To:-ding K'e'itł'o' (By the River She Made Baskets)
told by Mary Marshall
July, 1901
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 189
- k'inchiwhi-q'it
- At K'inchwiwh-q'it
- k'ehłtsa:n
- a maiden
- ts'isday
- lived.
- k'e'itł'o'
- she used to make baskets.
- łah-xw
- Just
- xa'a[']t'ing-wint'e:
- that she always did.
A young woman, a virgin, who lived at Kintcu:whwhikut used to make baskets by the riverside.
- wun xokyung na[:]'iya'
- About it her mind went.
She wondered about her condition for she had not even seen a man.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- ch'iłtsa:n
- she gave birth
- t'ehxich
- to a girl.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ma:lyeh-xw 'a:ch'ilaw
- she took care of it.
She gave birth to a girl and took proper care of it.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- wingkya:w
- she got big.
- haya:ł
- And
- k'iye:
- again
- na[']k'istł'o'n
- she made baskets
When the child was quite large the mother made baskets by the river again.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- k'iye:
- again
- k'iwilkya:n
- she was pregnant.
She became pregnant a second time.
- hayah-mił
- And
- xo'ji-xw
- more
- me[']dzehsla'
- she hated
- hay
- that
- mije'e:din
- baby.
- k'iye:
- Again
- ch'iłtsa:n
- she gave birth.
- hay
- That
- mije'e:din
- baby
- kile:xich
- a boy.
- haya:ł
- And
- do: ma:lyeh-xw 'a:ch'ilaw
- she did not take care of it.
This time she gave birth to a boy. She hated it and never took care of it.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- haya:ł
- And
- ch'itehsyay
- she started.
- ch'itehłte:n
- She took along
- hay
- that
- t'ehxich
- girl.
After a time the mother was to be married and started to her husband's house taking the little girl with her.
- haya:ł
- And
- na[']te:lo:s
- she dragged back
- hay
- the
- xe:q'ay'
- baby-basket
- yiwidin-e:-mił
- Finally
- xa:na:'uslo:s
- she dragged it up.
- yehna[']wilo:s
- She dragged it in.
The sister, seizing the baby-basket by the bail, dragged it up the hill and back into the house.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ch'inehste:ch'
- they lay down.
- 'a[']de:ne'
- She said,
- hay
- that
- t'ehxich
- girl,
- 'isdo'
- "I wish
- yisxun-de'
- in the morning
- ch'indisit-hit
- when we wake up
- t'e'
- blanket
- me' sidite:ch'
- in we would be lying,
- haya:ł
- and
- 'isdo'
- I wish
- sila:
- would be lying
- hay
- that
- k'iwidiyun'-te:
- we shall eat."
When at night they lay down to sleep the girl said, "I wish when we wake up in the morning we would be lying in a blanket and something to eat would be by our heads."
- ch'e:ya:'insit-hit
- when they woke up
- t'e'
- blanket
- me'
- in
- 'ungya'
- they saw
- ts'iste:ch'
- they were lying,
- hayah-mił
- and
- ya:suxung
- lay
- k'iwiyul
- food.
When they woke in the morning they found themselves covered with a blanket and food was lying by their heads.
- hayah-mił
- And
- hayah
- then
- k'iwinya'n
- they ate.
- łah-xw
- Always
- xa'a:ya[']t'ing-wint'e:
- they did that.
They always did that way.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- ch'iwingkya:w
- got big
- hay
- that
- kile:xich
- boy.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- 'a[']de:ne'
- she said,
- 'isdo'
- " I wish,
- whikil
- my brother,
- na:k'idilyay
- a string of dentalia
- yisxung-de'
- to-morrow morning
- ch'indisit-hit
- when we wake up
- sila:
- would lie."
When the boy became large his sister said, "I wish, my brother, when we wake up tomorrow morning a string of dentalia would lie at our heads."
- mine:jixomił q'ut
- After a time
- na:'isya'
- he began to walk
- hay
- that
- kile:xich
- boy.
After a time he began to run about.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- she said,
- whikil
- "My brother,
- 'isdo'
- I wish
- yisxun-de'
- to-morrow
- ch'indisit-hit
- when we wake up
- ts'iłting'
- a bow
- sila:
- would lie.
One night the sister said, "I wish when we wake up in the morning we would find a bow and arrows at our heads."
- haya:ł
- And
- k'iwunay[']da'
- to hunt
- ch'ite'indil
- they travelled.
- k'iya:ts
- Birds
- ch'ise'iłwe'
- he killed.
Then they went hunting and he killed birds.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- xo'osday
- a man
- ts'isle'n
- he became.
- hayah-mił
- And
- k'iłixun
- deer
- ch'ise:tehłwe:n
- he killed.
Finally he became a man and killed deer.
- 'aht'ing
- With everything
- xa:'unt'e:
- that kind
- de:wime'n
- was filled
- ya:xoxontaw'
- their house.
They filled their house with dried meat.
- hayah-mił
- And
- midiłwa:
- in turn
- dahch'e'ida'
- he fished
- ło:q'
- salmon
- wung
- for.
- ch'e'ixa:wh
- he used to catch.
Then the boy fished and they dried the fish and stored them away.
- k'iye:
- Again
- hay
- that
- xa'unt'e:
- kind
- de:wime'n
- was filled with.
- haya:ł
- And
- kin-na:lma:ts'
- cribs of hazel
- ya:'ischwe'n
- they made.
When their house would hold no more they made cribs of hazel.
- do: na:ya[:]'iłtsis
- They never saw
- hay ya:xwunchwing
- mother.
All this time they saw nothing of their mother.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- k'ina:'isla:l
- dreamed
- hay
- that
- k'ehłtsa:n
- maiden.
One night the girl had a dream.
- xutł'e'-dung'
- in the morning
- yehna[']widyay
- came in
- hay
- that
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- he said,
- k'inawhlahł
- dreamed
The next morning, the young man, who now slept in a sweat-house, came in and said, "I dreamed there will be a famine."
- haya:ł
- And
- hay
- that
- k'ehłtsa:n
- maiden
- q'ina'
- too
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- whe:
- " I
- q'ina'
- too
- k'inawhlahł
- dreamed
"I, too, dreamed that," said the sister.
- hayah-mił
- And
- tiwima'
- there was a famine
- dunłungwho'-ding
- several
- me:nundiyay
- years.
For several years there was a famine.
- mine:jixomił
- After a time
- xutł'e'-dung'
- one morning
- min'-t'ah
- in the hall
- na[']xehsdinah-ts'iw
- moving she heard.
One morning the sister thought she heard someone moving outside.
- haya:ł
- And
- k'iye:
- again
- ła'
- one
- yehch'iwiłda'
- she carried in.
- yiwidin-e:-mił
- Finally
- minłung
- ten
- yehwingyay
- came in
- hay
- those
- xomije'e:din'
- her children.
- 'unłung
- many
- xola:n
- there were.
- haya:ł
- And
- ch'o:nahłts'it
- she knew
- xwunchwing
- her mother
- hay
- that
- k'ehłtsa:n
- maiden.
Then she took in another and another until she had taken in ten children which had been born to her mother.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said
- hay
- that
- tsumehstł'o:n
- woman,
- na:'ndiyay
- "They came back.
- no[']te:diqeh-tehł
- They were about to starve,
- nikilxay
- your brothers."
"I have come back," said the mother, "these your brothers were about to starve."
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- she thought,
- 'e:wa:k
- "Poor things,
- ma:k'iwhkit
- I better feed them
- xolisch
- quick.
"Poor things," thought the girl, "I had better hurry and feed them."
- haya:ł
- And
- ma[']k'iłkit
- she fed the little one.
- 'aht'ing
- "All
- xolisch
- quick
- ky'ohyung
- eat,"
- ch'ide:ne'
- she said.
She fed the smallest one and told the others to eat as fast as they could.
- ch'inilgit
- She was afraid of
- hay
- that
- q'ung-ch'iwichwil
- young man.
She was afraid of the young man, her brother.
- na:'ndiyay
- he came back.
- yehk'inge:n
- He brought in
- k'iłixun
- a deer.
When he came back at night he brought in a deer.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- she said,
- hay
- that
- tsumehstł'o:n
- woman,"
- ts'ehdiyah
- I am glad
- whiwhxiy'
- my boy
"I am glad my boy," said the woman, "for I am going to eat."
- do: ch'ixonehł'e'n
- he did not look at her.
- ch'e:na[']indiyay
- He went back out.
He did not even look at her, but turned around and went out.
- haya:ł
- And
- k'iye:
- again
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said
- hay
- that
- k'ehłtsa:n
- maiden,
- yehnunda:wh
- "Come in
- na:k'ingyung
- eat again."
The following evening the girl went to the sweat-house entrance and said, "Come and eat."
- haya:ł
- And
- daw
- "No,"
- ch'ide:ne'
- he said.
- diywho'
- "Things
- łe:na:k'ilah-ne'
- gather together.
"No," he said, "gather up your things.
- q'a:de'
- Pretty soon
- nohxontaw'
- our house
- me:w
- under
- na[']k'isqot-te:
- he is going to poke.
- nohxa:
- After us
- ch'iningyay
- has come
- ma:lyeh-xw 'a:nohch'e'iliw
- always took care of us."
I have found our father; he has come for us. Soon he will push a stick under our house."
- haya:ł
- And
- yehna[']widyay
- she went in
- hay
- the
- k'ehłtsa:n
- maiden.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ta[']k'ime:tł'
- she made soup.
- ła:n
- Much
- xwa:ya[']k'iłkit
- she fed them.
The girl went back to the house and made a quantity of soup that they might all have plenty to eat.
- hayah-mił
- And
- k'iwinya'n
- acorns
- -tah
- beside
- na[']ditehłwa:tł'
- she emptied down.
- ło:q'
- Salmon
- -tah
- too
- ch'ite:chway
- she buried in several places.
When the rest were asleep she emptied down some acorns and buried some salmon under the earthen floor.
- xutł'e'-e:-mił
- At midnight
- me:w
- under
- na[']k'isqot
- he poked.
- wing'a'
- went
- hay
- the
- xontah
- house,
- hay
- the
- ta:kiwh
- sweat-house
- q'ina'
- too.
At midnight the father pushed a stick under both the house and sweat-house and they went of their own accord under the water.* There their father, a water sprite,** lived.
*For another instance of this singular method of house-moving see p. 149.
**This sprite's name is Xaslinme Kuntcu:wiltcwil, "Riffle in young man." He lives in the riffle below the Miskut ford and has a love song which the Hupa men sing to win the hearts of the maidens.
- ch'e:ya'insit-hit
- when they woke up
- xontah
- house
- 'e:ding
- without
- 'ungya'
- they saw
- ya:'iste:ch'
- they lay.
The next morning when the others woke up they saw they were lying without a house to cover them.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ch'ite:ng'e'n
- looked about
- hay tsumehstł'o:n
- the woman.
- diywhe'eh
- Nothing
- do: na:silq'a:s
- was left.
The woman looked about but saw nothing left.
- haya:ł
- And
- xa[']k'iwingwhe'
- she began to dig
- min'-t'ah
- in the hall.
- hayah
- There
- 'ungya'
- she saw
- ło:q'
- salmon
- wichwa:
- buried,
- k'iwingya'n
- acorns
- 'ungya'
- she saw
- q'ina'
- too
- na:ya:diwilwa:tł'
- were lying there.
Then she began to dig in the wood-room where she found acorns and salmon buried.