Fritz Hansen: "Coyote Falls through the Living-House Roof Hole" (1930)

Note: This text retains Harrington's spelling in some cases. For example, writing double consonants, writing a small y and w for consonants that have these sounds following them, and writing some small words together as one word. Long vowels, ', ch, th, sh, and accent (where possible) are written using the current spelling system.

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[1]	uknii
	once.upon.a.time

Ukni.

[2]	pihnêeffich	vookúphaan'nik	ôok	ithivthanéen'aachip
	coyote	this.he.did	here	center.of.world

Coyote did this, here at the world center.

[3]

uum

vúra

vookupitti'

patóo

kxáramha

kári

tóo

pchanchákkar

káru

patusúpaaha

kári

kyúkkuum

tu'êetchúrar

patusúpaaha'

tuchánchaaksurar

patusúpaaha'

3.SG

Intensive

he.was.doing.that.way

when.it.was

be.night

then

he.did

repeatedly.go.to.close.the.roof-hatch

also

when.it.became.day

then

again

he.went.to.take.it.off

when.it.became.day

he.went.to.close.the.roof-hatch

when.it.became.day

He [Coyote] was doing that way, was closing evenings the living-house roof hole and mornings opened it up, when morning came, opened it when morning came.

[4]	uum	vúra	vaa	hitíhaan	ukupítti'
	3.SG	Intensive	so	always	he.was.doing

That was his job.

[5]	chavúra	pâanpay	ithâan	poosúpaaha	xás	uchánchaaksurar
	finally	after.while	once	when.it.became.day	then	he.went.to.close.the.roof-hatch

Then after a while one morning, then he opened it.

[6]	xás	uxus	ti	kanítnuupnihi'
	then	he.thought	let...	let.me.look.through.it

He thought: "I am going to look in!"

(Harrington: "It was always a man's duty to remove and replace the board that covers the roofhole of the living-house. A man came from the sweathouse early to do this. He never looked in since the women folks slept without their skirts on; If a man looked in he would soon die: Puxxár imyáahtihara, pootnuupníhtihaak chanchaaksúrak, he would not live long if he peeked through the living-house roofhole. But Coyote again cuts custom.")

[7]	yánava	îinâak	ifápiit	úyruuvriv
	visible	indoors	young.unmarried.woman	she.was.lying

Behold inside he saw a maiden lying.

[8]	xás	úxrar	pihnêeffich
	then	he.cried	coyote

Then Coyote cried.

[9]	akée
	ouch!

"Ouch.

[10]	tanapíkriivrav
	I.got.hurt

I got hurt.

[11]	akée
	ouch!

Ouch.

[12]	kiri	a'	u'íthimship
	I.wish	above	she.lies.stomach.upward

Would that she would lie stomach up.

[13]	chimi	kyanpakúriihvi'
	soon	let.me.sing

Let me sing.

[14]	kíri	a'	u'íthimship
	I.wish	above	she.lies.stomach.upward

Would that she lie stomach up."

(Harrington: "Coyote keeps switching his penis with a little stick, to keep it erect when about to perform such a deed. Tupimthayu, he switches it thus.")

Coyote's Song as He Descended

[15]	káp	káp	sishíxrup
	káp	káp	sishíxrup

"Káp káp, sishíxrup,

(Harrington: "Cp. káp said repeatedly to a baby to stop it crying, as one approaches his hand little by little to the baby's belly, closing the fingers graspingly at each repetition of káp."; [sishíxrup:] "A word of Coyote's language, reminding one of siish, penis, and tanéexrup, erectionem teneo.")

[16]	káp	káp	sishíxrup
	káp	káp	sishíxrup

Káp káp, sishíxrup."

[17]	ta'íttam	a'	u'íththimshipreeheen
	so	above	she.laid.stomach.upward

Then she turned stomach up.

[18]	íii
	oh!

"Oh.

[19]	akée
	ouch!

Ouch."

[20]	ta'íttam	pihnêeffich	úkyiimnupriheen	chanchaaksúrak
	so	coyote	he.fell.in.through.it	at.the.roof.hatch

Then Coyote fell through the living-house roof hole.

[21]	íii
	oh!

"Oh.

[22]	akée
	ouch!

Ouch.

[23]	akée
	ouch!

Ouch.

[24]	ôok	ichvánnihich
	here	little.bit

Get closer to me," [Coyote said].

[25]	akee
	ouch!

"Ouch."

[26]	vura	tukoohímmach'va
	Intensive	she.felt.sorry.for.him

She felt sorry for him.

[27]	vaa	vúra	káan	kunpiftákkantun'va
	so	Intensive	there	they.got.stuck.together

The two got stuck together there.

[28]	púya	uum	vookuphaanik	pihnêeffich
	and.so	3.SG	he.did.this	coyote

Coyote did this.

[29]	kupánnakanakana
	the.end

Kupannakanakana.

[30]	chéemyaach	ík	vúr	ishyâat	imshîinnaavish
	quickly	must	Intensive	king.salmon	you.shine.this.way.upriver

Shine early, Spring Salmon, hither up river.