They cannot rise except from water. In the night the new ice
looks like water; they come down and cannot rise. I have often
seen it." Two days after, a harder frost came on. The ice was
safe for a dog; the divers or grebes were still on its surface.
So they sent Skookum. He soon returned with two beautiful grebes,
whose shining, white breast feathers are as much prized as some
furs.
Quonab grunted as he held them up. "Ugh, it is often so in this
Mad Moon. My father said it is because of Kaluskap's dancing."
"I don't remember that one."
"Yes, long ago. Kaluskap felt lazy. He wanted to eat, but did not
wish to hunt, so he called the bluejay and said: 'Tell all the
woods that to-morrow night Kaluskap gives a new dance and teaches
a new song,' and he told the hoot owl to do the same, so one kept
it up all day -- 'Kaluskap teaches a new dance to-morrow night,'
and the other kept it up all night: 'Kaluskap teaches a new song
at next council.'
"Thus it came about that all the woods and waters sent their folk
to the dance.
"Then Kaluskap took his song-drum and said: 'When I drum and sing
you must dance in a circle the same way as the sun, close your
eyes tightly, and each one shout his war whoop, as I cry "new
songs"!'
"So all began, with Kaluskap drumming in the middle, singing:
"'New songs from the south, brothers, Close your eyes tightly,
brothers, Dance and learn a new song.
Pages:
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363