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)

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

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[1]	âanxus	uthitívanik	káruk	keechxâach	úkrii
	weasel	he.heard	upriver	widow.(old)	she.lives

Weasel heard that a widow lived upriver.

[2]	xás	vúra	uum	yâamach	mu'asiktaván'aramah
	then	Intensive	3.SG	pretty	her.female.child

And her female child was pretty.

[3]	vikváan	káru	ithvóon
	basket-maker	also	eager

She was a weaver, and industrious.

[4]	xás	uxús	tîi	káan	kanvunáyviichvan
	then	he.thought	let...	there	let.me.go.wander.around.idly

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

[5]	íkiich	nimáheesh	pa'asiktávaan
	maybe	I.will.see.her	the.woman

Maybe I'll see the woman."

[6]	xás	u'uum	pakéevniikich	mukrívraam
	then	he.arrived	the.old.woman	her.house

So he arrived at the old woman's house.

[7]	upêer	pamí'arama	nikvárakuktih
	he.told.her	your.child	I.am.coming.to.buy.her

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

---

[8]	xás	pakéevniikich	upíip	víri	naa	chími	vôonfuruki
	then	the.old.woman	she.said	so	1sg.	soon	come.in!

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

[9]	imáan	á'	úru	iktávareesh
	tomorrow	above	egg	you.will.go.get.them

Tomorrow you will go up to get eggs.

[10]	xás	pee'ípakahaak	xáat	pananí'aramah	ihrôoha
	then	when.you.come.back	may	my.child	wife

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

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[11]	xás	âanxus	upíip	vaa	ník	nikupheesh
	then	weasel	he.said	so	a.little	I.will.do.it

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

[12]	ta'ítam	máh'iit	yáan	vúra	usúpaahitih	uvôoruraa	pa'ípaha
	so	morning	recently	Intensive	it.was.becoming.day	he.climbed.up	the.tree

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

[13]	á'	ipanîich	pákaas	uthrítakoo
	above	very.end	the.nest	it.sat.on.it

Up at the top sat the nest.

[14]	âanxus	ishvirip'imsháxvu	upáputhtih
	weasel	pine.pitch	he.was.chewing.it

Weasel was chewing pine-gum.

[15]	ishvít	kóo	tu'uum
	piece	as.much.as	he.had.arrived

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

[16]	xás	ukréemyah
	then	it.blew

Then the wind blew.

[17]	vúra	vaa	uvôoruraatih
	Intensive	so	he.was.climbing.up

He was climbing up like that.

[18]	vaa	kích	upíti	pakéevniikich	yôotva	tu'iv	panani'íkam
	so	only	she.was.saying	the.old.woman	hurray!	he.has.died	my.son-in-law

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

[19]	âanxus	uum	káru	pákuri	uthiinátih
	weasel	3.SG	also	song	he.had.it

Weasel had a song.

[20]	xás	upakurîihvutih
	then	he.sang

So he sang.

[21]	vúra	tóo	kréemyah
	Intensive	it.had	blow

The wind just blew.

[22]	xás	á'	ípan	u'uum
	then	above	end	he.arrived

Then he arrived up at the top.

[23]	pa'úru	uktûunih
	the.eggs	he.took.them.down

He took down the eggs.

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[24]	vúrava	tóo	kréemyah	tapas'ikréemyah
	just	it.had	blow	real.wind

There was a real wind blowing.

[25]	xás	uxús	hûut	pánikupheesh
	then	he.thought	how	that.I.will.do

And he thought, "What shall I do?

[26]	pananimsháxvuh	mûuk	ni'ípahoovish
	my.gum	with.(by.means.of)	I.will.go.back

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

[27]	xás	á'	úsnaapka
	then	above	he.put.it.on.it

So he fastened it on the top.

[28]	xás	ustútunih
	then	he.slid.down

And he slid down it.

[29]	xás	sú'	u'íipma
	then	inside	he.returned

And he got down.

[30]	vúra	kári	úktaamti	pa'úruh
	Intensive	then	he.was.carrying.them	the.eggs

He was still carrying the eggs.

[31]	iinâak	úktaamfuruk
	indoors	he.carried.them.indoors

He carried them indoors.

[32]	xás	upíip	mâa	páy	pa'úruh
	then	he.said	look!	this	the.eggs

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

[33]	chími	am
	soon	eat

Eat them!"

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[34]	hínu páy	ikreemyaha'úru	póopeenti	iktûunihi
	surprise	eggs.of.wind	that.she.told.him	take.them.down!

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

[35]	pakéevniikich	uxúti	pookreemyáhahaak	uthivtífuniheesh
	the.old.woman	she.was.thinking	when.it.blows	it.will.blow.him.down

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

[36]	hôoy	íf	âavahar	u'ípakeesh
	where	truly	alive	he.will.come.back

He won't come back alive."

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[37]	xás	âanxus	upíip	pamí'arama	nihrôohaheesh
	then	weasel	he.said	your.child	I.will.marry.her

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

---

[38]	xás	pakéevniikich	upíip	sáruk	áama	úkuroovuti
	then	the.old.woman	she.said	downhill	salmon	it.is.lying.with.its.head.upstream

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

[39]	vaa	chími	ithyúruripaan
	that	soon	go.haul.it.out!

Go haul it out!"

---

[40]	âanxus	sáruk	u'uum
	weasel	downhill	he.went

Weasel went downhill.

[41]	úuth	utkáratih
	out.to.water	he.was.looking.into.the.river

He looked into the river.

[42]	yée	naa	apsunxára	káan	úkuroovutih
	well	1sg.	long.snake	there	it.is.lying.with.its.head.upstream

"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
	then	he.sang.it	his.song

So he sang his song.

[44]	xás	u'iipkúrih
	then	he.dived.in

Then he dived in.

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

He hauled out the long snake.

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[46]	vaa	kích	upítih	pakéevniikich	yôotva	tu'ív	panani'íkam
	so	only	she.was.saying	the.old.woman	hurray!	he.has.died	my.son-in-law

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

[47]	âanxus	upíkfuukraa
	weasel	he.climbed.back.up.from.downhill

Weasel climbed back uphill.

[48]	xás	uhyárihish
	then	he.stood.still

Then he stood still.

[49]	iinâak	vaa	kích	uthítiimti	poopakurîihvuti	yôotva	tu'iiv'íiv	íkamish	tu'iiv'íiv
	indoors	so	only	he.heard.it	that.she.was.singing	hurray!	he.has.died	son-in-law.(dimin.)	he.has.died

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	he.interrupted.her.by.shouting	little.downhill	it.lays	your.salmon

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

[51]	chími	am
	soon	eat

Eat it!"

---

[52]	pakéevniikich	u'árihrupuk
	the.old.woman	she.jumped.out

The old woman jumped out.

[53]	xás	âanxus	upêer	papu'imáan	ívahaak	xáat	paniní'arama	ihrôoha
	then	weasel	she.told.him	if.not.tomorrow	you.die	may	my.child	wife

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

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[54]	xás	âanxus	upíip	naa	ník	káru	ishímfir
	then	weasel	he.said	1sg.	a.little	also	brave

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

[55]	ithéekxaram	âanxus	pu'ikviit-hára
	all.night	weasel	he.didn't.sleep

Weasel did not sleep the whole night.

[56]	yáan	vúra	usúpaahitih	pakéevniikich	úhyiv
	recently	Intensive	it.became.day	the.old.woman	she.shouted

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

[57]	âanxus	uvôonfuruk
	weasel	he.went.inside

Weasel went in the house.

[58]	mâaka	kíxumnipaak	asimváram	tóo	kyâaheen	pakeechxâach
	little.uphill	at.the.corner	bed	she.had	made.it	the.widow

In the uphill corner the widow had made a bed.

[59]	simsimvôo	kích	uveehríshukva
	sword	only	they.were.sticking.out

Nothing but swords were sticking out.

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[60]	âanxus	kunipêer	chími	núvuunvi
	weasel	they.told.him	soon	let's.wrestle!

Weasel was told, "Let's wrestle!

[61]	pamâaka	nápaathripaahaak	xáat	vaa	kári	naní'aramah	ihrôoha
	if.uphill	you.throw.me.inland	may	so	then	my.child	wife

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

[62]	xás	u'árihish	pakéevniikich
	then	she.sang	the.old.woman

And the old woman sang.

[63]	poopakurîihvutih	upítih	âanxus	itvaratvárat
	when.she.was.singing	she.was.saying	weasel	itvaratvárat

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

[64]	âanxus	kúna	u'árihish	keechxâach	tíiptiip	áahrishuk	keechxâach	tíiptiip	áahrishuk
	weasel	in.addition	he.sang	widow.(old)	Woodwardia.fern	áahrishuk	widow.(old)	Woodwardia.fern	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	they.grabbed.him	weasel

Then Weasel was grabbed.

[66]	xáyva	âanxus	pakeechxâach	mâaka	upaathrípaa
	by.luck	weasel	the.widow	little.uphill	he.threw.her.inland

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

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[67]	xás	úxrar	pakeechxâach
	then	she.wept	the.widow

Then the widow wept.

[68]	vaa	kích	upíti	itroopatíshaamni	tá	níykar	pa'ávansas
	so	only	she.was.saying	nine	PERF	I.killed.them	the.men

She kept saying, "I killed nine men.

[69]	víri	iim	xás	îin	tá	néeykar
	so	2sg.	then	TOPIC	PERF	you.killed.me

Then you killed me.

[70]	xáat	pananí'arama	ihrôoha
	may	my.child	wife

Let my daughter be (your) wife."

[71]	xás	pakeechxâach	u'iv
	then	the.widow	she.died

So the widow died.

[72]	xás	pamú'arama	uvôonfuruk
	then	her.child	she.came.in

And her child came in.

[73]	pamúsaanva	furaxmúrax
	her.clothes	nothing.but.woodpecker-heads

Her clothes were nothing but woodpecker-heads.

[74]	âanxus	muhrôoha	upípasip
	weasel	his.wife	he.took.her.home

Weasel took her away (as) his wife.