Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/150

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MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF

BIRD BEGINNINGS

Eastern Eskimo

RAVENS.—Raven used to be a man. Now in those days, people moved about a great deal, hunting and fishing. One day a whole village was preparing to move. They were collecting their blankets and cooking boxes. Raven kept calling to someone that he had forgotten his kak—forgotten the lower blanket of deerskin used for a bed. Raven kept calling "Kak, kak, kak!" People said, "Get the kak yourself. Go back for it yourself." So Raven did, but he hurried so that he was changed into a bird.

Raven still follows the camps. Even to this day when a camp is being moved, Raven flies over it and shouts, "Kak, kak, kak!" because he is afraid they will forget the blankets.

Gulls.—Some people in a boat wanted to go around a long point of land. Now the water was always rough at the point, and some of the women were told to get out and cross the neck of land. One woman got out with her children in order to lighten the load, but when she got on shore, the noise of the water prevented her from

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