ic winter in
a little stone hut, called an "igloo."

In the summer they live in a tent, which they call a "tupik." The
winters are very long and cold, and what do you think! They have one
night there that is four whole months long!

For four long months, while we are having Thanksgiving, and Christmas,
and even Lincoln's Birthday, the twins never once see the sun!

But at last one day in early spring the sun comes up again out of the
sea, looks at the world for a little while, and then goes out of sight
again. Each day he stays for a longer time until after a while he
doesn't go out of sight at all!

Then there are four long months of daylight when there is never any
bedtime. Menie and Monnie just go to sleep whenever they feel sleepy.

Although many Eskimos think twins bring bad luck, Kesshoo and Koolee
were very glad to have two babies.

They would have liked it better still if Monnie had been a boy, too,
because boys grow up to hunt and fish and help get food for the family.

But Kesshoo was the best hunter and the best kyak man in the whole
village. So he said to Koolee, "I suppose there must be girls in the
world. It is no worse for us than for others."

So because Kesshoo was a brave fisherman and strong hunter, and because
Koolee was clever in making clothing and shoes out of the skins of the
animals which he brought home, the twins had the very best time that
little Eskimo children can have.

And that is quite a good time, as you will see if you read all about it
in this book.

I. THE TWINS GO COASTING

THE TWINS GO COASTING

I.

One spring morning, very early, while the moon still shone and every
one else in the village was asleep, Menie and Monnie crept out of the
dark entrance of their little stone house by the sea.

The entrance to their little stone house was long and low like a
tunnel. The Twins were short and fat. But even if they were short they
could not stand up straight in the tunnel.

So they crawled out on all fours. Nip and Tup came with them. Nip and
Tup were on all fours, too, but they had run that way all their lives,
so they could go much faster than the twins. They got out first.

Then they ran round in circles in the snow and barked at the moon. When
Menie and Monnie came out of the hole, Tup jumped up to lick Monnie's
face. He bumped her so hard that she fell right into the snowbank by
the entrance.

Monnie didn't mind a bit. She just put her two fat arms aroun