Well, there was a famine, and this man always provided really good for his family, he went out and he went hunting and he went fishing, and they always had a lot of food, and then there was a famine, there was no deer, there was no salmon, hardly nothing, and so he went out hunting every day, and he went further and further away.

And finally he got so far away, he's camping out, trying to find a deer, and then the mother of the children, they got a bunch of little children, she said, "Well, I'm going to go look for my husband." She got tired of the kids crying, 'cause they're hungry, and she'd go out, dig roots and feed them whatever she could find, so she got tired of it so she went looking for her husband, and she told the kids, "You guys stay in the house, don't go outside, keep the fire going, there's a lot of wood, and go out in the morning and you dig for root or something and eat that, and stay alive, 'cause we're going to come home, and we're going to find your father and we're going to put on... have baskets full of salmon eyes on top." ('Cause salmon eyes is something that kids really like.) "And we're going to have salmon cheeks." (Y'know, the little meat in the cheeks of the salmon.) "We're going to have a whole basket of that for you, and we're going to have deer meat and everything, we're going to bring baskets of food, so you stay and you think about that."

So then she left. Well, she walked around and walked around. Finally she found her husband, he was way up north, probably up here somewhere. He was fishing. He had a lot of salmon, all right, he'd been drying salmon, but he kind of lost track of time, and so they got back together. So, "OK, now let's go home and find the kids."

So, meanwhile the kids are starving to death and they go outside, to have something to do, and they sing, they dance and they sing: [the song] they say. And then they go back in and they go back to sleep. One day they came out. They all died, they turned into wildflowers.

And so here come the mother and the father with all the baskets of food and everything. And then she said, and he scolded her, he said, "Why didn't you stay with the kids, y'know, when she first came and met him, why didn't you stay with the kids? You're supposed to stay with your kids, don't leave the children, y'know, find something for them to eat, you have to take care of them."

"Oh," she said, "but it was just too much for me, I couldn't listen to them crying 'cause they're hungry, and this and that." So, as they come closer, she hear this singing, says: [the song] they sing. [She] said, "That's the kids, they're happy, they're singing, they must have found something to eat."

So they come closer, and the singing got louder, and they came right up to the house, there's no children but there whole around the house is all wildflowers, beautiful wildflowers. They looked inside, there's no children, they had all turned to wildflowers.

So that's why you're not supposed to leave your children. That was supposed to be a lesson for women, young women I guess, I don't know.

[Justin Spence speaking: ] Do you want to tell that story in Hupa?

Well, I guess I could.

Okay, so you want me to tell it now?

[Justin Spence speaking: ] Sure.

Okay.

dahungwho'-dun'

a long time ago

ch'in

[they say]

ch'idehłts'e:

they were living

xo'osday

a man

xo'ut

his wife

na:y

and

A long time ago a man and his wife were living.

ya:xomije'e:din'

their children

ła:n

a lot

me:lah

some of them

ya:misGe'gi-din-din

they are small yet

They had a lot of children, and some of them are small yet.

haya:ł

and then

k'iwiyul

food

ła:n

lots

wun-na'uya'

he always works on

diywho'

stuff

k'iwinay'ida'-tah

like hunting

diywho'

stuff like

dahch'e'ida'-tah

he goes fishing and so on

diywho'

things

łung-xw-'unt'e:

a whole variety

ła:n

a lot of

ya:'uł'a:n

they have it

And then he always works on getting lots of food, stuff like hunting and fishing and so on, and they have a lot of food.

mine:jixomił

after a while

tiwima'

there was a famine

diywhe'eh do:-xohsle'

everything became scarce

After awhile there was a famine, you couldn't get no food.

xoh

in vain

na'uya'

he goes around

'aht'in-ding

everywhere

k'iwunay'ida'

he always hunts

do: ch'iłtsis

he never sees anything

ła'a-heh

not even one

k'iłixun

deer

In vain he goes around hunting, he never sees a deer, not even one.

diywhe'eh

[nothing]

do: ch'iłtsis

he never sees

ła'ay-xw q'ut

all during that time

haya:ł

[and then]

All during that time he never saw anything.

hay

that

k'iwiyul

food

ya:'uła:-ne'in

they used to have a variety of it

do:-xohsle'-te: sile'n

it's almost gone

yiwiding-hit

after a while

They used to have a lot of food, but after a while it's getting depleted.

haya:ł

and then

nisah-din-din

further away

ch'itina:wh sile'n

he went

k'iwinay'ida'

hunting

And then he went further away hunting.

daw

nope

diywhe'eh

not a thing

do: ch'iłtsis

he never seen

No, he never saw anything.

xo'ji-xo-din-din nisah

further and further away

ch'itehsyay

he went

nisah

way far away

ch'iqa:l-e:

he was walking along

He went further away, he was walking along way far away.

ch'iningyay-e:

he went so far away

yo:w-xw yiduq-din-din

way up north

to: me'

along the sea

yiduq

north

He went way up north along the sea.

hayah

there

'ungya'

he comes to realize

ła:n

a lot

diywho'

[things]

ch'iłtsa:n

he found

hayah

there

He came to realize that there was a lot (of food).

ło:q'i-tah

salmon

ła:n

a lot

na:liw

they are swimming around

haya:ł

[and then]

hayi wun-na:'usya'

he worked on it

ch'iwinda'

he stayed there

There's a lot of salmon swimming around, and then he worked on it, staying there a while.

miyeh-ts'isq'a'n

he half-cooked it

me:lah

some of it

ch'iłtsa:y

he dried it

haya:ł

[and then]

He half -cooked some of the salmon, and he dried some of it.

tsumehstł'o:n 'e'n

as for the woman

xontah-din

at home

ts'isda:

she's staying

mije'e:din mił

with the children

'a:xoł-ch'ide:ne'

he told her

dahungwho'

nowhere

do: tinya:wh-heh-ne'

don't go

As for the woman, she's staying at home with the children. He told her, "Don't go anywhere."

digyun

here

sinda:-ne'

you stay

"You stay here."

mije'e:din

children

wut-xolyun-ne'

watch them

haya:ł

[and then]

diywho'

something

xwa:

for them

ya:łtsisił-de'

you will find

ya'k'iwiyung'ił-te:

they will eat it

hayi-xw-de'

that way

do:-xolin no:ya'diqe:t

they wouldn't starve to death

"Watch the children. You will find something for them to eat, that way they won't starve to death."

haya:ł q'ut

and then

hayi-heh

even then

k'iye:-de'

again and again

mije'e:din

children

chwe:-me:yaydo:wehsle'

they got hungry

ya:nchwiw

they started crying

'a:ya:diwine'

they said

chwi-me:ya:do:dile:

we're hungry

And even then the children became hungry again. They started crying, saying "We're hungry!"

haya:ł

and then

xoje:'sil-ya:ytehs'a:n

they got on her nerves

Then they got on her nerves.

a:

oh

ch'ondehsne'

she's thinking

'usdo'

I wish

dahungwhe'eh

someplace

na:sey'

I could go

ya:miky'a:n'

away from them

"Oh," she thought, "I wish I could go someplace away from them."

haya:ł

and then

'a'de:ne'

she said

xoxa:na:ne:te'-te:

I'm going to look for him

hay nohta'

your father

Then she said, "I'm going to go look for your father."

haya:ł

then

na:ydił-te:

we will come back

diywho'

[something]

k'iwiyul

food

ła:n

a lot

na:k'iwidiwehł-te:

we will be bringing

haya:ł

[so]

hayi

that

wun-nohkyun-na:wa:-n'

you think about it

haya:ł

and then

hayi-xw

that

'a:ynohsin-ne'

you think

hayi-xw

that's what

'a:whił-ch'ide:ne'

she told me

"Then we will come back. We're going to be bringing back a lot of food." "So you think about that, what she told me."

diywho'

some things

k'ina:'

salmon eyeballs

miq'it

on top of it

dahna:sixun-te:

there will be a packet on it

There will be some a packet of salmon eyeballs sitting on top of it (the food).

k'e:da'ay-tah

even salmon heads

miq'it-din

on top of it

dahna:sixun-te:

it'll be way up there

Even salmon heads will be way up there on top of the package.

'aht'ing-xw 'unt'e:

every kind

k'iwiyul

food

nundiwin-te:

we'll pack it home

We're going to pack home all kinds of food.

haya:ł q'ut

and then

ya:de:lts'e'

they stayed

hay

those

mije'e:din

children

ch'itehsyay-e:

she went away

xong 'e'n

as for her

And then, those children stayed, but as for her she took off.

yo:w-xw

far away

ch'iqa:l-e:

she kept on going

hay

him

xoxa:na'nte:

she was looking for

hay xoxung'

her husband

She just kept on going far away, just looking for her husband.

haya:ł

[then]

mine:jixomił

after a while

yo:w

way up there

to: me'

along the shore

yiduqi

north

ch'iningyay-e:

she arrived there

hayah

there

'ungya'

she found

ts'isday-e:

he's staying

hay xoxun'

her husband

na'xołtsa:n

she found him

Then after a while she arrived way up north along the shore. She found her husband staying there.

'a:xoł-ch'ide:ne'

he told her

'a:nił-de:ne'

I told you

xontah-din

at home

sinda'

you stay

mije'e:din

kids

wut-xolyun-ne'

watch them

de:de'n

right here

k'iwiyul

food

ła:n

lots

na:k'ite:se:win-te:

I'm going to take home

wun-na:wha:y

I'm working at it

He told her, "I told you, you stay at home and watch the kids. There's lots of food right here that I'm going to take home, I'm working at it."

ło:q'i

salmon

niłtsa:y-tah

dried

ła:n

a lot

sile'n

there is

diywho'

[all kinds of stuff]]

k'iłixun niłtsa:y-tah

also deer jerky

There's a lot of dried salmon, also dried deer meat, a variety of things

ła:n

lots

ya:na:k'e:win-te:

I'm going to pack it

I'm going to pack lots of it.

haya:ł

and so

'a'de:ne'

she said

q'ut 'e'n do'n

[now]

niwhong-xw

just fine

ya:dehłts'e:

they are [staying]

hay

the

mije'e:din

kids

xontah-din

at home

do:-xolin

not

dahungwho'

nowhere

ya:tindil

they are going

and so she said, the kids are just fine at home, they're not going to go noplace

haya:ł

[then]

xehł

package

wun-na:'usya'

they worked on it

hayahujit

[then]

The they worked on packages (of food), then...

ya:na:ya'k'iwe:n

they both packed up

na'tehsde:tł'

they left

They both packed up, and they left.

haya:ł

[then]

mije'e:din 'e'n

as for the children

xontah-ding

at home

ya:dehłts'e:

they are [staying]

miday'-q'

outside

na:ya:'udił

they go around

As for the children, they're at home, they go around outside.

haya:ł

and then

na:yayk'e'aw sile'n

they started singing

na:yayk'e'e'aw

they always sing

And then they started singing. They always sing.

ts'iya:ha:ka' ts'iya:ha:ka'

(the song)

ya:de'ine'

they say

"{ts'iya:ha:ka' ts'iya:ha:ka'}," they say.

haya:ł

and then

yehna:ya'undil

they go back in

ya:ne'te:ch'

they go to bed

mije'e:din

children

'a:dixing

hungry, nothing to eat

xo'ji-xw-ding

more

And then they go back in the house and go to bed. They haven't had anything to eat.

haya:ł

and then

na'widil

they are coming back

xundin-nehwa:n

sort of closer

na'widil

they're coming back

And then they (the mother and father) are coming back, they're coming closer (to the place where they lived).

haya:ł

[then]

ne:da'ay-na:do:'a'

listen

xoł-ch'ide:ne'

she said

Then, "Listen," she said.

xwe:da'ay na:diwing'a'

he listened

So he listened.

ts'iya:ha:ka' ts'iya:ha:ka'

(the song)

ya'n-ts'iw

he heard them saying that

He heard them singing "{ts'iya:ha:ka' ts'iya:ha:ka'}."

na:ya'ky'a'ah-ts'iw

he hears them singing

dungwho'owh

somebody

He hears sombody singing (he hasn't seen them).

hayi do'n

it's them

ch'ide:ne'

she said

hay mije'e:din 'e'n

as for the children

niwhong-xw

good way

ya'dehłts'e:

they're living

"It's them," she said. "The children are living in a good way."

ya:xwe:n'

as for them

'a:da:

all by themselves

na:ya'ky'a'ah-ts'iw

she hears they're singing

diywho'owh do'n

something

ya:'ułtsa:n

they found it

ya'ky'a:n-tah

maybe they're eating

As for them, she hears that they're singing on their own. "Maybe they found something else to eat."

haya:ł

and then

hay

that

ya'k'e:we:l

they're packing it

xundin-ding

closer

xo'ji-xw-din-ding

even more

xundin-ding

closer

na'widil

they're coming

xo'ji-xw

more

nikyah-xw

louder

'a:k'ide:n'

[there is] a sound

ła'ay-xw q'ut

all at once

And then they're packing it along and they're coming closer. They came even closer and the sound of singing got louder. All at once ...

yehch'iwingxits'-te:-nehwun-ts'eh

they hear it, it's almost like they could fall in

ła'ay-xw q'ut

all at once

na:ky'a'ah-xosin-ts'iw

they hear they are singing

ts'iya:ha:ka' ts'iya:ha:ka'

(the song)

ya'n-ts'iw

they hear them sing

... they hear it's so loud it's almost like they're going to just fall in. All at once they hear them all singing.

xundin

right up to it

na'widil

they are coming

dundun'

nobody

na:wa'n

it is walking around

They're coming right up to the house, and there's nobody walking around.

'aht'in-ding

all over

xontah-ne'in

house

mina:di

all around it

xa:l'a'-xola:n

they see it started growing

'aht'ing-xw 'unt'e:

all kinds

k'ida:y'

flowers

ła'ay-xw q'ut

all at one time

tin

really

niwho:n

pretty

k'ida:y'

flowers

k'iwida:y'il

they're blooming

They realize that all kinds of flowers have sprouted g all over around around the house. All at once really pretty flowers are blooming.

hayi

those

de:

they realize

hay na:yayk'e'aw

that were singing

de:de:

they realize

hay mije'e:din-ne'ing

what used to be their children

'aht'ing

all

no:ya:'undiqe:di

they starved to death

They realize it was those who were singing. They realize that what had been their children all starved to death.

k'ida:y'

flowers

ya:'usle'n

they became

haya:ł

and then

xoh

in vain

yehna'winde:tł'

they came in

dundun'

nobody

sida:n'

there is

They had turned into flowers. They came into the house in vain, nobody was there.

hayi-ma:n

for that reason

'a:ya'de:ne'-ne'in

they used to say

mije'e:din do:

[not]

yo:w-xw

away

xe'e'mił

[one] throws them away

do:

[not]

wun-ch'itinahwh

[one] leaves them behind

For that reason they used to say, "You should never throw your children away from you or leave your children behind."

no:ya:'undiqeh-de'

if they starve to death

k'ida:y'

flowers

na:ya:'usdile'n-e:-te:

they might become

If they starve to death they might become flowers.

hayah no:nt'ik'

end of yarn

That's the end of the yarn.