúth papunayâavahitihara."

And (after he had eaten them), he thought "I wonder why I'm not getting full?"

[37] xás uxúti " naa nixúti ' ífuthkam napávyiihrishuktih pani'áamti.'"

And he thought, "I think they're coming out of me in the rear as I eat."

[38] xás uxús " chími panini'afupchúrax chími kanipshivshâapi."

And he thought, "Let me seal up my anus."

[39] ta'ítam axváha ukyâaheen

Then he got pitch.

[40] xás pamu'afupchúrax vaa kumûuk upsívshap.

And he sealed up his anus with that.

[41] xás uxús " púya páy uum, payêem uum nayâavaheesh.

And he thought, "There, now I'll get full.

[42] tá íp nipshívshaapat panini'afupchúrax."

I've sealed up my anus."

[43] ta'ítam u'aamváheen.

So he ate.

[44] vúra tu'invákaamha.

There was a big forest fire.

[45] víri káan ukuchnáxathunatih.

(Coyote) was sticking his buttocks around there.

[46] xás uxúti " nixúti ' chími ni'uumêesh kahyúras.'"

And he thought, "I think I'm about to reach Klamath Lakes."

[47] tuthítiv poothivnúrutih.

He heard it thundering.

[48] vaa ukupathitívahitih, kúnish upíti " huhuhuhuhuhu."

He heard that, it sort of said, "Huhuhuhuhuhu."

[49] xás uxúti " chími ni'uumêesh kahyúras."

And he thought, "I'm about to reach Klamath Lakes."

(Bright: "Coyote thought that the noise was made by the falls at Klamath Lakes.")

[50] vaa kích poothítiv páhuhuhuhuhuhu.

He just heard that "Huhuhuhuhuhu."

[51] hinupáy pamu'afupchúrax poo'iinkútih.

There it was his anus burning.

[52] hinupáy íp pa'axváha mûuk upsívshaapat hinupáy vaa poo'iinkútih.

There it was the pitch he had sealed it with that was burning.

[53] víri hûut chími u'îineesh.

(He wondered) what he should do.

[54] vaa vúra káan âapun yúuxak ukûuruthun.

He slid all over there that way, on the ground, in the dirt.

[55] víriva kích upíti " átuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuh."

He was just saying, "átuhtuhtuhtuhtuh!"

[56] púyava chavúra úmsip pamu'afupchúrax.

So finally his anus was extinguished.

[57] púyava uxús " payêem vúra puna'ípaveeshara paxathímtas.

So he thought, "Now I won't eat roasted grasshoppers again.

[58] tá koo, vúra puna'áveeshara."

That's all, I won't eat them."

[59] chímiva vaa kúna ukúupha, íshaha úxrah.

Soon he did this also, he got thirsty.

[60] úma vaa ukúphaanik, pámitva ithéeshyav uparíshriihva antunvêech.

That's what he had done, he twined little strings the previous winter.

[61] hôoyvarihva tóo xyáthuroovaheen.

He had lost them somewhere.

[62] víri hûut chími ukupheesh.

So what was he to do?

[63] pa'íshaha tóo xrah.

He was thirsty.

[64] yiimúsich tóo tsîip.

He looked off a little ways.

[65] yanéekva pasaamvároo uvúrunihtih.

There was a creek flowing down.

[66] káan tu'uum.

He got there.

[67] tupivaxráheen.

It had dried up.

[68] pâanpay vaa tóo kvíripship.

After a while he broke into a run.

[69] káan tu'uum.

He got there.

[70] tupivaxráheen.

It had dried up.

[71] xás uxúti " vúra puna'ísheeshara ishkéesh'aas."

And he thought, "I won't drink river water."

[72] múvaas u'iithvútih.

He was carrying his blanket.

[73] " payêem panimáhaak pasaamvároo paninívaas kúuk nipaathméesh.

"Now when I see a creek, I'll throw my blanket at it.

[74] xasík vaa nipachipchípeesh."

Then I can suck on that."

[75] xás poomáh pasaamvároo ta'ítam kúuk upaathmáheen.

And when he saw the creek, then he threw (the blanket) at it.

[76] ivaxráhak xás ukyívish.

But it fell on dry ground.

[77] vúra íshaha tóo xrah.

He was really thirsty.

[78] " vúra puna'ísheeshara ishkéesh'aas."

"I won't drink river water."

[79] víri vaa ukupítih.

He did that.

[80] vúra tu'invákaamha.

There was a big forest fire.

[81] víri úuth ishkêeshak tu'ahirímkaanva.

There were trees falling out into the river.

[82] xás uxúti " xâatik vúra ni'ish, peeshkéesh'aas.

And he thought, "Let me drink the river water.

[83] kúna vúra pu'astíipich na'ísheeshara.

But I won't drink by the bank.

[84] vúra ishkéesh'aachip xasík ni'ísheesh."

I'll drink in the middle of the river.

[85] chavúra umáh yánava ithyáruk ukúripaahiti itháriip.

Finally he saw it, he saw a fir tree lying fallen out across-stream.

[86] kári xás uxús " vaa pay'ôok xasík íshaha ni'ísheesh."

And he thought, "Here I will drink water."

[87] ta'ítam uvátakaraheen.

So he walked out on it.

[88] kári xás ishkéesh'aachip ta'ítam ukúkuriheen.

And in the middle of the river he stooped down to the water.

[89] víri pookúkurih chímiva úuth úkyiimkar.

When he stooped down, he suddenly fell in.

[90] usíinvar.

He drowned.

[91] ta'ítam upthívruuhvarak.

So he floated back down from upstream.

[92] víri vúra uum táay pa'ahuptunvêechas u'áthanvaraktih.

There were a lot of little sticks floating down from upriver.

[93] xás pihnêefich uxús " chími ahupyâamach kanpárihish.

And Coyote thought, "Let me become a pretty stick!

[94] vaa uum hôoy vúrava kanéeptaatripaavish."

That way they will hook me out somewhere.

[95] yíiv tuthívruuhma.

He floated a long ways.

[96] chími axmáy yúruk utrûuputih.

Suddenly he looked downriver.

[97] víri vaa kunkupítih, pa'asiktávaansa kunxúti " kíri nutururípan pa'áhup."

They were doing that, the women were trying to hook out the sticks.

(Bright: "Literally, 'the women thought, 'let us hook out sticks!''")

[98] xás pihnêefich tutápkuup pa'asiktávaansa.

And Coyote took a liking to the women.

[99] chavúra kaanvári uthívruuhma.

Finally he floated to that vicinity.

[100] víri uvuunôovutih.

There was an eddy.

[101] víriva káan ta'ítam pihnêefich káan uthívruuhma.

So then Coyote floated to there.

[102] " ooo!" pa'asiktávaansa kunpiip, " ooo! yáxa páykuuk kóo ahupyâamach uthivrúhuthunatih.

"Oh," the women said, "oh, look there, such a pretty stick is floating around.

[103] chími nútaatripaa."

Let's hook it out!"

[104] víriva kuntafiripfíriptih.

But they kept missing it.

[105] káruma uum pihnêefich uxúti " xáy kanátaatripaa."

Coyote was thinking, "Let them not hook me out."

[106] kári xás uxús " chími kanipthívruuhsun."

And he thought, "Let me float away!"

[107] ta'ítam upthívruuhrup.

So he floated downriver again.

[108] chavúra kúkuum vaa káan umáh asiktávaansa astiip, áhup kunikyáavanaatih.

Finally he saw women there on the bank again, they were gathering wood.

[109] xás yítha upíip " ooo! yáxa kóo ahupyâamach tuthívruuhvarak."

And one said, "Oh, look, such a pretty stick has floated down from upstream!"

[110] xás yíth upíip " atafâat naa pihnêefich.

And another said, "Maybe it's Coyote.

[111] mít kunípaat ' kahyúras tuvâaram.'

They said he had left for Klamath Lakes.

[112] ípararahum, atafâat naa vaa."

He's not reliable, maybe that's him."

(Bright: "Literally, 'is he reliable?' A question is often used in Karok as a rhetorical equivalent of a negative.")

[113] púyava ník kunímuustih.

So they looked at it.

[114] káan vúra tuthivrúhuthun.

It floated around there.

[115] " xáyfaat núhmaachichva."

"Let's not fool with it."

[116] xás úuth kunpíkfuutkar.

So they pushed it back out into the river.

[117] " eee!" xás uxúti pihnêefich " yáas naa nixúti ' tá nishíinvar.'"

"Ah," Coyote thought then, "now I think I've drowned."

[118] kôokaninay vúra pakunmáahti úuth kunpíkfuutkaanva.

Everywhere they saw him, they pushed him back out into the river.

[119] chavúra yûum kumayúrasak uthívruuhramnih.

Finally he floated into the ocean downriver.

[120] káan xás uthivrúhish.

He floated to shore there.

[121] xás vúra tóo sir pihnêefich.

Coyote was just lost.

[122] káan vúra uvúrayvikeethun.

He walked around there.

[123] yánava káan ikmaháchraam u'íikra.

He saw a sweathouse standing there.

[124] xás utvâamnath.

So he looked inside.

[125] yánava púra karáxay vúra.

He saw nobody.

[126] xás uvôoruvrath pihnêefich.

So Coyote crawled in.

[127] xás sú' póo'uum, pootvárayva, pamukun'ikrívkir koovúra athkuritmúrax vúra.

And when he got inside and looked around, (the people's) seats were all of nothing but fat.

[128] pamukunpatúmkir káru vúra athkúrit.

Their pillows were fat too.

[129] káru pamukunpiykiríkir vaa káru vúra athkúrit.

And their ladder was fat too.

[130] xás vúra tóo xúriha pihnêefich.

And Coyote was hungry.

[131] uxúti " tîi kanpakatkâati papatúmkir."

And he thought, "Let me taste the pillows!"

[132] xás poopakátkat amayaa'íshara.

And when he tasted them, they were very good-tasting.

[133] chavúra koovúra utháfip, pamukunpiykiríkir vaa káru vúra utháfip.

Finally he ate them all up, he ate their ladder up too.

[134] xás axmáy fâat kúnish uthítiv.

And suddenly he sort of heard something.

[135] xás uxús " chími kaníchunvi."

And he thought, "Let me hide!"

[136] xás vaa káan ahup'iyvoorámaam káan u'áasish.

And he lay down there behind the woodpile.

[137] xás ikxúrar pakunpavyíhivrath.

And in the evening (the people) came back in the sweathouse"

[138] ith'áraan ník kúna tóo pvôoruvrath, kunithyivúniihvutih.

(As) each person crawled in, they fell down.

(Bright: "Not basic ith'áraan 'stranger,' but and external-sandhi variant of basic ith'áraara 'one person, each person.'")

[139] kári xás kunpíip " naa nixúti ' pihnêefich ôokninay uvúrayvutih.'

And they said, "I think Coyote is wandering around here.

[140] vaa pávaa tá kupavêenahan, koovúra tutháfip panunupatúmkir."

That's who did that, he ate up all our pillows."

[141] vúra vaa utháaniv, uthítiimti pakunchuphúruthunatih.

(Coyote) lay like that, he heard them talking about him.

[142] kári xás kunpíip " chími nupákmuuvanvi uknamxánahich."

And they said, "Let's spend the night away from home, at uknamxánahich."

[143] kári xás uxúti pihnêefich " nanithívthaaneen tá kunchuphúruthun."

And Coyote thought, "They're talking about my country."

[144] xás u'árihrishuk.

And he jumped out.

[145] " ishávaas, nanishavásiivsha, nipthivkéevish."

"Nephew, my nephew, I'll go along."

[146] xás kunpíip " chémi.

And they said, "All right.

[147] kúna vúra xáyfaat iyúupha."

But don't open your eyes."

[148] " chémi, vaa ník nikupheesh.

"All right, I'll do that.

[149] vúra punáyuupheeshara."

I won't open my eyes."

[150] xás kunipêer " chími páahak váramnih.

And they told him, "Get in the boat.

[151] súva ník asámyiith uxákeesh, ixusêesh ' tá nupávyiihma.'

You will hear gravel sound, you will know we have arrived.

[152] púyava ík kári xasík iyúupheesh.

Then you can open your eyes.

[153] kúna peeyuuphâak pukinpávyiihmeeshara.

But if you open your eyes (before), we won't get there.

[154] vaa vúra ôok nupthivrúhukeesh."

We'll float back to here."

[155] " chémi, vaa ník nikupheesh."

"All right, I'll do that."

[156] kári xás ta'ítam kunípviitshuraheen.

And so they paddled off.

[157] pihnêefich " páahak" kunipêer " sú' ithxuuprámnihi."

They told Coyote, "Lie face down in the boat."

[158] ta'ítam pihnêefich úthxuupramnih.

So Coyote lay face down in it.

[159] ta'ítam kunípviitshuraheen.

So they paddled off.

[160] chavúra tu'ûuri pihnêefich póothxuupramnih.

Finally Coyote got tired of lying face down.

[161] xás uxús pihnêefich " tîi kanitníshuk."

And Coyote thought, "Let me look out!"

[162] víri pootníshuk víri uumyâach kunipthivrúhish úuth yúrastiim.

When he barely looked out, they floated ashore out at the ocean, at the seashore.

[163] xás kunípeenti pihnêefich " payêem pukinípkookanpeeshara."

Then they told Coyote, "Now you won't go with us again."

[164] xás pihnêefich upíip " payêem ník vúra ishávaas vaa puneepkuphêeshara."

And Coyote said, "I won't do it again this time, nephew."

[165] " chémi, chôora."

"All right, let's go."

[166] ta'ítam kunpávyiihshipreeheen.

So they left.

[167] ta'ítam kúkuum u'asimchákaheen.

Then (Coyote) closed his eyes again.

[168] chavúra xára tah, axmáy asámyiith úxak.

Finally it was a long time, (when) suddenly gravel sounded.

[169] kári xás kunipêer pihnêefich " chími váripi páahak."

And they told Coyote, "Get out of the boat!"

[170] poovárip yánava " nanithívthaaneen tá ni'ípak."

When he got out, he saw, (he said), "I've come back to my country!"

[171] ta'ítam utakníhithunaheen.

Then he rolled around.

[172] yôotva, nanishívshaaneen tá ni'ípak."

"Hurray, I've come back to my country!"

[173] púya vaa ukúphaanik pihnêefich.

So that's what Coyote did.

[174] káruk ishpúk ukyâaranik.

He went upriver to get money.

[175] víri vaa ukúphaanik pihnêefich.

That's what Coyote did.

[176] púra fâat vúra yávhanik.

Nothing was any good.

[177] chiimuuch'îin kunxúseeranik " kíri vaa ukúupha, pufáat vúra yávheeshara."

Lizard thought about him, "Let him do that, nothing will be any good."

[3]	vaa káan muthívthaaneen.
	That was his country there.

[4]	kári xás uxúsaanik " chími káruk ishpúk kanikyâan kahyúras."
	And he thought, "Let me go upriver to get money at Klamath Lakes!"

[5]	xás uparíshriihva antunvêech.
	And he twined little strings.

[7]	achavúra ithá'iithva vaa kóo uparíshriihva.
	Finally he twined a whole pack.

[9]	xás páy pasâam usaamvárakti u'árihroov.
	And he went upriver downhill where that flows down from upriver.

[10]	koovúra pa'áraar umáahvunaatih, " iimkun vúra pufáatsahara.
	He saw all the people (and said), "You-all are just nothings.

[11]	naa kahyúras tá nivâaram."
	I am leaving for Klamath Lakes."

[12]	chavúra ôok ithivthanéen'aachip tu'árihroov.
	Finally he traveled upriver to the center of the world here.

[13]	káan xás umáh áraar, uphikirîihvutih.
	And there he saw a person, he was sweating himself.

[14]	káan tuvúrayvikeethun.
	(Coyote) walked around there.

[15]	yánava páy fâatva utháthriinaa.
	He saw something sitting in baskets.

[16]	xás uxúti " tîi kanpakatkâatih."
	And he thought, "Let me taste it!"

[19]	chavúra koovúra upáfip.
	Finally he drank it all up.

[20]	xás pamu'asíphaar uthaxávxav.
	And he chewed up (the person's) baskets to boot.

[21]	kári xás ta'ítam u'áhooheen.
	And then he traveled (on).

[22]	xás úpeenti " îim ôok keemisha'îin i'áveeshap."
	And he told (the person sweating), "A monster outside here is going to eat you."

[23]	kári xás poovôonupuk ikmaháchraam uvôonupuk.
	And when he went out, (the person sweating) came out of the sweathouse.

[24]	xás uxúti " eee! naa nipêesh ' pihnêefich ôok uvúrayvutiheen.'
	And he thought, "Ah, I'll bet Coyote has been around here!

[25]	vaa panini'íshaha tupafipsîiprinaheen.
	He's drunk up that juice of mine.

[27]	xás uxúti " vaa kíp kôok uvíshvaanti xathímtas."
	And he thought, "He just likes that kind, roasted grasshoppers."

[28]	xás upíip " chími kám'iinvi mú'aavkam."
	And he said, "Let there be a forest fire in front of him!"

[31]	xás tutúraayva, vúra uum táay paxathímtas.
	And he looked around, there were lots of grasshoppers.

[33]	chavúra yiimúsich tu'uum.
	Finally he went a little ways.

[34]	xás uxúti " tîi matée kóomahich kan'ífapvi paxathímtas.
	And he thought, "Let me pick up a few roasted grasshoppers for a moment!"

[35]	hínupa chími u'ífapveesh.
	He was going to pick them up.

[36]	kári xás uxúti " hûut áta kúth papunayâavahitihara."
	And (after he had eaten them), he thought "I wonder why I'm not getting full?"

[37]	xás uxúti " naa nixúti ' ífuthkam napávyiihrishuktih pani'áamti.'"
	And he thought, "I think they're coming out of me in the rear as I eat."

[38]	xás uxús " chími panini'afupchúrax chími kanipshivshâapi."
	And he thought, "Let me seal up my anus."

[40]	xás pamu'afupchúrax vaa kumûuk upsívshap.
	And he sealed up his anus with that.

[41]	xás uxús " púya páy uum, payêem uum nayâavaheesh.
	And he thought, "There, now I'll get full.