Ivango and the brothers and their little sister hurried down to the sea, where the woman was waiting for them with the boat, and started off for home as fast as they could paddle.
This time they passed through the moving cliffs without fear or trouble, but no sooner had the cliffs closed together behind them, than a big white whale rose to the top of the water and pursued them.
Although they could make the boat go as fast as the swiftest bird, the whale was faster than they and was getting very close. Just as the monster rose beside them, the woman cut off the right flipper from the seal they had brought with them and threw it to the whale, which stopped to eat. This gave them time to get quite far ahead; but after the whale had finished eating he soon caught up with them. Then the woman threw out the left flipper. Again the whale stopped to eat, and again caught up with them, but they were nearly home, so they threw over the rest of the seal and paddled to shore. When they landed the whale hurried after them so fast that he swam right up on the beach, where they killed him and cut him up for meat.
The people of the village crowded about to welcome Ivango and his brothers and the little lost sister, and they all had a fine feast of the meat of the whale.
They lived happily after that and Ivango made many presents to the good woman who had helped them to find their sister, so that she was never allowed to want for anything all her life long.
When Nugukuk had come to the end of the story, he raised his eyes to the face of the chief. “And so is the winter shortened,” said Nugukuk solemnly. For that is the way they bring their story-telling to an end.
After that the father and the little boy and girl came very often to the kasga and heard different men of the village tell their wonderful tales, until they had heard all of the following stories. Perhaps next winter they will go back to hear some more.
THE ROBIN, THE CROW AND THE FOX
A robin had its nest in a tree, and there were six pretty blue eggs in the nest.