RAVEN AND THE GEESE 



duck passed on, and Raven stood waiting with 

 bowed head. 



Very soon a family of white-front geese came 

 along, consisting of the parents with four sons 

 and a sister. Raven cried out, " Who wishes me 

 for a husband ? I am a fine hunter and am young 

 and handsome." 



As he finished speaking they alighted just be- 

 yond him, and he thought, " Surely, now I shall 

 get a wife." He looked about and found a 

 pretty white stone with a hole in it lying near. 

 He picked it up and, stringing it on a long grass 

 stem, hung it about his neck. 



As soon as he had done this he pushed up his 

 bill so that it slid to the top of his head like a 

 mask, and he became a dark-colored young man. 

 At the same time each of the geese pushed up its 

 bill in the same manner, and they became nice- 

 looking people. 



Raven walked toward them, and was much 

 pleased with the looks of the girl and, going to 

 her, gave her the stone which she hung about her 

 neck. By doing this she showed that she ac- 

 cepted him for her husband. Then they all 

 pulled down their bills, becoming birds again, and 

 flew away toward the south. 



The geese flapped their wings heavily and 

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