and a walrus. The
bear blew her in under the bedplace, but when it drew in its breath
again, she came out from under the bedplace and stopped at the passage
way. In this manner it went on for a long time. But now she made
ready to go out, and said then to the listeners:
"All through this night none may yawn or wink an eye." And then she
went out.
At the same moment when she went out, the bear took her in its teeth
and flung her out over the ice. Hardly had she fallen on the ice again,
when the walrus thrust its tusks into her and flung her out across the
ice, but the bear ran along after her, keeping beneath her as she flew
through the air. Each time she fell on the ice, the walrus thrust its
tusks into her again. It seemed as if the outermost islands suddenly
went to the bottom of the sea, so quickly did she move outwards. They
were now almost out of sight, and not until they could no longer see
the land did the walrus and the bear leave her. Then she could begin
again to go towards the land.
When at last she could see the cliffs, it seemed as if there were
clouds above them, because of the driving snow. At last the wind came
down, and the ice began at once to break up. Now she looked round on
all sides, and caught sight of an iceberg which was frozen fast. And
towards this she let herself drift. Hardly had she come up on to the
iceberg, when the ice all went to pieces, and now there was no way
for her to save herself. But at the same moment she heard someone
beside her say:
"Let me take you in my kayak." And when she looked round, she saw a
man in a very narrow kayak. And he said a second time:
"Come and let me take you in my kayak. If you will not do this,
then you will never taste the good things Qujavarssuk has paid you."
Now the sea was very rough, and yet she made ready to go. When a wave
lifted the kayak, she sprang down into it. But as she dropped down,
the kayak was nearly upset. Then, as she tried to move over to the
other side of it, she again moved too far, and then he said:
"Place yourself properly in the middle of the kayak."
And when she had done so, he tried to row, for it was his purpose to
take her with him in his kayak, although the sea was very rough. Then
he rowed out with her. And when he had come a little way out, he
sighted land, but when they came near, there was no place at all where
they could come up on shore, and at the moment when the wave took them,
he said:
"Now try
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