ows in the same
position as it had. Then, turning about, it crawled out as it had
come, followed by the people, who were forced to go with it. Outside,
the skeleton crept through the snow toward the edge of the village,
followed by all the men, and in a short time every one of them was
dead and the skeleton had vanished.

Some of the villagers had been absent when the spook came, and when
they returned they found dead people lying all about on the cold
ground. Entering the kashim, they found the orphan boy, who told them
how the people had been killed.

They followed the tracks of the skeleton through the snow, and were
led up the side of the mountain till they came to an ancient grave,
where the tracks ended.

It was the grave of the boy's father.

XXVIII

THE MARMOT AND THE RAVEN

Once when a Raven was flying over some reefs near the shore of the
sea, he was seen by some Sea-birds that were perched on the rocks.
They began to revile him, calling him disagreeable names: "Oh, you
offal eater! Oh, you carrion eater! Oh, you black one!" until the
Raven turned and flew away, crying, "_Gnak, gnak, gnak_! why do they
call me such names?"

He flew far away across the great water until he came to a mountain on
the other side, where he stopped. Just in front of him he saw a marmot
hole. He said to himself, "If it is a disgrace to eat dead animals I
will eat only live ones. I will become a murderer."

He stood in front of the hole watching, and very soon the marmot came
home, bringing some food. Marmot said to Raven, "Please stand aside;
you are right in front of my door."

"It is not my intention to stand aside," said Raven. "They called me a
carrion eater, and I will show that I am not, for I will eat you."

"If you are going to eat me, you ought to be willing to do me a
favor," replied Marmot. "I have heard that you are a very fine dancer,
and I long to see you dance before I die. If you dance as beautifully
as they say, I shall be willing to die when once I have seen it. If
you will dance I will sing, and then you may eat me."

This pleased Raven so much that he began to dance and Marmot pretended
to go into ecstasies about it.

"Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, how well you dance!" he sang. "Oh, Raven,
Raven, Raven, how well you dance!"

By and by they stopped to rest and Marmot said, "I am very much
delighted with your dancing. Do shut your eyes and dance your best
just once more, while I sing."

Raven