The discontented grass plant

As soon as this wish had been formed the Grass-stern became an Herb like those it had envied, and for a short time it remained in peace.

One day it saw the women coining back carrying sharp-pointed picks, with which they began to dig up these herbs and eat some of the roots, while others were put into baskets and carried home. The change ling was left when the women went home in the evening, and having seen the fate of its companions, it wished it had taken another form; so looking about, it saw a small, creeping plant which pleased it, being so tiny and obscure; without delay it wished and became one of them. Again passed a time of quiet, and again came the women tearing up its companions but overlooking the changeling. Once more the latter was filled with fear and by wishing became a small tuber-bearing plant like others growing near. Scarcely had this change been made when a small tundra mouse came softly through the grass and began digging up one of the tubers of a similar plant near by, holding it in its forepaws and nibbling it, after which the mouse went on again. “To be secure I must become a mouse,” thought the changeling, and at once it became a Mouse and ran off, glad of the new change. Now and then it would pause to dig up and eat one of the tubers as the other mouse had done, or it would sit up on its hind feet to look around at the new scenes that came in view. While traveling nimbly along in this manner, the Mouse saw a strange, white object coining toward it, which kept dropping down upon the ground, and after stopping to eat something would fly on again. When it came near the Mouse saw that it was a great white owl. At the same moment the owl saw the Mouse and swooped down upon it. Darting off, the Mouse was fortunate enough to escape by running into a hole made by one of its kind, so the owl flew away.

After a while the Mouse ventured to come out of its shelter, though its heart beat painfully from its recent fright. “I will be an owl,” thought the Mouse, “and in this way will be safe.” So again it changed with the wish into a beautiful white Owl, and with slow, noiseless wing flaps set off toward the north, pausing every now and then to catch and eat a mouse. After a long flight Sledge island came in view, and the Owl thought it would go there. When far out at sea its untried wings became so tired that only with great difficulty did it manage to reach the shore, where it perched upon a piece of driftwood that stood up in the sand. In a short time it saw two fine-looking men pass along the shore, and the old feeling of discontent arose again. “I will be a man,” it thought, and, with a single flap of the wings, it stood upon the ground, where it changed immediately into a fine young Man, but was without clothing. Night came over the earth soon after, and Man sat down with his back against the stick of wood on which, as an Owl, he had perched, and slept there until morning. He was awakened by the warm sun, and upon rising Chun-uh-luk, as he called himself, felt stiff and lame from sitting in the cold night air.

Looking about, he found some grass, which he wove into a kind of loose mantle, which helped to keep out the cold, after which he saw some reindeer grazing near by and felt a sudden desire to kill and eat one of them. He crept closely on his hands and knees, and springing for ward on the nearest one seized it by the horns and broke its neck with a single effort, threw it over his shoulders, returned, and cast it down near his sleeping place. Then he felt all over the reindeer’s body and found that its skin formed a covering which his fingers were unable to penetrate. For a long time he tried to think of a way to remove the skin, and finally noticed a sharp-edge stone, which he picked up and found that he could cut through the skin with it. The deer was quickly skinned, but he felt the lack of a fire with which to cook the flesh. Looking around, he found two round, white stones upon the beach and, striking them together, saw that they gave out numerous sparks. With these and some dry material found along the shore he succeeded in making a fire, upon which he roasted some of the meat. He tried to swallow a very large piece of the meat just as he had eaten mice when he was an Owl, but found that he could not do it; then he cut off some small fragments and ate them. Another night passed, and in the morning he caught another reindeer, and the day following two others; both of these last deer he threw over his shoulders, and at once carried them back to his camping place on the shore. Chun-uh-luk found the nights very cold, so he skinned the last two reindeer and wrapped himself from head to foot in their skins, which dried upon him very soon and became like a part of his body. But the nights grew colder and colder, so that Chun-uh-luk collected a quantity of driftwood along the shore, with which he made himself a rough hut, which was very comfortable.

After finishing his house he was walking over the hills one day when he saw a strange black animal among some blueberry bushes eating the berries. Chun-uh-luk did not at first know whether he should interfere with this unknown animal or not, but finally he caught it by one of its hind legs. With an angry growl it turned about and faced him, showing its white teeth. In a moment Chun-uh-luk caught the bear by the coarse hair upon each cheek and swung it over his head, bringing it down to the ground with such force that the bear lay dead; then he threw it across his shoulders and went home.

In skinning the bear Chun-uh-luk found that it contained much fat, and that he might have a light in his house if he could find something to hold the grease, for he had found it very dark inside and trouble some to move about. Going along the beach he found a long, flat stone with a hollow in one surface, and in this the oil remained very well, so that when he had put a lighted moss wick into it he saw that his house was lighted as well as he could wish.

In the doorway he hung the bearskin to keep out the cold wind which sometimes had come in and chilled him during the night. In this way he lived for many days, until he began to feel lonely, when he remembered the two young men he had seen when he stood on the shore as an Owl. Then he thought, “I saw two men pass here once, and it can not be far to where others live. I will go and seek them, for it is very lonely here.” So he went out in search of people. He wandered along the coast for some distance, and at last came to two fine new kaiaks, lying at the foot of a hill, upon which were spears, lines, floats, and other hunting implements.

After having examined these curiously he saw a path near by, leading up to the top of a hill, which he followed. On the top of the hill was a house with two storehouses in the vicinity, and on the ground in front of him were several recently killed white whales, with the skulls of many others grouped around. Wishing to see the people in the house before showing himself, he crept with noiseless steps into the entrance way and up to the door. Lifting cautiously one corner of the skin that hung in the doorway, he looked in. Opposite the door was a young man sitting at work on some arrows, while a bow lay beside him. Chun-uh-luk dropped the curtain and stood quite still for some time, fearing that if he entered the house the young man would shoot him with the arrows before he could make known his good will. He ended by thinking, “If I enter and say, I have come, brother, he will not hurt me,” so, raising the curtain quickly, he entered. The householder at once seized the bow and drew an arrow to the head ready to shoot, just as Chun-uh-luk said, “I have come, brother.” At this the bow and arrow were dropped and the young man cried out with delight, “Are you my brother? Come and sit beside me.” And Chun-uh-luk did so very gladly. Then the householder showed his pleasure and said, “I am very glad to see you, brother, for I always believed I had one somewhere, but I could never find him. Where have you lived? Have you known any parents? How did you grow up?” and asked many other questions, to which Chun-uh-luk replied that he had never known his parents, and described his life by the seashore until he had started on the present search. The householder then said that he also had never known any parents, and his earliest recollection was of finding himself alone in that house, where he had lived ever since, killing game for food.

Telling his brother to follow him, the householder led Chun-uh-luk to one of the storehouses, where there was a great pile of rich furs, with an abundance of seal oil and other food. Opening the door of the other storehouse, the newcomer was shown a great many dead people lying there. The householder said he had killed them in revenge for the death of his parents, for he felt certain that they had been killed by these people, so he let no one pass him alive.

When they returned to the house, the brothers fell asleep and slept till morning. At daybreak they arose and, after breakfast, the house holder told Chun-uh-luk that as he had no bow and arrows, he should stay at home and cook for them both while he went out himself to kill the game. Then he went away and came back at night, bringing some reindeer meat. Chun-uh-luk had food ready, and after eating they both went to bed and slept soundly. In this manner they lived for several days, until Chun-uh-luk began to tire of cooking and of staying in the house.

One morning he asked permission to go out to hunt with his brother, but the latter refused and started out alone. Soon after, when he began to stalk some reindeer, Chun-uh-luk came creeping softly behind and grasped him by the foot, so that without alarming the game his brother should know he was there. Turning, the hunter said angrily, “What do you mean by following me? You can not kill anything without a bow and arrows.” “I can kill game with my hands alone,” said Chun-uh-luk; but his brother spoke scornfully, and said: “Go home, and attend to your cooking.” Chun-uh-luk turned away, but instead of going home he crept up to a herd of reindeer and killed two of them with his hands, as he had done while living alone. Then he stood up and waved his hands for his brother to come. The latter came, and was very much astonished to see the two reindeer, for he had killed none with his arrows. Chun-uh-luk then lifted both of the reindeer upon his shoulders and carried them home.

His brother followed with dark brow and evil thoughts in his heart, until jealousy and anger replaced all the kindly feelings he had for Chun-uh-luk, and there was also a feeling of fear after having seen his brother manifest such great strength. During all the evening he sat silent and moody, scarcely tasting the food placed before him, until finally his suspicions and evil thoughts began to produce the same feelings in Chun-uh’-luk’s breast. Thus they sat through the night, each watching the other and fearing some treachery.

The following day was calm and bright, and the householder asked Chun-uh-luk if he could paddle a kaiak, to which the latter answered that he thought he could. Then the householder led the way to the kaiaks upon the shore, into one of which he got, and telling Chun-uh-luk to follow him in the other. At first Chun-uh-luk had some trouble in keeping his kaiak steady, but he soon learned to control it, and they paddled far out to sea. When the shore was very distant they turned back, and the householder said: “Now, let us see who can gain the shore first.” Lightly the kaiaks darted away, and first one, then the other, seemed to have the advantage, until at last, with a final effort, they ran ashore, and the rivals sprang up the beach at the same moment. With scowling brow the householder turned to Chun-uh-luk and said: “You are no more my brother. You go in that direction, and I will go in this,” and they turned their backs to each other and separated angrily. As they went Chun-uh-luk changed into a Wolverine, his brother becoming a Gray Wolf, and until this day they are found wandering in the same country, but never together.

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