72 A Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



46. The Raven 

 (Told by Ikpakhuaq, a Dolphin and Union strait Eskimo) 



Long ago a woman was left to miind camp while the other natives were 

 away hunting. She saw a raven flying over her head and called to it: 



tuluyayyulu'ni onepqajavui'toq Jnyud tamai'ta tayekpaijo'xuyd 

 "He is a raven, but he never tells tales, people, all of them, though he can 

 visit." 



The raven sang to her in reply: 



qano'mi onepqa'javdn iyaye'jiya kakik'yiya ild'tka neqpikto'xutiy uva'ya 

 qo'txik kaiyu'xik 



"How should I tell tales. A little while ago I put a man's eyes out, I 

 stabbed them out (with my bill). My relatives ate the flesh while I (ate) the 

 hips, kaiyu'xik." 



kaiyuxik, it was thought, was the woman's name. 



Cf. Kroeber, p. 19. 



47. The Ptarmigan and the Scxjlpin 

 (Told by Avranna, a Dolphin and Union strait Eskimo) 



The ptarmigan (aqa'yyiq) gazed over the edge of the water and saw a 

 sculpin down below'. It addressed it thus : 



ka'neyuq kan-a tiyuxi'yu ka'n-a ika'tuma katiktuaixaq 

 "The sculpin down there is holding something down there, you there, you 

 with the big fore-head." 



The sculpin called up : 



neqinektotihaq-a'xoniyoq aivaktuva^iyna'q-oq uva'ya 



"After having plenty to eat, they say, he nevertheless tried to quarrel with 

 me (?)" 



And the ptarmigan replied: 



neqinektotiha' q-uya xuvam'ylu pdpeqomi'ylu a\-ami'ylu onami'ylu 

 "I have plenty to eat, spawn and tail and belly and breast." 



The Ptarmigan and the Sculpin — Second Version 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq, a Kilusiktok shaman) 



A ptarmigan once peered over the edge of the water and saw a sculpin 

 down below. The ptarmigan said: 



taka'n-a uqyuhaqpaklain-a'xoni puynauya'q-oq natqa'ni 



"The fellow down there, he without any fat, he crouches on the bottom." 

 The sculpin answered: 



tiyuya'luk qayetaya'luk uqyuinatkoyild'tka 



"My liver, my brain, I have plenty of fat on them." 

 Then it made the retort: 



tdtpi'yna mdcimeya' qtoq uqyuhaqpaklain-a'xoni 



"The fellow up there, he is settled on the ground, a fellow without any fat." 

 And the ptarmigan replied : 



oyom'pkalu d\-ik-a uqyumdtkoy ild'tka 



"My stomach, my breast, I have them covered with fat." 



