Jessie Exline

"The Grey Sea Gull" (1983)

Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
Display style: sentence | look-up

Text identifier: CICD2
Speaker: Jessie Exline
Edition: , "Downriver Indians' Legends" (pages 17-38), Center for Community Development, Humboldt State University
Note: Some corrections have been made to the published text (due to presumed typos) and translation.

  1. Kue cheykenee mewah kue nee'eeh 'ue-kuechos nuemee tewomehl mee keetee nue 'yerhhlkerytehl cheeegery neskwee Kohpey.
    The little boy who lived with his grandmother was very grateful because they were going to go gather huckleberries near Crescent City.
  2. Kue mewah keychek 'we-nerhperyerk', hegok'w 'we-neee'nek' cheeeshep' 'esee 'werrp'.
    The boy was tired of gathering berries, he went to look for flowers and butterflies.
  3. Kue kuechos hem', Kowecho' hegoom' neskwee kue won hehlkew
    The grandmother told him, "Do not go near the other mountain."
  4. Kohchee mos neee'now' kue serrhl kue mewah 'o hegok'w.
    Once, not looking at what he was doing, the boy did go.
  5. K'ee 'we-tergerew won wenchokws kem nerhpery.
    (He went because) he conversed with a woman, and also to pick berries.
  6. Kue wenchokws hekwse'wey'.
    The woman smiled.
  7. 'O lem', Kee poykook' k'e-tewey, k'e-pahtuen, 'esee k'e-seen.
    She said, "I will tattoo your face, your neck, and your arms.
  8. Kee soo heyomok's cheeekol' k'e-serrhl.
    You will be lucky in everything you do."
  9. Kue mewah hem' chela' kue wenchokws 'o tkekoh 'ue-'werskuen mehl 'werhlkerr', 'emsee me'lonem' mehl nerhpery 'we-chewolew.
    The boy said that she pricked his skin with bone, and then rubbed it with berry juice.
  10. Nuemee chmey 'o weykom' kue mewah kemey'.
    She finished very late, the boy went home.
  11. Kue 'ue-kuechos newom' 'o nuemee teto's, 'emsee nuemee keem' soo repeechom', 'esee soo ho'ohkohl so myoot' lekwsee.
    His grandmother saw him and was very angry, and she beat him very badly, and when it was dark she pushed him outside.
  12. 'O meykwele'wey', noohl 'o ge's, Tyohpeyok 'ne-kuechos.
    And he cried, then he thought, "I hate my grandmother."
  13. Ho penohpey' neeko'l heekon.
    She was always kind before.
  14. Kue rookws 'o swerrk'ws nuemee keem soo.
    The wind blew very badly.
  15. Kue mewah 'o ruerow', Rookws, rookws, ko suuewepem', wenos so nek wonue we'not mehl moyk.
    The boy sang, "Wind, wind, blow your breath, come to me on wings of death."
  16. Kue rookws megeer' 'we-chweenkor.
    The wind heeded his words.
  17. Kue kuechos lekwsee sootok'w nue 'we-huemchor.
    The grandmother went outside to give her greeting.
  18. Keech kego'sneg, 'we-re'noh kolo lo'ogey, 'esee newee' mehl kue muenchey kego'sneg.
    He is a grey seagull, his feathers are dark, and he is seen with white seagulls.
  19. Wee'eeet soo keemkee' mehl 'ue-keemolepek' so 'ue-penohpey kuechos.
    In this way he is punished for being unkind to his kind grandmother.