XXVII 

 THE RED SKELETON 



IN a village on Cape Prince of Wales, very 

 long ago, there was a poor orphan boy who had 

 no one to take his part and who was treated badly 

 by everyone, being made to run here and there at 

 the bidding of all the villagers. 



One snowy night he was told to go out of the 

 kashim to see if the weather was getting worse. 

 He had no skin boots, and it was so cold that he 

 did not wish to go, but he was driven out. When 

 he came back he said, " It has stopped snowing, 

 but it is as cold as ever." 



Just to plague him, the men kept sending him 

 out every little while, until at last he came in say- 

 ing: 



" I saw a ball of fire like the moon coming over 

 the hill to the north." 



The men laughed at him and asked, " Why do 

 you tell us a yarn like that? Go out again and 

 see if there is not a whale coming over the hill. 

 You are always seeing things." 



108 



