there were only two. But then one
of those two began to yawn, and at last rolled over and snored.
And now the great finder of hidden things began calling down sleep
with all his might over that one remaining. And at last he too began
to move towards the sleeping place. Then he began to yawn a little,
and at last he also rolled over.
Now Angangujuk's father went in quickly, and now he caught up his
son. But now the child had no clothes on. And looking for them, he
saw them hung up on the drying frame. But the house was so high that
they had to poke down the clothes with poles.
At last they came out, and walked and walked and came farther on. And
it was now beginning to be light. As soon as they came to the place,
they cut the moorings of the umiak, and hastily made all ready, and
rowed out to the farthest islands. They had just moved away from land
when they saw a number of people opposite the house.
But when the inland folk saw they had already moved out from the land,
they went up to the house and beat it down, beating down roof and
walls and all that there was of it.
After that time, Angangujuk's parents never again took up their
dwelling on the mainland.
Here ends this story.
ATARSSUAQ
Atarssuaq had many enemies. But his many enemies tried in vain to
hurt him, and they could not kill him.
Then it happened that his wife bore him a son. Atarssuaq came back
from his hunting one day, and found that he had a son. Then he took
that son of his and bore him down to the water and threw him in. And
waited until he began to kick out violently, and then took him up
again. And so he did with him every day for long after, while the
child was growing. And thus the boy became a very clever swimmer.
And one day Atarssuaq caught a fjord seal, and took off the skin all
in one piece, and dried it like a bladder, and made his son put it
on when he went swimming.
One day he felt a wish to see how clever the boy had become. And said
to him therefore:
"Go out now and swim, and I will follow after you."
And the father brought down his kayak and set it in the water, and
his son watched him. And then he said:
"Now you swim out." And he made his father follow him out to sea,
while he swam more and more under water. As soon as he came to the
surface, his father rowed to where he was, but every time he took
his throwing stick to cast a small harpoon, he disappeared.
And when his father thought they
|