SCENES Y OF THE GROUP. 181 



and saw a number of black objects like beasts. They 

 lay so still that he landed and took np one, and found ii 

 to be a seal-skin. He watched the dancers for some 

 time, and when the sun began to rise the music suddenly 

 ceased, and they all hurried down to the shore. Harold 

 dropped the seal-skin into his boat, pushed off, and pulled 

 away to a short distance, to see what would happen next. 

 Each person seized a seal-skin, put it on, and plunged 

 into the sea. 



One woman alone was left, and she went along the 

 shore seeking the seal-skin which Harold had taken. He 

 put back to the island, spoke to her, and then recognised 

 her as his own mother, who had been drowned many 

 years before. She told him that all drowned persons 

 became seals, and once a month they were allowed to 

 resume their human form and come on shore at sunset, 

 and dance till sunrise. She begged hard for her seal- 

 skin, which at first he refused to give up ; but on her 

 promising that he should have the prettiest maiden in all 

 Seal-land for his wife, he gave it back. She desired him 

 to return to Borey that day month : she would then 

 show him the seal-skin of the girl who should be his 

 bride, and he was to keep the skin carefully hidden from 

 the owner, whom he would thus have in his own power. 



On the night appointed Harold went again to Borey ; 

 again he heard the beautiful music, and saw the mys- 

 terious dancers. His mother went to the shore and laid 

 her hand on a seal-skin, which Harold put into his boat, 

 then rowed home and concealed it. Before sunrise he 



