The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-15
ADVENTURES.
How Raven-Boy REV Into the whale

How Raven-BOy Flew Into the Whale
Raven-boy lived on the shores Of
Norton Sound, away up in Alaska
He could be either a boy or raven,
just as he wished.
One day by the seashOre ne saw
whale come up and blow, and he called
out. when you come up again, open
your mouth and shut your eyes, and
I'll give YOU something to make you
wise
The whale did as he was told, and
when he opened bis mouth wide the
boy changed himself into a raven and
Jew straight down his throat
The whale closed his mouth and
went down again, while Raven-bOy
stood looking around him at the
strange place in which he found him
self
He was at the entrance of fine
room, at one end of which was burn
ing a lamp He entered, and was sur
prised to see a beautiful young woman
sitting there tending the lamp The
room was clean and dry the roof being
supported by the whales spine, while
its ribs formed the sides. From a tube
which extended the length of the
whales backbone oil was slowly drip
ping into the lamp.
The young woman brought him
some berries and oil. Now this woman
was the "inua," or shade of the whale,
and was not a woman at ALL but a sort
of fairy which belonged to the crea-
ture.
For four days Raven-boy stayed in
the whale as the guest of the inua, and
all the time he wondered what the
tube was which he saw running along
tine roof, and from which the oil
dripped into the lamp. Every time
the woman left the room she told Raw
en-boy that he must not touch the
tube.
At last. however. he went to the
lamp, and, holding out his hand
caught drop Of oil and licked it with
his tongue. 1t tasted so sweet that he
caught some more, and finally, as the
oil did not run fast enough for him
he reached up and tore a piece out OF
the side of the tube.
At once there was a great rush Of
oil into the room, the lamp was ex-
tinguished. and the room itself began
20 rock violently. This continued for
four days, until Raven-boy was nearly
dead from the bruises and the shak-
ing
about and was still The whale was
dead, for Raven-bOy had torn off a
piece of its backbOnei The inua never
came back and the dead whale drifted
ashore "Ohl" said Raven-bOy to him
SELF, 81 am done for now. shall
starve to death here in this awful
prison.
But lust then he heard men talking
outside, and pretty soon ne saw day
light shine through the roof. A party
of fishermen had found the whale and
were cutting il UP.
AS soon as the opening in the roof
was large enough the boy changed
himself into a raven and flew out
perching on neighboring hill and
watching the fishermen.
suddenly he remembered that he.
had forgotten his fre-stick. Now a
hre-stick is little stick with which
the people of the far North make q
IRE by revolving it rapidly against a
piece of wood on which finder had
been placed. They have not matches
up there and "a fire-stick is absolutely
necessary.
Changing into a boy again. the Raw
en-boy walked down to the whale and
said. "HelOi you have found a nice
large whale here.
just then a man who had gone in
side the whale cried out. Il have.
found a hre-stick.
fsThat is bad lucktN screamed Raw
en-boy. tRunl runi" And the foolish
people all ran. while Raven-boy grab
bed his fre-stick and hid behind a
hfliock until they We're gone.
Then Raven-bOy came out of hiding
and began to cut up the whale him
self. A mink ran by and he called to
the mink: Come and help me-" The
mink pushed up its nose and became
a boy-just like Raven-boy.
BIink-boy and Raven-boy cut up the
whale and then built them a hut to
Get us have a party said Raven
bov. eco and invite the sea people to
come
8Iink=boy did so. and soon the beach
was alive with seals crawling out OF
the water on their way TO the feast.
when they were all assembled Raw
an-hov set out whale meat and blub-
Der and invited them to fan to.
At this the seals all pushed their