CHAPTER V 



LITTLE JOHN POOR AKPIK AND THE CUSTOM OF THE PEOPLE 



WALKING along the winding and slippery 

 path that runs between the houses and the 

 beach, in the congenial company of my friend the 

 missionary, we came upon a group of men bending 

 over an upturned sledge. "Hello, John," said the 

 missionary. 



From the middle of the group there came a gruff 

 little voice; it gave the proper Eskimo greeting. 

 " Aksunai," it said. 



" Have you just got home ? " 



" No," said the voice, " I got home yesterday." 



" Indeed ; I didn't see you mikkimut, immakka 

 (because you are so small, maybe)." 



There was a roar of laughter at this witticism, 

 and out of the midst of the group a small, shock- 

 headed man pushed his way. 



His little eyes were twinkling with merriment, 

 his shaggy face was beaming, and his plump little 

 hand was held out for a shake. 



He seemed to be enjoying the joke as well as 

 anybody, and he gripped my hand and wrung it, and 

 shouted "Aksunai, aksunai," and laughed and 

 chuckled in delight. I thought as I looked into his 

 eyes, " Here is the smallest Eskimo that I have seen : " 

 most of the Eskimos are small as inches go, though 

 broad and bulky, but here was a veritable pigmy, a 



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