TOBE TATO, ZHORITISYE, ORATI: MARY STADNYK’S STORIES

Mom was wonderful at telling stories and jokes. 

Over and over again we asked to hear the “song/chant” about a young man talking his father into buying a car: 

Tobe, Tato, zhoritisye, sye-ati, orati.

Mi-nye, Tatoo, zhoritisye yak to garoo mati.

Ah vi, Tatoo, coo-peet mi-nyee garoo.

Ah ya boodoo z Mi-low na piragee

Ah vi z Mamoo zadoo.

Ah ya boodoo steermoovati,

Ah Mila troo-beeti.

Ah vi z Mamoonankoo boodati sigeeti.

Oozhiw garoo na dorohoo.

Pontiacih, Chevroletih

Ya ooshikh minaiyoo.

Yeedoo dalyee

Dorohi niznaiyoo.

Vay-yeekho na corner;

Ni-stalo dorohi.

Gara syi pervernoola;

Polomiw si nohih.

Kazhi Tato garoo prodavati;

Nohi reekhtoovati.

Ah ya garoo po feex-soo-yoo

Shob dobri robila.

Ah ya nohoo zeebyoo chvikom

Tai booda kho-di-la.

Summer, 1965:  Dad let me get behind the steering wheel of the car in the top picture.  Being the most silent man in the world, he gave me almost no directions at all -- just sat there, patiently.  When I got going too fast and hit three deep ruts together on a gravel road, Dad never said a word.  He just came around, drove the car out of the ditch, and let me take over again.