15. Eme'mqut and the Perches. 1

Eme'mqut went into the open and found a village. They were catching winter fish with drag-nets. The fish were small perches. He dragged a net along that fishing-river, and filled with fish a set of drying-poles. He made such a set. Very quickly he constructed those drying-poles.

After a while they gave him Fox-Woman, and made him marry her. He brought home two small dried perch-tails. These he brought home, and hung them on the drying-pole.

They were going to eat these small dried perch-tails, and all at once something happened. (These small tails) turned into small men. They said, "Whose sons are we?"--"Say, 'We are sons of Eme'mqut.'"

Then the (two) girls of this place filled with dried meat two bags; one for each [they filled]. They went away in iron canoes, and took the girls along. What has become of them I do not know. They went together, (both of them), headlong.

p. 72 p. 73

Those (i. e., Eme'mqut and his wife) were sent away by the people, and were given (reindeer with) halters of grass. Then the people ceased to send them away. They ceased to send away Eme'mqut and his wife. They became as natives, and lived in joy. Fox-Woman now was bringing forth mere male children.

Winter came, they were wandering in all directions. At times they visited their neighbors. That is all.

Footnotes

71:1 Acerina cernua. This tale was told by a young girl. It seems to be a fragment of a longer and more coherent tale.