CHARACTERS
| Moasäm Beps | South Wind’s Daughter |
| Tsákiak | A Bird (English name unknown) |
At Euks a great many people were starving to death; they were so weak they couldn’t stand. It was winter; snow was falling all the time. The people were out of doors. They didn’t live in houses. Tsákiak was the only person who had a house. He took people in, warmed them, and gave them a little to eat; he hadn’t much.
One day, when it was cold and there was deep snow everywhere, Tsákiak went on top of his house and stood looking around. He felt badly, felt sorry for the people, they were so cold and hungry. Just then he saw Moasäm Beps coming from the south; she was bringing minnows, holding them out in her hand as she came along; when she passed Tsákiak’s house, she gave him the minnows. He cooked them over his fire and gave them to the hungry people. He felt glad in his heart.
The next day, Moasäm Beps came again and brought many minnows; she had both hands full. When she passed Tsákiak, she gave them to him. He was hungry himself, but he gave all of the minnows to the starving people.
The next day Moasäm Beps’ hands were empty, but she asked Tsákiak where the nut pine trees were. He said: “They are on both sides of the fire in my house.”
Moasäm Beps went in and sat on a pine tree. As soon as she was there, the snow melted and went away. She said to Tsákiak: “Spread five blankets under each tree; then go out and don’t look in.”
Soon on each one of the ten blankets there was a big pile [[92]]of pine nuts. Then Moasäm Beps called the people in; those who were too weak to eat she fed.
Right away all the people were strong; they were happy, too. They gave Moasäm Beps wildcat skins and beads of every kind, and then they went their own way, for it was warm and they had plenty to eat. Tsákiak and Moasäm Beps went to Moasänik, her father’s home, for Moasäm Beps was Tsákiak’s wife now.
The day they got to Moasänik, Moasäm Beps gave her husband a pair of moccasins, and said: “You must wear these moccasins all the time you are here; if you take them off, you will die.”
The next day she told him to go and hunt for deer. He went to the top of a high mountain, where there was snow. Tsákiak tracked a herd of deer and killed five.
Tsákiak went hunting every day for five days,—he started before it was light in the morning and came home in the evening. Each time he went Moasäm Beps told him not to take off his moccasins. The sixth morning, when he was ready to start, Moasäm Beps said: “Even if your feet are wet and cold, you mustn’t take off your moccasins; if you do you won’t come home; you will die on the mountain.”
Tsákiak tracked deer for a long time. The ground was wet and muddy. At last he went to the other side of the mountain, where the ground was dry; it looked nice. Tsákiak said: “This is a good place to walk, the ground is dry. I will take off these wet moccasins and walk around a little.”
He took off one moccasin. Snow began to fall and the wind to blow hard and cold. Tsákiak took off the other moccasin. “I don’t care for you any longer,” said he. “You are cold and wet.” He picked up both moccasins and threw them as far as he could. Right away the wind blew furiously. It turned awfully cold, so cold that Tsákiak couldn’t walk; his legs were stiff. Snow came down fast, like big basketfuls tipped over. Tsákiak couldn’t get air, couldn’t breathe; he died. [[93]]