8. Eme'mqut and Ila'. 1

Big-Raven was living with his people. Eme'mqut (his son) had no wife. Eme'mqut went out, and found outside an old man who was (busy) making ornamented (tobacco-) mortars. He said to him, "What kind of (tobacco-) mortars are you making?" The other one said, ("Go into the house.) You will find an old woman. (Tell her) to

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cook a meal for you." He entered (the house), and (the old woman) cooked a meal. When she had finished cooking, she took the meat out of the kettle, (and gave it to the guest.) He ate, and soon was through with the meal.

Then the old man went home and gave him the mortars; and he said to him, "Take these with you, haul them away, but (in doing so) take care not to look back at them!" He went away and hauled the mortars, but he did not look back; and though the mortars were heavy, he did not stop. At last he saw that a large (reindeer-) herd was passing ahead of him. Then he stopped and looked back. A (young) woman was (sitting) in a covered sledge (driving a reindeer-team). He took a seat (on the

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same sledge). They two drove home, and lived there in joy.

Then Ila' said, "How did you come (by all this)?" The other one then told him, "I found an old man who was working on ornamented (tobacco-) mortars." Ila' said, "I understand." He set out and found the same (old man). Then he said (to the old man), "What kind (of mortars) are you making?" (The old man) said, "Go and find the old woman! Let her cook a meal for you!" He went to her, and she prepared a meal. Then she took (the meat) out of the kettle, and he ate. (The old man) gave him, too, the mortars, and said, "Haul them away, and take care not to look back at them!"

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He hauled them away, and every little while he would take a rest. He moved on, and he would make one stride and then he would look back. One time a reindeer-leg appeared out of one of the mortars. But he sprang, at it and struck it (in order to break the bone and get the marrow). Another time he looked back, and a (reindeer-)face appeared (out of the mortar). He sprang at it, and struck at the mortar with his knife, and chopped up the (reindeer-) face. Then he came home, and left (his sledge) with Eme'mqut. (There was nothing on it) but the tobacco-mortars. That is all.

Footnotes

50:1 Compare W. Jochelson, The Koryak, l. c., No. 101, p. 289.