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 chey-ke-nee me-wah kue nee-'eeh 'ue-kue-chos nue-mee te-wo-mehl mee kee-tee nue 'yerh-hlkery-tehl cheee-gery nes-kwee Koh-pey.
    The little boy who lived with his grandmother was very grateful because they were going to go gather huckleberries near Crescent City.
  2. Kue me-wah key-chek 'we-nerh-per-yerk', he-gok'w 'we-neee'-nek' cheee-shep' 'e-see 'werrp'.
    The boy was tired of gathering berries, he went to look for flowers and butterflies.
  3. Kue kue-chos hem', Ko-we-cho' he-goom' nes-kwee kue won hehl-kew
    The grandmother told him, "Do not go near the other mountain."
  4. Koh-chee mos neee'-now' kue serrhl kue me-wah 'o he-gok'w.
    Once, not looking at what he was doing, the boy did go.
  5. K'ee 'we-ter-ge-rew won wen-chokws kem nerh-pery.
    (He went because) he conversed with a woman, and also to pick berries.
  6. Kue wen-chokws hekw-se'-wey'.
    The woman smiled.
  7. 'O lem', Kee poy-kook' k'e-te-wey, k'e-pah-tuen, 'e-see k'e-seen.
    She said, "I will tattoo your face, your neck, and your arms.
  8. Kee soo hey-yo-mok's cheee-kol' k'e-serrhl.
    You will be lucky in everything you do."
  9. Kue me-wah hem' che-la' kue wen-chokws 'o tke-koh 'ue'-wers-kuen mehl 'werhl-kerr', 'em-see me'-lo-nem' mehl nerh-pery 'we-che-wo-lew.
    The boy said that she pricked his skin with bone, and then rubbed it with berry juice.
  10. Nue-mee chmey 'o wey-kom' kue me-wah ke-mey'.
    She finished very late, the boy went home.
  11. Kue 'ue-kue-chos ne-wom' 'o nue-mee te-to's, 'em-see nue-mee keem' soo re-pee-chom', 'e-see soo ho-'oh-kohl so myoot' lekw-see.
    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 mey-kwe-le'-wey', noohl 'o ge's, Tyoh-pey-yok 'ne-kue-chos.
    And he cried, then he thought, "I hate my grandmother."
  13. Ho pe-noh-pey' nee-ko'l hee-kon.
    She was always kind before.
  14. Kue rookws 'o swerrk'ws nue-mee keem soo.
    The wind blew very badly.
  15. Kue me-wah 'o rue-row', Rookws, rookws, ko suue-we-pem', we-nos so nek wo-nue we'-not mehl moyk.
    The boy sang, "Wind, wind, blow your breath, come to me on wings of death."
  16. Kue rookws me-geer' 'wech-ween-kor.
    The wind heeded his words.
  17. Kue kue-chos lekw-see soo-tok'w nue 'wehuem-chor.
    The grandmother went outside to give her greeting.
  18. Keech ke-go's-neg, 'we-re'-noh ko-lo lo-'o-gey, 'e-see ne-wee' mehl kue muen-chey ke-go's-neg.
    He is a grey seagull, his feathers are dark, and he is seen with white seagulls.
  19. Wee-'eeet soo keem-kee' mehl 'ue-kee-mo-le-pek' so 'ue-pe-noh-pey kue-chos.
    In this way he is punished for being unkind to his kind grandmother.