Florence Shaughnessy

"The Fox and the Coon" (1951)

Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
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Text identifier: LA16-5
Speaker: Florence Shaughnessy
Primary documentation: R. H. Robins
Edition: R. H. Robins, The Yurok Language (1958), pp. 164-165

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  1. Noohl k'ee wek 'we-raayoy 'we-heerkeek 'o wohpeya'r tektoh, tue' wee'eeet reeegaayo'r kue wergers k'enego'hl kem keech kyue' weno'omo'r.
    In those days way back in this creek a log lay across the water, and a fox used to cross over on it and was often running there.
  2. Kwesee kohchee kem heekoch so 'ue-werhperyerksek' kwesee 'ap new ko'l nuemee wogee 'o key kolo ko'l sook nee nep'.
    Once as he was crossing over he saw something sitting right in the middle of it and apparently eating something.
  3. Kwesee neekee 'w-egolek', Tee'neesho wee' 'o gohkueme'm, mee' nekee' 'ne-tektoh?
    So he said, What are you doing there, because this is my log?
  4. 'O neee'no'w kue wee 'o key kwesee twegoh.
    He looked at what was sitting there, and it was the coon.
  5. Kwesee ye'm, Kues soo hese'm, Nekee' 'ne-tektoh?
    It said, Why do you think, This is my log?
  6. Kwesee 'o tekte's kue wergers 'w-egolek', Now soot'os!
    And then the fox got angry at this and said, Go away!
  7. Heemenomee now soot'os! Nek kwelekw wee' neemuech 'ne-tektoh.
    Go away quickly! This is my own private log.
  8. Kem 'ee ye'm kue twegoh, Kues soo hese'm, Nekee' 'ne-tektoh?
    Again the coon said, Why do you think, This is my log?
  9. Kwelekw keech komchuemek' wee k'e-mehl hesek', Nekee' 'ne-tektoh.
    Well, now I know why you think, This is my log.
  10. Kue ke'l kwelekw 'ok'w k'-ekwol 'o heema'erk'uek tue' wee 'o kegemole'm.
    You have your own fishing place underneath and are always stealing there.
  11. Ke'l regok chpee nepe'm.
    You eat nothing but trout.
  12. Kwesee neekee 'ue-myaahlkepek' kue wergers; keech so'no'y.
    At that the fox jumped at the coon; he was furious.
  13. Kwesee wee'eeet 'o pelep' kue tektoohl wonue; soo ge's, Kwelekw keetee hloomelek' kue 'n-ekwol.
    And there was a fight there on top of the log; he thought, I will lose my fishing place.
  14. Kwesee neekee 'ue-pel 'o wee'eeet to' tema koma chegohchoh kue twegoh.
    So the fight went on there and the coon vainly struggled for a long time.
  15. Kwesee hlow wohpuek 'o leko'n kue twegoh tue' koma soo he'm, Mos kelee' k'-ekwol.
    At last it fell down into the water, but it was still saying, It is not your fishing place.
  16. Kwesee noohl 'o ga'm kue wergers, Nek poy keech sonowok' 'ohlkuemee kem keech 'ee 'ne-tektoh.
    And then the fox said, Now I am on top, because it is now my own log again.
  17. Noohl 'o ko neee'n so puelekw 'o new 'aawokw noohl kyue' keech weno'monekw kue twegoh.
    Then he looked down the river and saw the coon, poor thing, floating away there.
  18. Keech sermeryerwee'.
    It had died.