Coos Texts: Miscellaneous Tales: 10. The Woman Who Married the Seal

A woman went in a canoe down the river. Close to the shore she was travelling in a canoe. Suddenly she saw a man. "Halloo, my wife!" The man she saw was good-looking. "What are you always looking for?" Thus spoke the man. "I am looking for some food all the time." So said the woman. "We two will go home," he said to her. Indeed, she was so inclined. "You will have much food, all kinds of food." Thus he said to the woman.

Indeed, they two went. "Won't people be looking for me?" Thus the woman was thinking. "You are not going anywhere. You will always be seen." So he told her. "You will, at any rate, leave your canoe here, and your father will find your canoe. We two will go down into the water. Hold me by this my belt." Thus he spoke to the woman. "You must close your eyes when we two go down."--"Won't I lose my breath?" Thus the woman was thinking. "We two will go (through) to a house." Thus he spoke to her. "When I tell you so, then you shall look." Surely, they two went down (into the water). They two went down into the water. Indeed, the woman closed her eyes as they were going down (into the water). They came to a house. The people she saw living there (looked) like persons.

The man went home, and made it known. "I saw the woman among seals." Thus he made it known when he returned. "We will head them off." Many people started down the stream. They saw, indeed, many seals on the sand beach, and there amongst (them) was the woman. The woman was shouting, "I am cold!" Thus the woman was talking. Indeed, they headed them off. The woman ran first into the water. Thus the people were talking. "We cannot seize her." So the men were saying. They recognized the woman. They gave it up. "We doubt whether we shall catch her." Thus the men were speaking.