458 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



Eaven told him that it was from the mountain sheep and the tame rein- 

 deer. After Man had eaten Raven led him on again to show him other 

 things which he had made, and told him not to try to drink from any of 

 the lakes they might pass, for in them he had made animals that would 

 seize and destroy him if he went near. 



On the way they came to a dry lake bed in which tall grass was 

 growing thickly. Lying upon the very tips of this grass, which did not 

 bend under its weight, was a large, strange-looking animal, with a long 

 head and six legs. The two hind-legs were unusually large; the fore- 

 legs were short, and a small pair extended down from the belly. All 

 over the animal's body grew fine, thick hair, like that on the shrew- 

 mouse, but it was longer about the feet. From the back of the head 

 grew a pair of thick, short horns, which extended forward and curved 

 back at the tips. The animal had small eyes and was of very dark 

 color or blackish. 



Eaven told Man that when people wished to kill one of these animals 

 they first placed logs on the ground under them, for, if they did not, the 

 animal would sink into the earth when he fell and be lost. In order to 

 kill one of them many people were needed, and when the animal fell on 

 the logs other logs must be thrown over it and held down, while two 

 men took large clubs and beat in its skull between the eyes. 



Next they came to a round hole in the sky, around the border of 

 which grew a ring of short grass, glowing like fire. This, Raven 

 said, was a star called the Moon-dog {i-gha-lum M-mnlih'-ti). The tops 

 of the grass bordering the hole were gone, and Raven said that his 

 mother had taken some, and he had taken the rest to make the first fire 

 on earth. He added that he had tried to make some of this same kind 

 of grass on the earth but could not. 



Man was now told to close his eyes and he would be taken to another 

 place. Raven took him upon his wings and, dropping through the star 

 hole, they floated down for a long time, until at last they entered some- 

 thing that seemed to resist their course. Finally they stopped, and 

 Raven said they were standing at the bottom of the sea. Man breathed 

 quite easily there, and Raven told him that the foggy appearance Avas 

 caused by the w^ater. He said, " I will make some new kinds of ani- 

 mals here; but you must not walk about; you must lie down, and if 

 you become tired you may turn over upon the other side." 



Raven then left Man lying on one side, where he rested for a long 

 time; finally he awoke, but felt very tired, so he tried to turn over, but 

 could not. Then Man thought, "I wish I could turn over;" and in a 

 moment he turned without effort. As he did this he was surprised to 

 see that his body had become covered with long, white hairs and that 

 his fingers had become long claws, but he quickly fell asleep again. He 

 awoke, and turned over and fell asleep three times more. When he 

 awoke the fourth time Raven stood beside him and said, "I have 

 changed you into a white bear. How do you like it!" Man tried to 



