Glenn Moore

Retelling of Robert Spott's "The Owl" (November 19, 2004)

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

Text identifier: GM1
Speaker: Glenn Moore
Primary documentation: Andrew Garrett
Project transcription: Alysoun Quinby
Audio source: AG-03-1
Note: Glenn Moore read Spott's story as printed by R. H. Robins, "The Yurok Language", making a few changes to the text.

Yurok audio (Part 1):  
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Yurok audio (Part 2):  
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  1. Tekwe's kohchee weet so'n kue '-uueksoh keech tegahtok.
    Once the owl acted in such a way that his children were starving.
  2. Kwesee kohchee 'we-neskwechook' 'ap ko'mo'y, 'ue-worue wonuekuek neenee ko'mo'y kue 'w-ahpeleen kue huueksoh 'w-omtah.
    Then once as he came home he heard, around and overhead he heard the happy children playing.
  3. Kwesee 'ap hegoomue'm kue 'w-ahpew, Kues sonehl kue huueksoh?
    So he said to his wife, What are the children doing?
  4. 'O ge'm, Kwelekw keech hekwsue' kue k'e-ke'mow kue k'e-s'oyoh 'ue-heemar.
    She said, Well, they found your food under your pounding stone.
  5. Kwesee 'o gegoyhl kue huueksoh, Cho' nue pewahchkeye'mo'w 'o raak.
    The children had been told, Go and wash your faces in the stream.
  6. Kwesee temaloh pewahchkeye'mehl.
    And for a long time they washed them.
  7. Kue nepuy 'ue-'wers hr merner'skwery 'ue-koosee pemey kue 'we-luehl.
    Where they had pulled off the salmon skin their mouths were all grease.
  8. Kwesee noohl pontet 'o hlee', noohl weet 'we-luelh neenee muelonee weet.
    Then they took ashes, and they rubbed them on their mouths there.
  9. Noohl keech 'ema newee' kue 'ue-pemeyomonee kue 'we-rewoh.
    Then no longer did the greasy part of their lips show.
  10. Tue' weet 'ee mehl 'w-ew kue Tege'muer tue' weeshtue' nee shoo nohsuenowohl.
    And that is why their name is Snowbird, and so they grow like that.

  11. Tue' weet mehl 'w-ew we'y kue Tege'muer tue' weeshtue' nee shoo nohsuenowohl.
    And that is why their name is Snowbird, and so they grow like that.
  12. Noohl 'o gegoomue'm kue 'we-nos hegee' kue tekwe's:
    Then the owl's wife spoke to her husband and told the owl:
  13. Ke'l kwelekw k'ee soo no'omuenowonee k'ee 'wes'onew tue' k'ee nee tegetko'hl kee chpee 'e'goloyew.
    As long as the heavens endure you will just be hooting in the canyons.
  14. Tue' neekeechyue son hoore'mos kue ch'ue'ch'eesh tue' kee ruerowoo'm.
    All the animals and the birds will be singing.
  15. Tue' ke'l 'o so ko'r neemee kee ruerowo'm keetee chpee k'e-wegaaneyoochek' k'ee nee tegetko'hl kee shoo heweche'm.
    But you alone will not be able to sing so that you will just make noise foretelling evil in the canyons (and) so you will live.
  16. Nek kwelekw k'ee nee pegarkohl 'we-heemech kee nee chyeguuek'wenek'.
    As for me, I shall sit in front of where people live.
  17. Tue' weet too' 'we-tekwe's 'we-'er'gerp.
    And thus ends the story of the owl.