l come."

He went to the hut where the old woman pretended to be very glad to
see him. They sat down at the table and while she was placing a large
dish of soup before him, he put a bowl on the floor between his feet.
He excused himself for putting his hand before his mouth because his
front teeth were gone, and every time he poured the spoonful into the
bowl.

When he had finished he said, "It is the custom in my tribe to bring
your hostess a bit of some delicious food to show that you appreciate
her hospitality. Here is a bowl of rare food which I give to you, but
it will not be good unless you eat it at once."

He gave the soup to the old witch, and the moment she tasted the broth
she herself had prepared she fell down dead.

XII

THE ORIGIN OF THE NARWHAL

A long, long time ago a widow lived with her young son and daughter in
a small hut. They had a hard time to get enough to eat. But the boy
was anxious to do all he could, and while he was still quite small he
made a bow and arrows of walrus tusks which he found under the snow.
With these weapons he shot birds for their food.

He had no snow goggles and one day when the sun shone bright and he
was hunting, he became utterly blind. He had a hard time finding his
way back to the hut and when he got there without any game, his mother
was so disappointed that instead of pitying him for his blindness she
became angry with him.

From that time she ill-treated him, never giving him enough to eat. He
was a growing boy and needed a great deal of food, and she thought he
wanted more than his share, so she gave him less, and would not allow
her daughter to give him anything. So the boy lived on, half
starving, and was very unhappy.

One day a polar bear came to the hut and thrust his head right through
the window. They were all much frightened, and the mother gave the boy
his bow and arrows and told him to kill the animal.

"But I cannot see the window and I shall miss the bear. Then it will
be furious and will eat us," he said.

"Quick, brother! I will level the bow," said his sister.

So he shot and killed the bear, and the mother and sister went out and
skinned it and buried the meat in the snow.

"Don't you dare to tell your brother that he killed the bear," said
the mother. "We must make this meat last all winter."

When they went back into the hut she said to her son, "You missed the
bear. He ran away as soon as he saw you take your bow and arr