THE ORIGIN OF THE NARWHAL 



sure that it was the skin of the bear he had shot. 

 J3ut he said nothing more. His mother was anx- 

 ious to make peace with him, and offered him 

 food and clothing, which he refused to take. 



He went to the other Inuit who lived in the 

 same village and made a spear and a harpoon of 

 the same pattern as they used. Then he watched 

 them throw the harpoons, and in a short time he 

 became an expert hunter and could catch many 

 white whales. 



But he could not forget his anger at his mother. 

 He said to his sister, " I will not come home while 

 our mother lives in the house. She abused me 

 while I was blind and helpless, and she mistreated 

 you for pitying me. We will not kill her, but we 

 will get rid of her and then live together. Will 

 you do what I have planned? " 



She agreed. Then he went to hunt white 

 whales. As he had no kayak he stood on shore, 

 winding the end of the harpoon string around his 

 body, and taking a firm footing so he could hold 

 the whale until it quieted down and died. Some- 

 times his sister went along to help him hold the 

 line. 



One day his mother went to the beach, and he 

 tied the string around her body and told her to 

 take a firm footing. She was a trifle nervous for 



47 



