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 with- 

 out 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 giv- 

 ing 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 



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