I
to tell you an Eskimo story. Nobody
how long the Eskimos
in northern Canada on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Their life
usually very hard and although it
a little easier with the arrival of electricity and
other modern conveniences, it
by the climate and the need to hunt for food.
Before the time of supermarkets and imported
food, in winter the only way to get fresh meat
by killing a seal. Seals
most of their time swimming in the water
under the ice but from time to time they
to put their noses through a hole in the ice
so that they can breathe. This
the moment when a patient hunter could strike
at the seal with his weapon, a harpoon. This story
about one of these hunters.
comfortably? Then I.
One day an old man
seal hunting on the ice a short distance from the
land. Near to his chosen hunting spot there
a steep cliff, on top of which there
a high bank of snow. Below this cliff some children and
while they
a game.
The hunter
silent and motionless beside a breathing hole where
he
a seal the day before. For a long time nothing;
then he
the sound of a seal breathing. Just as he
his harpoon, ready to strike, the silence!!
The noise of the children playing at the foot of the cliff
the old man and
the seal, which.
The old man
his harpoon in a bad mood and,
'Those children!! I wish they
so noisy. If only they
just then. I hope the cliff of snow
and
them!!'
Once more the hunter
by the breathing hole. Again the seal .
And again just as the hunter
to strike, the children
out laughing and the seal
away unharmed.
The old hunter now
upon his magic powers. He
to the spirits which
bad luck: 'When the children
again, send snow to bury them!!'
Suddenly an avalanche of snow
from the top of the cliff and
the children. Their cries
for a long time, but gradually they
weaker until at last everyone
silent.
When the parents of the children
what
they
revenge. Just as they
to catch him, the old man
upon his magic powers one last time and
himself into the air. The parents
him rise into the sky and turn into a shooting star.
On a clear night, if you
carefully, you
the old man running away across the sky.
