COLTZ AND WUS
CHARACTERS
| Coltz | Porcupine |
| Wŏn | Elk |
| Wus | Fox |
Coltz started to travel. On his journey he came to a deep river; he followed it up, and then followed it down, but couldn’t find a crossing place. Then he sat down on the bank, and looking at the water, wondered what made it so deep. He sat there three days, then some of the Wŏn people came to the river to cross. One of them, an old man, traveled slower than the others. He waited, and when the rest had crossed, he said to Coltz: “Why do you sit there looking at the water? Why don’t you cross?”
“I can’t,” said Coltz.
“Why don’t you swim, as we do?”
“The water is deep. I feel scared.”
“Get on my back,” said Wŏn, “I will take you over.”
“I am afraid that I would get washed off.”