Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-23
Chr family Girtlr.
The Little Girl of the Frozen Land.


The little girl of greenland, or the froz-
en- land has a strange name ; 1t is Equrk,
and her brother is called Awahtok. They
live with their parents in low house,
built Of stones and plaster with moss, which
looks like an old brick oven. 1t has put
one DOM, and the people crawl through a
low long passage, on their hands and knees.
Within there is no fireplace, no stove, no
fire, not chair, or table, or bed
Equrk father chiefly spends his time
in fishing, and carries his canoe, or boat,
on his back TO the water; or, when the Ice
is too thick to break for fishing, he hunts
the walrus. a creature of the whale tribe
How do you suppose Equrk mother
cooks her food She boils it in a kettle
over lamp. The lamp is made Of the
shoulder-b.ade Of q warus, filed with
blubber-or fat-with a wick OF moss
As for baking, she never does that Lit
tie Equrk never saw a slice Of bread, or q
potato, or an apple. She eats a steak Of
walrus, or some broiled blubber or frozen
liver or she sucks bears paw or the rib
Of 4 seal. Never stick of sugar-candy
has little Equrk. If you gave her one
she would say, 'Kuyanaka,' which means,
Il thank you
If Equrk goes out Of doors what does
she see? Green grass, aud tulips, and
buttercups? No. \ corn-fe'd over the
way? No. Characteristics and cherry
trees, or oaks and Gins branching over
head? No, no. Ca one side Is q great
ce-mountain and fields Of snow. snow,
snow nothing hardly but snow, with green
rocks here and there
4 short time in the Summer litt'ep pale
grass tries to grow in sunny spots. and a
few small flowers smile by the green rocks.
Then the little girl must be very happy
indeed She laughs and has her EameS of
play ike YOU She has no little carriage
to run on the smooth ground but her faith
/ er mekes her a sledge Tie has no wood
for trees do not grow in that cold country
so he taxes the bones OF the whale and
walrus and iastens them together with
seal-skins and he makes a back T. lean
against, because it vii! 20 over some rath-
er rough places 1t runs very swiftly
for who do YOU think draws little Elurk
Not her father he Is gone hunting tn,
great hammock, which Is the great white
bear not her brother Awahtok he la,
his sledge but couple Of little brown dogs
who are harnessed to the sledgc They
run and draw Equrs. and very much doe
she enjoy the drive.
What does she dress in? Hood. an,
cloak, and gloves, ike our little girls
will begin with her feet Nobody kuits j.
that frozen land, so she has no warm wool
eu socks like yours. Her socks are mad
Of birds skin, with the soft down iusjd,
Over this she wears seal-skius boot,
These keep her feet warm Then sh
! wears leggins Of white bcar-skin, and
Jacket Of fox-skjn. This iacket has
hood to it, and the garment, jucket au
hood together, is called a jumper. Tina
is the fashion Of that country. 1t woui
, look odd enough in our land. At first sigh
, you would take little Equrk for a stra
} cub Of white bear. Sometimes She hold
r fox's bushy tail between her teeth to kee
: Jack Frost from kissing her cheeks wit
his cold lips.
2 0, you do not know what terrible Win
tiers she sees in her country. The sun Sc
in November, and it does not rise agai
, till March. Think what a long night tn;
t is! We think Winter days are shoi
a enough F.; but to have no day at all, no
j much worse is that! There are the nortl
: ern lights. to be sure but there is no ligl
: like the bright, warm, cheerful sun, whlc
we see in our sky.
Winter is called Okipok, the season
fast ice By March the sun begins
peep up above the icebergs, or ice-moul
D tains, and slips quickly down again. Nel
: day it stays longer, and the next, unit
! June comes, when it stays all day and a
: night. Summer is called Aasak, the 'sei
4 son of no ice though it is never real
c iceless, nor can the sun melt the great SNOW
drift. 1t is however, pleasant seaso
for focks of birds come and build the
n nests in snug corners and shelves Of th
b rocks, and they are so tame that her broti
+ or Awahtok can easily catch netful {
e carry home for supper.
= DO Equrk and Awahtok 90 to school
They do not know what school Is. TheI
are no books, no paper, no pens, no Stat,
in their country, except in a few spo
c where missionaries have settled. In a
Z other parts Of :he land there are no da,
schools, nor Sabbath schools, nor churcht
I, NOT one of all those privileges which "
t have to make our life so improving, ueelu
/ and happy. Their mother sometimes tel
: Equrk and her brother of the Great Spl
i it, but sue can not tell them that 'swet
story of old, about the Lord Jesus, VII
came from heaven to be their Redeeme
for she does not know it herself. Wis
we could tell her /; then perhaps, she wouI
say 'Asakoatect,' which IS, Il love you,
her language As for you, dear Christia
children, L am sure you must say,
"My God. thank thee who hast planned
a bett lot for ne,
And placed me in III happy land
Where may hear Of thee