Ararahih'urípih

Lottie Beck: "The Perils of Weasel" (1957)

Primary participants: Lottie Beck (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-18
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 206-209, Text 18
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)

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

[1] âanxus uthitívanik " káruk keechxâach úkrii."

Weasel heard that a widow lived upriver.

[2] xás vúra uum yâamach mu'asiktaván'aramah.

And her female child was pretty.

[3] vikváan káru ithvóon.

She was a weaver, and industrious.

[4] xás uxús " tîi káan kanvunáyviichvan.

And he thought, "Let me go look around there.

[5] íkiich nimáheesh pa'asiktávaan."

Maybe I'll see the woman."

[6] xás u'uum, pakéevniikich mukrívraam.

So he arrived at the old woman's house.

[7] upêer " pamí'arama nikvárakuktih."

He said, "I am coming to buy your child."

[8] xás pakéevniikich upíip " víri naa chími vôonfuruki.

And the old woman said, "Well, come in.

[9] imáan á' úru iktávareesh.

Tomorrow you will go up to get eggs.

[10] xás pee'ípakahaak xáat pananí'aramah ihrôoha."

And when you come back, let my child be (your) wife."

[11] xás âanxus upíip " vaa ník nikupheesh."

And Weasel said, "I'll do that."

[12] ta'ítam máh'iit yáan vúra usúpaahitih, uvôoruraa pa'ípaha.

So in the morning it was scarcely dawn, he climbed up the tree.

[13] á' ipanîich pákaas uthrítakoo.

Up at the top sat the nest.

[14] âanxus ishvirip'imsháxvu upáputhtih.

Weasel was chewing pine-gum.

[15] ishvít kóo tu'uum.

He arrived as far as half-way (up the tree).

[16] xás ukréemyah.

Then the wind blew.

[17] vúra vaa uvôoruraatih.

He was climbing up like that.

[18] vaa kích upíti pakéevniikich " yôotva tu'iv, panani'íkam."

The old woman was just saying, "Hurray, he's dead, my son-in-law."

[19] âanxus uum káru pákuri uthiinátih.

Weasel had a song.

[20] xás upakurîihvutih.

So he sang.

[21] vúra tóo kréemyah.

The wind just blew.

[22] xás á' ípan u'uum.

Then he arrived up at the top.

[23] pa'úru uktûunih.

He took down the eggs.

[24] vúrava tóo kréemyah tapas'ikréemyah.

There was a real wind blowing.

[25] xás uxús " hûut pánikupheesh.

And he thought, "What shall I do?

[26] pananimsháxvuh mûuk ni'ípahoovish."

I'll go back down by means of my gum."

[27] xás á' úsnaapka.

So he fastened it on the top.

[28] xás ustútunih.

And he slid down it.

[29] xás sú' u'íipma.

And he got down.

[30] vúra kári úktaamti pa'úruh.

He was still carrying the eggs.

[31] iinâak úktaamfuruk.

He carried them indoors.

[32] xás upíip " mâa páy pa'úruh.

And he said, "Here, these are your eggs.

[33] chími am."

Eat them!"

[34] hínu páy ikreemyaha'úru póopeenti " iktûunihi."

There it was eggs of the wind that she told him to take down.

[35] pakéevniikich uxúti " pookreemyáhahaak uthivtífuniheesh.

The old woman thought, "When the wind blows, it will blow him down.

[36] hôoy íf âavahar u'ípakeesh."

He won't come back alive."

[37] xás âanxus upíip " pamí'arama nihrôohaheesh."

And Weasel said, "I'm going to marry your child."

[38] xás pakéevniikich upíip " sáruk áama úkuroovuti.

And the old woman said, "Downhill a salmon is lying, head upstream.

[39] vaa chími ithyúruripaan."

Go haul it out!"

[40] âanxus sáruk u'uum.

Weasel went downhill.

[41] úuth utkáratih.

He looked into the river.

[42] " yée naa apsunxára káan úkuroovutih."

"Say, a long snake is lying there, head upstream."

(Bright: "A 'long-snake' (to use a literal translation) is a legendary serpent of giant size, called by one informant a 'boa constrictor.'")

[43] xás u'árihish pamupákurih.

So he sang his song.

[44] xás u'iipkúrih.

Then he dived in.

[45] uthyúruripaa pa'apsunxára.

He hauled out the long snake.

[46] vaa kích upítih pakéevniikich " yôotva tu'ív panani'íkam."

The old woman was just saying, "Hurray, my son-in-law is dead!"

[47] âanxus upíkfuukraa.

Weasel climbed back uphill.

[48] xás uhyárihish.

Then he stood still.

[49] iinâak vaa kích uthítiimti poopakurîihvuti " yôotva tu'iiv'íiv, íkamish tu'iiv'íiv."

Inside he just heard her singing, "Hurray, he's dead, son-in-law is dead!"

(Bright: "tu'iiv'íiv is a distortion of the normal tu'iv 'he's dead.'")

[50] âanxus uhyívchak " sâam utháaniv pamí'aama.

Weasel interrupted, shouting, "Your salmon is lying just down hill.

[51] chími am."

Eat it!"

[52] pakéevniikich u'árihrupuk.

The old woman jumped out.

[53] xás âanxus upêer " papu'imáan ívahaak xáat paniní'arama ihrôoha."

And she told Weasel, "If you do not die tomorrow, let my child be (your) wife."

[54] xás âanxus upíip " naa ník káru ishímfir."

And Weasel said, "I'm tough too."

[55] ithéekxaram âanxus pu'ikviit-hára.

Weasel did not sleep the whole night.

[56] yáan vúra usúpaahitih, pakéevniikich úhyiv.

It was just dawn, (and) the old woman shouted.

[57] âanxus uvôonfuruk.

Weasel went in the house.

[58] mâaka kíxumnipaak asimváram tóo kyâaheen pakeechxâach.

In the uphill corner the widow had made a bed.

[59] simsimvôo kích uveehríshukva.

Nothing but swords were sticking out.

[60] âanxus kunipêer " chími núvuunvi.

Weasel was told, "Let's wrestle!

[61] pamâaka nápaathripaahaak xáat vaa kári naní'aramah ihrôoha."

If you throw me into (the corner) uphill, let my child be (your) wife."

[62] xás u'árihish pakéevniikich.

And the old woman sang.

[63] poopakurîihvutih, upítih " âanxus itvaratvárat."

When she sang, she said, "âanxus itvaratvárat."

[64] âanxus kúna u'árihish " keechxâach tíiptiip áahrishuk, keechxâach tíiptiip áahrishuk."

Weasel sang in turn, "keechxâach tíiptiip áahrishuk, keechxâach tíiptiip áahrishuk."

(Bright: "The widow's song consists of the words âanxus 'weasel' and itvaratvárat, for which the informant knew no meaning. Weasel's song consists of keechxâach 'widow,' tíiptiip 'chain fern,' and áahrishuk, of unknown meaning.")

[65] xás kuníkfuukiraa âanxus.

Then Weasel was grabbed.

[66] xáyva âanxus pakeechxâach mâaka upaathrípaa.

By luck Weasel threw the widow into (the corner) uphill.

[67] xás úxrar pakeechxâach.

Then the widow wept.

[68] vaa kích upíti " itroopatíshaamni tá níykar pa'ávansas.

She kept saying, "I killed nine men.

[69] víri iim xás îin tá néeykar.

Then you killed me.

[70] xáat pananí'arama ihrôoha."

Let my daughter be (your) wife."

[71] xás pakeechxâach u'iv.

So the widow died.

[72] xás pamú'arama uvôonfuruk.

And her child came in.

[73] pamúsaanva furaxmúrax.

Her clothes were nothing but woodpecker-heads.

[74] âanxus muhrôoha upípasip.

Weasel took her away (as) his wife.

[1]	âanxus uthitívanik " káruk keechxâach úkrii."
	Weasel heard that a widow lived upriver.

[2]	xás vúra uum yâamach mu'asiktaván'aramah.
	And her female child was pretty.

[3]	vikváan káru ithvóon.
	She was a weaver, and industrious.

[4]	xás uxús " tîi káan kanvunáyviichvan.
	And he thought, "Let me go look around there.

[5]	íkiich nimáheesh pa'asiktávaan."
	Maybe I'll see the woman."

[6]	xás u'uum, pakéevniikich mukrívraam.
	So he arrived at the old woman's house.

[7]	upêer " pamí'arama nikvárakuktih."
	He said, "I am coming to buy your child."

[8]	xás pakéevniikich upíip " víri naa chími vôonfuruki.
	And the old woman said, "Well, come in.

[9]	imáan á' úru iktávareesh.
	Tomorrow you will go up to get eggs.

[10]	xás pee'ípakahaak xáat pananí'aramah ihrôoha."
	And when you come back, let my child be (your) wife."

[11]	xás âanxus upíip " vaa ník nikupheesh."
	And Weasel said, "I'll do that."

[12]	ta'ítam máh'iit yáan vúra usúpaahitih, uvôoruraa pa'ípaha.
	So in the morning it was scarcely dawn, he climbed up the tree.

[13]	á' ipanîich pákaas uthrítakoo.
	Up at the top sat the nest.

[14]	âanxus ishvirip'imsháxvu upáputhtih.
	Weasel was chewing pine-gum.

[15]	ishvít kóo tu'uum.
	He arrived as far as half-way (up the tree).

[17]	vúra vaa uvôoruraatih.
	He was climbing up like that.

[18]	vaa kích upíti pakéevniikich " yôotva tu'iv, panani'íkam."
	The old woman was just saying, "Hurray, he's dead, my son-in-law."

[19]	âanxus uum káru pákuri uthiinátih.
	Weasel had a song.

[24]	vúrava tóo kréemyah tapas'ikréemyah.
	There was a real wind blowing.

[25]	xás uxús " hûut pánikupheesh.
	And he thought, "What shall I do?

[26]	pananimsháxvuh mûuk ni'ípahoovish."
	I'll go back down by means of my gum."

[30]	vúra kári úktaamti pa'úruh.
	He was still carrying the eggs.

[32]	xás upíip " mâa páy pa'úruh.
	And he said, "Here, these are your eggs.

[34]	hínu páy ikreemyaha'úru póopeenti " iktûunihi."
	There it was eggs of the wind that she told him to take down.

[35]	pakéevniikich uxúti " pookreemyáhahaak uthivtífuniheesh.
	The old woman thought, "When the wind blows, it will blow him down.

[36]	hôoy íf âavahar u'ípakeesh."
	He won't come back alive."

[37]	xás âanxus upíip " pamí'arama nihrôohaheesh."
	And Weasel said, "I'm going to marry your child."

[38]	xás pakéevniikich upíip " sáruk áama úkuroovuti.
	And the old woman said, "Downhill a salmon is lying, head upstream.

[42]	" yée naa apsunxára káan úkuroovutih."
	"Say, a long snake is lying there, head upstream."

[45]	uthyúruripaa pa'apsunxára.
	He hauled out the long snake.