Atondido Stories
He had his wife put her hand on his breast to feel the arrow-
head which he declared was working its way into his heart. She
could feel nothing but his heart beating like a trip-hammer with
no sign of an arrow-point. But she said nothing, for her brothers
were whispering, "We don't believe that story about the arrow-
point! How could he live with an arrow in his heart?"
They rested two or three times more, he sinking upon their
backs as before; but when they saw the far-off shore before them
father goose said, "We can wait for you no more," for they were
eager to reach the land and find food.
They all arose and flew on, Raven slowly flapping along be-
hind, for his wings felt heavy. The geese kept steadily on toward
the shore, while he sank lower and lower, getting nearer to the
dreaded water. When the waves were almost touching him he
shrieked to his wife:
"Leave me the white stone; it has magical powers. Throw me
the white stone."
Thus he kept crying until suddenly his wings lost their pow-
er and he floated helplessly on the water as the geese gained the
shore. He tried to rise from the water but his wings seemed to be
weighted down, and he drifted back and forth along the beach.
The waves arose and one whitecap after another broke over him
till he was soaked, and it was only with the greatest difficulty
that he could get his beak above the surface to breathe a little be-
tween the billows.
After a long time a great wave cast him upon the land, and as
it flowed back he dug his claws into the sand to save himself
from being dragged back into the sea. As soon as he was able he
struggled up the beach, an unhappy looking object. The water
ran in streams from his soaked feathers and his wings dragged
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