Lower Umpqua texts ; and, Notes on the Kusan dialects / by Leo J. Frachtenberg.

  • Leo J. Frachtenberg
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Lower Umpqua texts ; and, Notes on the Kusan dialects / by Leo J. Frachtenberg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/172 (page 39)
    'rims Crow said: “I will ^ive you this iny lio'htnine, so that the river may always be dry.” 'Then he gave him the lightning. And that man ('rimnder) gave him the dry (condition of the) river. I'hat is how rivers came to be dry. “ Whenever you say something, you will always make lightning.” 'bhus (Crow) said to him, '‘Make light- ning, O friend!” So he made liglitning, while Crow spoke 'flmnder’s language. Thus (Crow) said to him, “You (are) right!” Thus he told him. “(Speak) again Crow’s lan- guage.” And he spoke it. “You shall always talk thus.” 'rims he told him. “ Whatever person may intend to come (here) from anywhere, you shall always announce this event.” 'bhus he told him. “You will speak thus forever. Wherever you may hnd a person, you will relate it. You will always watch (out whether) something bad is going to happen.” 'bhus he told him, and thus it was always (done). Such is Crow’s custom to-day. Wherever he sees you, he always speaks to you. biere finally it ends. Thus (is told the) story about Crow and 'Flmnder. 6. The Girls and the Stars {Coos). bhey were living on a small place. Many people were living there. (One day) thus said a younger sister: “Sup- ])Ose we two sleep outside?” It was a very beautiful night, 'bhen all said thus to one another. “Very good, we will sleep outdoors.” They were all women. bhey went outside. They intended to sleep outside. (At first) they ® See note i on p. 34; also Coos Texts, Vol. I of this series, p. 50•, and R. B. Dixon, Maidu Texts (Publications of the American Ethnological Society, Vol. IV, p. 185). The exact rendering of this pronominal particle in this passage is rather obscure.