Atondido Stories
settled down for the night and fell asleep. In the morning the
geese were making ready to start without waiting for breakfast,
and Raven's stomach cried out for more of the berries. But father
goose said they could not wait, and he dared not object to start-
ing. The brothers-in-law had secretly urged the father not to
wait, for they said, "Our sister needs to have some of the conceit
about that husband of hers taken out of her; and so does he."
Raven dreaded the long flight across the sea, for he heard father
goose say, "We will make only one stop in crossing this water.
There is an island in the center of it, and there we will rest for a
short time and then go on to the farther shore."
Raven was ashamed to say that he feared he could never
reach that farther shore, so he determined to keep still and risk
it; and off they all flew.
The geese kept steadily on and on. After a long time Raven
began to fall behind. His wide-spread wings ached, yet the geese
kept steadily and untiringly on. His vanity was no longer grati-
fied by admiring remarks from his companions, for he was flap-
ping heavily along. Sometimes he would glide on outspread pin-
ions for a time, hoping to ease his tired wings, but he fell farther
and farther behind.
Finally the geese looked back and the brothers said, sarcas-
tically, "We thought he was light and active." The father goose
said, "He must be getting tired. We must not press him too hard.
We will rest."
The geese sank upon the water close together, and Raven
came laboring up and dropped upon their backs, gasping for
breath. In a short time he partially recovered and, putting one
hand on his breast, said, "I have an arrow-head here from an old
war I was in, and it pains me greatly; that is the reason I fell be-
hind."
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