Snake

Wiyot (Della Prince)English

1. Ha’ruch, gitga gawu vayughu’ruviyoutw.


I'm going to tell a story about Snake.

2. Gurra loudegaqouwou’m yulh vulh.


But I don't know it very well.

3. Tsurarilh, ha’ruch, svawi vilou’milh.


A young woman feared snakes greatly.

4. Gourr vulh huluvidalilh, vadi’, dula’louluwilh, houdavukdaqlhayuvuqu’l, rrawi’, “Gitga ha’ruch, ke watsu’da’l.”


Everywhere she went she carried along a stick to drive them away, thinking, “I might meet snakes.”

5. Wala, gawu dalilh, va jaqulou’milh.  Wough.


In the morning she started out, she went to gather hollow weeds

6. Kaluwou’ vulh, lou gou ka’youluwilh.


She strapped on a pack basket

7. Lhe gutsou’milh.


Finally she had a lot.

8. Gawu dalasilh, kaluwu’lhaqh.


She put them in the pack basket.

9. Hi naghilh, “Gitga gawa’youluwu.”


She thought, “I'll start carrying it.”

10. Gish gawu rraghilh, “Rrada’w.”


She started to think in vain, “I'll stand up.”

11. Ga gidunuvilh, qalhda vulh kulougilh.


It won't let go, whatever it is that is holding it

12. Dawilharilh.


She looks.

13. Ha’ruch, da louluwilh. Kaluwou’.


Snake is holding the pack basket

14. Hi yidumoudilh, “Dalu vila’wulut, shoush!”


He tells her, “You're always afraid of me.”

15. “Wougilh, gitga hulalhulut, gawu lalhulut gitga.”


“Now you're going with me, you're going to go with me.”

16. “Juwa vulh lagidamut gitga, kou’ka’luwou’.”


“You leave that there, your pack basket.”

17. Gawu lagilh, gou tsurarilh.


The young woman started to go with him.

18. Rrak ga’wi vulh, gawu da’l.


They started off towards the river.

19. Hi yitumoudilh, gitga gawu rri’redarilh, gayalilh, “Rrou’ duplushilh, hi kunuvut, datgurrughu’ghuk.”


He told her, (when) they were almost to the river, “You hold on to my belt, at my back.”

20. Hi kunuvilh huplushilh.


She held on to his belt

21. Lhugoulilh, dagayalilhwaqh.


They went down into the river

22. Bik ha nudalilh, lughurruk wanu, gilhiv.


(When) they had gone halfway, there was only land there

23. Voul da’ mularr, ji’ du wourr ha’ruch, daqh.


A house was built there; that's where Snake lives.

24. Vus da luqhdurr.


The fire was lit.

25. Dou’yuwaqh, da dou lhugaturr.


Pieces of watersoaked spruce were being burned.

26. Giyawlulh vutsu’n, juwa vulh da’lhugaturr, dou’yuwaqh, kvurr ya vulh, dalulhuliv, gourr wadi’, wadou’ga’wik.


Nothing of dry material; that's what is burned, watersoaked spruce; it burns like pitchwood, that wood which is still wet.

27. Dalhda hou danughurruk, gou kagurrawiwilh, gou’wil hi’gawilh.


Later on, that woman had babies.

28. Qaju’l, gou daqh, juwa hitumoudilh, gouchgurru’l, “Hash va dawukuvu, gouchk.”


Where her mother lives; she told them that, their grandmother, “Go there and look for grandmother.”

29. Hi lughilh dagou, rridak ha’ruch.


They went, two snakes

30. Da qi youwilh, dali’, gou daqh, hou gouchgurru’l.


They arrived there, indoors, where their grandmother lived.

31. Gou shi’rouki’, ga’dishgamilh, ha’ruch. Qalhwa gida vulh vagi’rougilh, dali’.


The old woman didn't like snakes, (and didn't know) why they were bothering her, indoors.

32. Gawu vukdaqlhayuvoudilh, vadi’.


She drove them away with a stick.

33. Gou lughilh.


They went back.

34. Hou dagoulouwuqu’l, hi yilhilh, gouchgurru’l, “Da tighurru’muluwililh, ga dishgawirilh.”


When they arrived, they said, (about) their grandmother, “She drives us out, she doesn't like us.”

35. Dalhda hou danughurruk, gou kagurrawiwilh, qilu’l qaju’l, vagou dawikuvilh.


Later on that woman, she went to look for her mother again.

36. Hi yitumoudilh, “Yirrou tsek juwa.”


She told her, “Those are my children.”

37. Dalhda hou danughurruk, tsek dagou, gou gawudalilh, gouchgurru’l, vagou dawikuvilh.


Later on the children started out again and went to look for their grandmother.

38. Rra’l, gawadou goutsuduwani’l, rra’laqh, dagawudou dalasilh, gourr ha’ruch, gagou tighurru’muluvilh, qilu’litk vulh, qulhu’l.


They were allowed to get in a basket plate, she put them in the basket plate, she didn't drive these snakes out any more, (she knew they were) her own grandchildren.

39. Hi yitumoudilh qaju’l, “Gitga gurra gou rruda’l, wougilh.”


She (the woman) told her mother, “I'm not going to come back again now.”

40. “Juwa vulh gitga wougilh, va gugayuvi’s, gurra gou lali’, gitga.”


“I've come now to tell you goodbye, I'm not coming back.”

41. Juwa wougilh hou danughurruk, gou’wil, ga lu’bay, qilu’l, gourr kagurrawiwilh, hou’luwaqh da gidaduk. 


That's why now after that (snakes) don't swallow people, (because) she, the woman, ended up living in the water.

42. Juwa vulh da nughurruk. Hou balhu’l, da bulayuwi’murr, gayalilhwaqh.


Since then, her hair spreads out floating flat in the river.