RAVEN MAKES AN OCEAN VOYAGE 



body called out, "Ah, see what I have found ! A 

 fire-drill inside a whale! " 



At once the wily Raven rolled down his sleeves 

 and quit work, saying, " That is a bad sign, for 

 my daughter has told me that if a fire-drill is 

 found in a whale and people try to cut up that 

 whale, many of them will die. I shall run away 

 before the inua of the whale catches me." And 

 away he ran. 



When he was gone the people looked at one 

 another and said, " Perhaps he is right ; we'd bet- 

 ter go too." And away they all ran, each one 

 trying to rub the oil from his hands as he went. 



From his hiding-place Raven looked on and 

 laughed as he saw the people running away. 

 Then he went back for his raven coat and when 

 he had put it on and pulled down his beak he flew 

 to the carcass and began to cut it up and fly with 

 chunks of the flesh to a cave on the shore. He 

 did not dare go to it as a man lest the villagers 

 should see him and, discovering the trick he had 

 played them, should come back for the meat. As 

 he chuckled over the feast in store for him he 

 said, " Thanks, Ghost of the whale, both for the 

 boat ride and for the feast." 



107 



