Atondido Stories
Going along the beach he found a long, flat stone with a hollow
in one surface, and in this the oil remained very well, and with a
lighted moss wick he found it much pleasanter to get about his
house at night. The bearskin he hung up for a curtain to his door
to keep out the cold wind.
In this way he lived for many days, but he was a human be-
ing now, and needed human society. He remembered the two
young men he had seen on the beach when, as an owl, he sat on
the post on the shore.
"Two men passed here once, and I liked them," said he. "They
may live not far from here. I should like to see someone like my-
self. I will go seek them."
He went in search of people. Wandering along the coast for
some distance he came to two fine new kayaks lying at the foot
of a hill, and in the kayaks were spears, lines, floats, and other
hunting implements. After examining these curiously, he noticed
a path leading up to a hill. He followed the path and on the top
of the hill he found a house with two storehouses near it and
several recently killed white whales and many skulls around it.
Wishing to see the people in the house before showing himself,
he went with noiseless steps into the entrance way and up to the
door. Cautiously lifting one corner of the skin curtain that hung
in the doorway, he looked in. Opposite the doorway was a
young man sitting at work on some arrows, while a bow lay be-
side him. He dropped the curtain and stood for some time in
doubt as to how to proceed.
"If I enter the house he may shoot me before I have time to
make known my good will," thought he. But in the end he
thought, "If I enter and say, 'I have come, brother,' he will not
hurt me." So, raising the curtain quickly, he entered.
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