12. Raven swallows Blubber.

12. Raven swallows Blubber.

Raven, who lived at Čeṛi´nak, married among the Reindeer-men. His father-in-law said, "They say that the islanders are this year quite rich in walrus-meat. I want to eat sea-food." — "Aha!" Raven flew away, and came to the island. The people of the island had just killed a whale. They used only the hides of the largest walrus that they had caught. All the blubber was left on the shore. Raven swallowed plenty of blubber, and could fly away with difficulty only. When he came home and alighted near his house, he vomited all the blubber. It was as much as a load for seven sledges. Then he wakened his wife and father-in-law. They ate of the blubber. There they lived, eating blubber.

Told by Milu´taṛak, an Asiatic Eskimo man, on St. Lawrence Island, May, 1901.