Florence Shaughnessy

"The Toad and the Mouse" (1951)

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

Text identifier: LA16-6
Speaker: Florence Shaughnessy
Primary documentation: R. H. Robins
Edition: R. H. Robins, The Yurok Language (1958), pp. 164-165

Yurok audio:  
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English translation:  
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  1. Hee-kon 'e-nue-mee pe'l soo me-lee', kwe-see kue kee-tee 'ue-mer-weryk' 'ee-kee too'm nue hlkeee-gor.
    Once upon a time a very big brush dance was held, and when the final dance was about to take place everyone went to watch.
  2. Kwe-see kue lo-cho'm 'o ge's, Nek kem kue hlkyor-kwek'.
    So the toad thought, I will go and watch too.
  3. Kue ne-ge-neech tue' kem wee' 'o ge-gok'w, ko-lo wee' nee-nee hak'ws 'we-sek', Kwe-lekw soo mer-mer-yer-werk', Nek kem kue hlkyor-kwek'.
    The mouse was walking around there too, she was laughing around a bit, thinking, Well, I am good looking, I will go and watch too.
  4. Kwe-see keech 'e-la skuykep' kue lo-cho'm noohl 'o gee' kue ne-ge-neech, Ney, kues cho' soo ne-wo-yek'?
    The toad dressed herself and then said to the mouse, My dear, how do I look?
  5. Kwe-see ye'm kue ne-ge-neech, 'Iyah, ke'l kwe-lekw ko-lo-kween too-me'-wey-ye'm k'ee koo-see swekt-ke-loo'-wey-ye'm.
    Then the mouse said, Oh, your face is ever so broad and you are covered with warts all over.
  6. Kwe-see 'o te'-no'y kue lo-cho'm, kwe-see wok 'ee so chyuuek'-we'n.
    The toad was annoyed at this, and sat down at one side.
  7. Kwe-see wee' nee-nee noo's kue ne-ge-neech.
    The mouse went giggling around.
  8. Kwe-see keech 'e-la wey 'we-chuerp-'ery kue ne-ge-neech, noohl weet 'e-la myah noohl 'ap ha'm, Kues cho soo ne-wo-yek'? Ney, to's keech mer-mer-yer-werk'?
    And when the mouse had finished combing her hair, she jumped up and said, How do I look? My dear, am I pretty now?
  9. Kwe-see ye'm kue lo-cho'm, Nek soo ke'l he-se'm, Mer-mer-yer-werk'.
    Then the toad said, I think that you think "I'm pretty".
  10. Kwe-lekw nek he-sek' chpee-wee 'ue-kwe-re'-wey-yek' 'oohl 'o k'ee wek 'ue'-wes-'o-nah.
    But I think you are the sharpest faced person under these heavens.