Nettie Ruben: "Coyote's Journey" (1957)

Primary participants: Nettie Ruben (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-01
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), p. 162-167, Text 1
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)

Note: Sentences 119 through 132 were added by the informant at a later date.

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

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[1]	káan	áraar	úkrii	táay	vúra	mupathúvriin
	there	human	he.lived	much	Intensive	his.dentalia.strings

A person lived there, he had a lot of strings of money.

[2]	káan	pihnêefich	umáahtih	tóo	mah	poopathuvrîinati	ára	kaan
	there	coyote	he.was.watching.him	he.had	see	that.he.was.measuring.dentalia.strings	person	there

Coyote saw him there, he saw the person there measuring strings of money.

[3]	kári	xás	upiip	hôoy	imáahti	peeshpuk
	then	then	he.said	where	you.are.finding.it	the.dentalium.shells

And he said, "Where do you find the money?"

---

[4]	kári	xás	upiip	kahyúras
	then	then	he.said	Klamath.Lakes

And he said, "At Klamath Lakes."

---

[5]	kári	xás	pihnêefich	xás	upvâaram
	then	then	coyote	then	he.went.back

So Coyote went home then.

[6]	kári	xás	uxútih	tîi	kanparíshriihvi
	then	then	he.was.thinking	let...	let.me.twine!

And he thought, "Let me twine string!

[7]	xasík	kahyúras	nivâarami
	then.(future)	Klamath.Lakes	let.me.go!

Let me go to Klamath Lakes!

[8]	vaa	peeshpúk	nikyâareesh	íf	tá	nitápkuup
	so	the.dentalium.shells	I.will.go.gather.it	truly	PERF	I.like.it

I will go get that money, I have really taken a liking to it."

---

[9]	xás	vaa	táay	tuparíshriihva	pá'aan
	then	so	much	he.twined	the.string

So he twined a lot of string.

[10]	ta'ítam	ukífukvaheen	pá'aan
	so	he.tied.it.in.a.bundle	the.string

Then he tied the string in a bundle.

[11]	kári	xás	uxus	chími	kan'arámsiiprini
	then	then	he.thought	soon	let.me.start.out!

And he thought, "Let me start out!"

[12]	kári	xás	u'árihroov	áan	ithá'iithva	antunvêech	vaa	poovúpareesh	peeshpuk
	then	then	he.went.upriver	string	one.pack-load	a.little.string	so	which.he.will.string.it.with	the.dentalium.shells

And he went upriver; the string was in a single pack, the little string, that which he was going to string the money with.

[13]	víri	vaa	patóo	thvásip	tóo	thvároov	pá'aan
	so	so	when.he.had	pack.up	he.had	pack.upriver	the.string

When he had packed it up, he carried the string upriver.

---

[14]	chavúra	yíiv	káruk	tu'áhoo
	finally	far	upriver	he.had.traveled

Finally he walked a long ways upriver.

[15]	xás	íshaha	tóo	xrah
	then	water	he.had	thirst.for

And he got thirsty.

[16]	vúra	puna'ísheeshara
	Intensive	I.will.not.drink

"I won't drink."

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[17]	púyava	tóo	mah	pasaamvároo
	you.see	he.had	see	the.creek

Then he saw the creek.

[18]	xás	kári	too	xus	puna'ísheeshara
	then	then	he.had	think	I.will.not.drink

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

[19]	vúra	vaa	u'áhootih
	Intensive	so	he.was.traveling

He was traveling like that.

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[20]	xás	chavúra	yíiv	káruk	tu'áhoo
	then	finally	far	upriver	he.had.traveled

And finally he traveled a long ways upriver.

[21]	vúra	tóo	xra	pa'íshaha
	Intensive	he.had	thirst.for	the.water

He really got thirsty.

[22]	vúra	vaa	too	xus	puna'ísheeshara	naa	ishpúk	nikyâantih
	Intensive	so	he.had	think	I.will.not.drink	1sg.	dentalium.shells	I'm.going.to.get.it

He thought like that, "I won't drink, I'm going to get money."

---

[23]	kári	xás	chavúra	tóo	xrah	vúra	tóo	xra	pa'íshaha
	then	then	finally	he.had	thirst.for	Intensive	he.had	thirst.for	the.water

And finally he got thirsty, he really got thirsty.

[24]	kári	xás	uxus	payêem	vúra	ni'ísheesh	pasaamvároo	nimahaak
	then	then	he.thought	now	Intensive	I.will.drink	when.a.creek	I.see

And he thought, "Now I'll drink when I see a creek.

[25]	kári	xás	púyava	chavúra	yíiv	tu'áhoo
	then	then	you.see	finally	far	he.had.traveled

And so finally he traveled a long ways.

[26]	vúra	tá	kâarim	tóo	xra	íshaha
	Intensive	PERF	bad	he.had	thirst.for	water

He was really bad off, he was thirsty.

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[27]	kári	xás	yánava	pa'íshaha	pasaamvároo	úxaaktih
	then	then	visible	the.water	the.creek	it.was.making.noise

Then he saw the water, the creek was sounding.

[28]	too	xus	ni'ísheesh	pakáan	ni'uumáhaak
	he.had	think	I.will.drink	when.there	I.arrive.there

He thought, "I'll drink when I get there."

[29]	kári	xás	poo'úum	yánava	tupivaxráheen	pasaamvároo
	then	then	when.he.arrived	visible	it.had.dried.up	the.creek

And when he arrived he saw the creek had dried up.

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[30]	kári	xás	ii	púya	íf	íshaha	tá	néexrah
	then	then	oh!	and.so	truly	water	PERF	I.thirst.for.it

"Oh, how thirsty I am!"

[31]	kári	xás	uxus	vúra	tá	íiv	nimáhavrik
	then	then	he.thought	Intensive	PERF	meaning.unknown	I.see.it.coming

And he thought, "I can't stand it."

[32]	tóo	xra	pa'íshaha	vúra	tuváxrah
	he.had	thirst.for	the.water	Intensive	he.was.dry

He was thirsty, he was so dry.

---

[33]	kári	xás	uthítiv	úxaaktih	pa'íshaha	úxaaktih
	then	then	he.heard	it.was.making.noise	the.water	it.was.making.noise

Then he heard it, it was sounding, the water was sounding.

[34]	kári	xás	uchunvákir	pa'íshaha
	then	then	he.sneaked.up.on.it	the.water

And he sneaked up on the water.

[35]	kári	xás	ûumukich	tu'uum
	then	then	near	he.had.gone

And he got close.

[36]	vúra	vaa	uthítiimtih	úxaaktih	pa'íshaha	patuchunvákir
	Intensive	so	he.was.hearing.it	it.was.making.noise	the.water	while.he.sneaked.up.on.it

He heard it that way, the water was sounding as he sneaked up.

[37]	xás	tóo	mah	pa'íshaha	poovúuntih
	then	he.had	see	the.water	when.it.was.flowing

And he saw the water flowing.

[38]	vúra	ûumukich	vúra	tu'uum
	Intensive	near	Intensive	he.had.gone

He got real close.

[39]	kári	xás	ukvíripship	káan	u'uum
	then	then	he.started.to.run	there	he.arrived.there

Then he broke into a run, he arrived there.

[40]	yánava	tupivaxráheen
	visible	it.had.dried.up

He saw it had dried up.

---

[41]	kári	xás	uxus	púya	íf	tá	néexrah
	then	then	he.thought	and.so	truly	PERF	I.thirst.for.it

And he thought, "How thirsty I am!"

[42]	vúra	tá	kâarim
	Intensive	PERF	bad

He was really bad off.

[43]	vúra	vaa	u'áhootih	vúra	tá	yíiv	káruk
	Intensive	so	he.was.traveling	Intensive	PERF	far	upriver

He was walking that way, a long ways upriver by this time.

[44]	sáruk	tóo	tfákutih
	downhill	he.had	been.looking.away.downhill

He looked downhill.

[45]	sáruk	peeshkêesh	uvuunváraktih
	downhill	the.river	it.was.flowing.down.from.upriver

Downhill the river was flowing downriverward.

[46]	xás	uxus	kíri	páy	kári	vaa	ni'ish
	then	he.thought	I.wish	this	then	so	I.drink

And he thought, "I wish I could drink that."

---

[47]	kári	xás	ee	vúra	vaa	u'áhootih	vúra	tá	kâarim
	then	then	oh!	Intensive	so	he.was.traveling	Intensive	PERF	bad

And oh! he was walking that way, he was really bad off.

[48]	vúra	chími	u'uumêesh	kahyúras
	Intensive	soon	he.will.arrive.there	Klamath.Lakes

He was about to get to Klamath Lakes.

[49]	kári	xás	yánava	yíiv	káruk	tu'áhoo
	then	then	visible	far	upriver	he.had.traveled

He saw he was a long ways upriver.

---

[50]	kári	xás	yánava	kúkuum	káan	íshaha	úxaaktih	usaamvároohitih
	then	then	visible	again	there	water	it.was.making.noise	there.was.a.creek

And he saw again the water sounding there, there was a creek.

[51]	kári	xás	kúkuum	too	xus	hôoy	íf	ni'uumêesh
	then	then	again	he.had	think	where	truly	I.will.arrive.there

And again he thought, "I can't reach it."

[52]	kóova	íshaha	tóo	xrah
	so	water	he.had	thirst.for

He was so thirsty.

[53]	kári	xás	kúkuum	uchunvákir	pasaamvároo
	then	then	again	he.sneaked.up.on.it	the.creek

And again he sneaked up on the creek.

[54]	kêech	saamvaróokaam
	big	big.creek

It was big, a big creek.

[55]	xás	uxus	tîi	kúuk	kaníkfuukmi
	then	he.thought	let...	to.there	let.me.crawl.to.it!

And he thought, "Let me crawl to it."

[56]	kári	xás	pamúvaas	upishnákarishuk
	then	then	his.blanket	he.took.it.off

And he undid his blanket.

[57]	kári	xás	ta'ítam	páy	uníshaheen
	then	then	so	this	he.did.it.with.it

And he did this with it (wadded it up, shown by informant's gestures.)

[58]	xás	úmuustih	vúra	uum	táay	pa'íshaha	vúra	ûumukich
	then	he.was.looking	Intensive	3.SG	much	the.water	Intensive	near

And he looked; there was a lot of water, just close.

[59]	kári	xás	ukvíripship
	then	then	he.started.to.run

And he broke into a run.

[60]	xás	kúuk	upáathma	pamúvaas
	then	to.there	he.threw.it.toward.it	his.blanket

And he threw his blanket at it.

[61]	ámtaap	kích	uthívpup
	dust	only	it.puffed.up

Just dust puffed up.

[62]	tupiváxra	pa'íshaha
	it.had.dried.up	the.water

The water had dried up.

---

[63]	kári	xás	uxus	ii	vúra	tá	puná'uumara	vúra	íshaha	tá	néexrah
	then	then	he.thought	oh!	Intensive	PERF	I.won't.arrive.there	Intensive	water	PERF	I.thirst.for.it

And he thought, "Oh, I can't reach it, I'm really thirsty."

[64]	kári	xás	sáruk	tóo	tfákutih
	then	then	downhill	he.had	been.looking.away.downhill

And he looked away downhill.

[65]	vúra	vaa	sáruk	uvuunváraktih	peeshkéesh
	Intensive	so	downhill	it.was.flowing.down.from.upriver	the.river

Downhill the river was flowing downriverward like that.

[66]	ii	xás	uxus	chími	vaa	kan'îishi	peeshkéesh
	oh!	then	he.thought	soon	so	let.me.drink!	the.river

Oh, he thought, "Let me drink from the river!"

[67]	ta'ítam	sáruk	u'árihfakaheen
	so	downhill	he.walked.downhill

So he went downhill.

[68]	xás	uxus	púya	íf	kâarim	tá	nikúupha	pachími	ísheesh
	then	he.thought	and.so	truly	bad	PERF	I.do	being.soon	about.to.drink

And he thought, "How bad I do, being about to drink water.

[69]	káruma	kahyúras	ishpúk	nikyâantih
	in.fact	Klamath.Lakes	dentalium.shells	I.am.going.in.order.to.gather.it

I'm going to get money at Klamath Lakes."

---

[70]	xás	astíip	uvîish
	then	shore	he.came.down

So he went down to the bank.

[71]	xás	úuth	utkáratih
	then	out.to.water	he.was.looking.into.the.river

And he looked out to the water.

[72]	xás	uxus	vúra	puna'ísheeshara	astíipich
	then	he.thought	Intensive	I.will.not.drink	right.at.the.bank

And he thought, "I won't drink right by the bank."

[73]	kári	xás	upiip	chími	ikúrinishrihi	itháriip
	then	then	he.said	soon	let.it.fall.down.across-stream!	Douglas.fir

And he said, "Fall down, fir tree!"

[74]	tóo	kúrinishrih
	it.had	fall.across-stream

(One) fell down.

[75]	xás	uvátakar
	then	he.walked.out.across.water.on.it

And he walked out into the river on it.

---

[76]	kári	xás	ishkéesh'aachip	u'uum
	then	then	middle.of.the.river	he.arrived.there

And he got to the middle of the river.

[77]	kári	xás	ta'ítam	ukúkuriheen
	then	then	so	he.stooped.down.to.the.water

And then he stooped down to the water.

[78]	vúra	uum	xára	pookúkuri	pa'íshaha	tu'ísh	taay
	Intensive	3.SG	long.time	that.he.stooped.down.to.the.water	the.water	he.had.drunk	much

He stooped down to the water for a long time, he drank a lot.

[79]	kári	xás	poopvôonsip	taay	tu'ish
	then	then	when.he.got.up.again	much	he.had.drunk

And when he got up, he had drunk a lot.

[80]	víri	vaa	vúra	upikyívivraa
	so	so	Intensive	he.fell.over.backwards

So he fell over.

[81]	vásihkam	úuth	úkyiimkar
	behind	out.to.water	he.fell.into.the.water

He fell backwards into the river.

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[82]	kári	xás	yúruk	uthívruuhrup
	then	then	downriver	he.floated.away.downriver

And he floated downriverward.

[83]	chavúra	tá	yíiv	tóo	pthívruuhvarak
	finally	PERF	far	he.had	floated.back.down.from.upriver

Finally he floated a long ways downriver back to here.

[84]	chavúra	ôok	ithivthaanéen'aachip	tóo	pthívruuhvarak
	finally	here	center.of.the.world	he.had	floated.back.down.from.upriver

Finally he floated back downriver here to the center of the world.

---

[85]	kári	xás	yúruk	utrûuputih
	then	then	downriver	he.was.looking.downriver

And he looked downriver.

[86]	yánava	yúruk	ifápiitsha	kuntákiriti	astiip
	visible	downriver	young.women	they.were.leaching.(acorn.meal)	shore

He saw young women leaching on the bank downriver.

[87]	kári	xás	upiip	sah'ahupyâamach	kanpárihish
	then	then	he.said	pretty.driftwood	let.me.transform!

And he said, "Let me turn into a pretty piece of driftwood!"

[88]	kári	xás	sah'ahupyâamach	vaa	upárihish
	then	then	pretty.driftwood	so	he.transformed.into.it

And he turned into a pretty piece of driftwood.

---

[89]	kári	xás	uthívruuhvarak
	then	then	he.floated.down.from.upriver

And he floated down from upriver.

[90]	ûumukich	vúra	tóo	muustih	pakuntákiritih
	near	Intensive	he.had	been.looking.at.them	while.they.were.leaching.(acorn.meal)

Nearby he looked at them leaching.

[91]	xás	upiip	astíipich	vúra	kanthivrúhi	astíipich	vúra	kanthivrúhi
	then	he.said	right.at.the.bank	Intensive	let.me.float!	right.at.the.bank	Intensive	let.me.float!

And he said, "Let me float to the bank, let me float to the bank.

[92]	mukunsá'kukamich	xasík	nipthivrúhrooneesh
	just.downhill.from.them	then.(future)	I.will.keep.floating.back.upriver

I will keep floating back upriver just downhill from them.

---

[93]	kári	xás	pa'ifápiit	sáruk	úuth	utkáratih
	then	then	the.young.woman	downhill	out.to.water	she.was.looking.into.the.water

And the girl looked downhill into the river.

[94]	xás	upiip	yáxa	éev
	then	she.said	look!	greeting.to.women

And she said, "Look, dear.

(Bright: "éev (basic form êev), here translated "dear," is a term of address used by women to relatives or intimate friends.")

[95]	oo	yáxa	kóo	yâamach	sâam	pasah'áhup
	oh!	look!	so.much	pretty	little.downhill	the.driftwood

Oh, look at what a pretty piece of driftwood downhill!"

---

[96]	xás	yítha	upiip	hôoy
	then	one	she.said	where

And (the other) one said, "Where?"

---

[97]	xás	upiip	máva	sâam
	then	she.said	here!	little.downhill

And she said, "There downhill."

---

[98]	xás	upiip	oo	êev	chími	nútaatripaa	pasah'áhup
	then	she.said	oh!	greeting.to.women	soon	let's.hook.it.out.of.the.water!	the.driftwood

And (the other) said, "Oh, dear, let's hook the driftwood out!"

---

[99]	chémi
	all.right

"All right."

---

[100]	ta'ítam	sâam	kunithvíripunih
	so	little.downhill	they.ran.away.downhill

So they ran downhill.

[101]	tá	kunimúsar	poopthivrúhroonatih
	PERF	they.went.to.look.at.it	while.it.was.floating.back.upriver

They went to look at it floating back upriver.

[102]	xás	upiip	chími	êev	hôoy	kích	ahúp'anamahach
	then	she.said	soon	greeting.to.women	where	only	twig

And (one) said, "Come on, dear, where is a little stick?

[103]	vaa	mûuk	nutâatripaavish
	that	with.(by.means.of)	we.will.hook.it.out.of.the.water

We'll hook it out with that."

---

[104]	xás	ta'ítam	kuntâatripaaheen
	then	so	they.hooked.it.out.of.the.water

And so they hooked it out.

[105]	xás	oo	tá	kuntápkuup
	then	oh!	PERF	they.liked.it

And oh, they took a liking to it!

[106]	oo	púya	íf	yâamachich	pasah'áhup	tá	kuntápkuup
	oh!	and.so	truly	pretty.(dimin.)	the.driftwood	PERF	they.liked.it

Oh, how pretty the driftwood was, they took a liking to it.

[107]	kári	xás	kúuk	upáathma	yítha	tá	kuníxtiivhar	vaa	pasah'áhup
	then	then	to.there	she.threw.it.to.her	one	PERF	they.played.with.it	that	the.driftwood

And one threw it to (another), they played with that driftwood.

[108]	yâamachich	pa'ahúp'anamahach
	pretty.(dimin.)	the.little.stick

The little stick was pretty.

---

[109]	kári	xás	yítha	upíip	pa'ifápiit	ããx	upiip	ããx	atafâat	pihnêefich
	then	then	one	she.said	the.young.woman	ugh!	she.said	ugh!	maybe	coyote

Then one girl said, "Ugh!" she said, "ugh! maybe it's Coyote.

[110]	mít	kunípaat	káruk	úuth	tu'íimkar
	near.past	they.said	upriver	out.to.water	he.had.drowned

They said he drowned in the river upriver."

---

[111]	kári	xás	úuth	kunpípaathkar	pasah'áhup
	then	then	out.to.water	they.threw.it.back.into.the.water	the.driftwood

And they threw the driftwood back in the river.

[112]	kári	xás	tá	kun'akíthkith	pamukúnxuun	pamukuntákir
	then	then	PERF	they.took.it.up	their.acorn.soup	their.leached.acorn.meal

And they took up their acorn soup, their leaching.

[113]	cháva	tá	xánahishich	yánava	xákaan	vúra	tá	kunímuutaraha
	sure.enough	PERF	little.while	visible	both	Intensive	PERF	they.were.pregnant

Sure enough, in a little while they saw they were both pregnant.

---

[114]	pihnêefich	yóo	kpuuhrup	kuyûum	xás	ukpúhish
	coyote	well.he	swim.away.downstream	just.downriver	then	he.swam.ashore

Coyote floated downriver, he swam ashore downriver from them then.

[115]	púyava	páy	pihnêefich	ukúphaanik
	you.see	this	coyote	he.did.it

So Coyote did that.

[116]	upipshinvárihva	peeshpúk	káruk	ukyâantih
	he.forgot	that.money	upriver	he.was.going.in.order.to.get.it

He forgot that he was going upriver to get money.

[117]	kupánakanakana
	the.end

Kupánakanakana.

[118]	pihnêefich	ukúphaanik
	coyote	he.did.it

Coyote did it.

---

[119]	pa'úuth	kunpípaathkar	thúfip	xás	uthivrúhish
	when.out.into.the.river	they.threw.it.back.into.the.water	placename	then	he.floated.ashore

When they threw him back in the river, he then floated ashore at Requa.

[120]	xás	vúrava	káan	utháaniv	astiip
	then	just	there	he.lay	shore

And he lay there on the bank.

[121]	kári	xás	pâanpay	pishpishih'îin	tá	kun'av
	then	then	after.while	yellowjackets	PERF	they.ate.him

And after a while the yellowjackets ate him.

[122]	xás	vúra	vaa	utháaniv
	then	Intensive	so	he.lay

And he lay there like that.

---

[123]	chufniivkach'îin	káru	vúra	patá	kun'av
	flies	also	Intensive	that	they.ate.him

Flies ate him too.

[124]	chími	vúra	paasvut'îin	káru	patá	kun'av
	soon	Intensive	the.ants	also	that	they.ate.him

Soon the ants ate him too.

[125]	vúra	vaa	utháaniv
	Intensive	so	he.lay

He lay there like that.

[126]	kári	xás	víri	tá	ípi	vúra	pamu'ípi	kích	utháaniv
	then	then	so	PERF	bone	Intensive	his.bones	only	he.lay

And there were just bones by now, only his bones lay there.

[127]	xás	kári	vúra	vaa	utháaniv
	then	then	Intensive	so	he.lay

And still he lay there like that.

---

[128]	xás	kári	vaa	vúra	kích	káan	u'iishhíti	vuutrava'áfiv
	then	then	so	Intensive	only	there	there.was.meat	testicles

And there was still meat there in his testicles.

[129]	kári	xás	papishpíshi	uxus	tîi	páy	kan'am
	then	then	the.yellowjacket	he.thought	let...	this	let.me.eat.it!

And the yellowjacket thought, "Let me eat this."

---

[130]	kári	xás	vaa	u'áv	káan	pá'iish
	then	then	so	he.ate.it	there	the.meat

And so he ate the meat there.

[131]	kári	xás	póopar	kári	xás	u'árihship	pihnêefich
	then	then	when.he.bit.it	then	then	he.jumped.up	coyote

And when he bit it, then Coyote jumped up.

[132]	xás	upiip	atutututututu
	then	he.said	exclamation

And he said, "atutututututu!"

[133]	kári	xás	áhup	u'ûusip
	then	then	wood	he.picked.it.up

And he picked up a stick.

[134]	kári	xás	u'ákoonaa
	then	then	he.hit.them

And he hit them.

[135]	púyava	vaa	ukúphaanik	pihnêefich
	you.see	so	he.did.it	coyote

So Coyote did that.

[136]	xás	umthavitrûuprihva
	then	he.almost.clubbed.completely.through.them

He almost clubbed through them.

[137]	víri	vaa	kumá'ii	koovúra	patûupichas	pamusxíchak
	so	so	because.of	all	that.small.ones	their.waists

So that's why they all have small waists.