(;3g THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



stranded and ever since forms an ice ca]) on the top of the mount- 

 ains. Many shellfish, fish, seal, and whales were left high and dry 

 and their shells and bones may be seen to this day. A great number 

 of Inuit died during this period, but many others, who had taken to 

 their kayaks when the water commenced to rise, were saved. 



INUGPAyDJUQDJUALUNG. ' 



In days of yore, an enormous man, whose name was Inugpaq- 

 djuqdjualuug, lived in company with many other Inuit in a village 

 on a large fjord. He was so tall that he could straddle the fjord. 

 He used to stand thus every morning and wait for whales to pass 

 beneath him. As soon as one came along he stooped and caught it, 

 just as another man would scoop up some little thing that had fallen 

 into the water, and he ate it as other men eat a small piece of meat. 



One day all the natives had manned their boats to hunt a whale. 

 Inugpaqdjuqdjualung at the time was sitting lazily near his hut, but 

 when he saw the efforts of the men he scooped both whale and boats 

 from the water and placed them upon the beach. 



At another time, being tired from running about, he lay down on 

 a high hill to take a nap. The Inuit told him that a couple of huge 

 bears had been seen near the village, but he said he didn't care, and 

 told lus friends to rouse him by throwing large stones upon him if 

 they should see the bears coming. They did so and Inugpaqdjuq- 

 djualung, suddenly starting up, cried: " Where are they? Where are . 

 they?" When the Inuit pointed them oiit he said: "What! those 

 little things? Those are not worth the bustle: tlit'v are small foxes, 

 not bears," and he criished one between liis tiii-ers. while he put the 

 other into the eyelet of his boot and strangled it there. 



THE BEAR STORY. 



This story is reprinted from Hall (II. p. 240): 



Many moons ago, a woman obtained a polar bear cub but two or three days olil. 

 Having long desired just such a pet. she gave it her closest attention, as tliough it 

 were a son, nursing it, making for it a soft warm bed alongside her own, and talk- 

 ing to it as a mother does to her child. She had no living relative, and she and the 

 beai- occupied the house alone. Kunikdjuaq, as he grew up, proved that the woman 

 had not taught him in vain, for he early began to hunt seals and salmon, bringing 

 thoiii to his mother before eating any himself, and receiving his share from her 

 hands. Slie always watched from the hilltop for his return, and if she saw that he 

 had been unsuccessful, she begged from her neighbors blubber for his food. She 

 learned how this was from her lookout, for if successful, he came back in the tracks 

 made on going out, but if unsuccessful always by a different route. Learning to 

 excel the Inuit in hunting, he excited their envy, and, after long years of faithful 

 service, his death was resolved upon. On hearing this, the old woman, overwhelmed 

 with grief, offered to give up her own life if they would but spare him who had so 

 long supported her. Her offer was sternly refused. Upon this, when aU his ene- 

 ' See foot-note on p. 616. 



