Translations 35 a 



packs, which she carried home and opened up. Lo and behold! there were her 

 fringes, both for the bottom arid for the hood of the coat. She took them inside 

 and sewed them on; but now she began to wonder, and went to see Who it was 

 who had brought the packs. At dawn she was standing at the door, looking 

 about, when suddenly a man's breath struck her, and someone caught hold of 

 her. The captive looked, and saw a young man wearing very fine clothes; it 

 was he who had sent her all the things, thinking that she was afraid of him. 

 After they were married, he wanted to take her home, so they set off together* 

 As they drew near his home, she saw some large platform-caches. The sight of 

 these made her unwilling to go on; but her husband caught hold of her wrist 

 and dragged her along. The old couple at the house were amazed, and said to 

 the girl, "We did not believe that your parents had cast you out." The young 

 man told his mother to bring in some good clothes for her; she did so, and the 

 girl clad herself in decent garments. The young man always wanted to take 

 his new wife with him when he went hunting, so whenever he went after caribou 

 she followed him. Once when they were out hunting together he asked her if 

 she did not long to see her parents again. She said yes, she did, but she could 

 not go without his permission. However, when they got back home they told 

 the young man's parents, who said that the girl's parents were relatives of 

 themselves, and that they too would like to see them. So they made ready and 

 started to freight their things ahead. They took everything they had, food 

 and all. Then he and his wife did the freighting ahead, and when that was done 

 the whole party set out. So they travelled along, making a freighting trip ahead 

 each stage of the way. At last they saw some tracks, and people came out to 

 meet them. As they drew near, the young woman recognized her father, but 

 her husband told her to bear no resentment towards her parents. As soon as 

 they came up, her father wanted to have a good look at her, but he did not 

 recognize her as his daughter. After the travellers joined their kinsfolk the old 

 couple died. The young man and his wife worked hard and built a platform- 

 cache. Her parents Uked to gaze at her, but they never recognized in her their 

 own daughter, for she never used her little ulo to eat with. One day she went 

 outside wearing earrings that her father had made. Her father burst into tears 

 when he saw them, and both he and his wife wept, though the father said that 

 he alone had missed the girl, for he had never intended to cast her out. The 

 young woman took no notice, but went on with her work, and all the time she 

 worked the old people cried. At last her own son called her by the name of the 

 old man's son, which he had bestowed on his daughter when the son died. 

 Immediately he mentioned it they knew who she was, their own daughter. 

 Her father asked his relative where they had found her, and the man said that 

 his son had discovered her. Her parents then would call their daughter time 

 after time and ask her to say her name (?). After this they all lived together. 



8. The Abused Orphan 

 (Translation of Text VIII. Told by Qapqana) 



There were a few people living on a river, and with them was an old woman 

 with her grandchild, a boy. Whenever the men brought a caribou to camp 

 this boy would go over to them for the distribution of the meat. Then, after 

 the distribution, he would visit the different houses, receive some food, and 

 return home. Two brothers were the principal men in the settlement, and 

 whenever the boy entered their house the wife (the mother of the two brothers) 

 would give him a great quantity of food. After a time the people were short of 

 food, so but Uttle was distributed. Still the boy would go to the brothers' 

 house, and the woman would give him something to eat just as before. The 

 other people had little to give, and finally gave him nothing; and even though 

 he kept visiting them, they still gave him nothing. However, he continued to 

 go to the brothers' house, and as soon as he was given something, would return 



