Page:Eskimo Folk-Tales (1921).djvu/149

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ESKIMO FOLK-TALES
129

was given raven’s meat to eat. Afterwards she was well fed by the other villagers there, and next morning when she was setting out to go home, they all gave her meat to take with her; all save Qasiagssaq, who gave her nothing.

And time went on, and once he was out as usual in his kayak, and when he came home in the evening, he said:

“I have found a dead whale; to-morrow we must all go out in the umiak and cut it up.”

Next day many umiaks and kayaks set out to the eastward, and when they had rowed a long way in, they asked:

“Where is it?”

“Over there, beyond that little ness,” he said.

And they rowed over there, and when they reached the place, there was nothing to be seen. So they asked again:

“Where is it?”

“Over there, beyond that little ness.”

And they rowed over there, but when they reached the place, there was nothing to be seen. And again they asked:

“Where is it? Where is it?”

“Up there, beyond the little ness.”

And again they reached the place and rowed round it, and there was nothing to be seen.

Then the others said:

“Qasiagssaq is lying as usual. Let us kill him.”

But he answered:

“Wait a little; let us first make sure that it is a lie, and if you do not see it, you may kill me.”

And again they asked:

“Where is it?”

“Yes… where was it now… over there beyond that little ness.”

And now they had almost reached the base of that great fjord, and again they rounded a little ness farther in, and there was nothing to be seen. Therefore they said:

“He is only a trouble to us all: let us kill him.”

And at last they did as they had said, and killed him.