“You must not think that the ice will break up at once; it will not break up until these sores are healed.”
After a long time they began to heal slowly, and sometimes it might happen that one or another cried in mockingly through the window:
“Now surely it is time the ice broke up and went out to sea, for that which was to be done is surely done.”
But at last her sores were healed. And one day a black cloud came up in the south. Later in the evening, there was a mighty noise of the wind, and the storm did not abate until it was growing light in the morning. When it was quite light, and the people came out, the sea was open and blue. A great number of birds were flying above the water, and there were hosts of black seal everywhere. The kayaks were made ready at once, and when they began to make them ready, Tugto’s wife said:
“No one must hunt them yet; until five days are gone no one may hunt them.”
But before those days were gone, one of the young men went out nevertheless to hunt. He tried with great efforts, but caught nothing after all. Not until those days were gone did the witch-wife say:
“Now you may hunt them.”
And now the men went out to sea to hunt the birds. And not until they could bear no more on their kayaks did they row home again. But then all those men had to give up their whole catch to Tugto’s house. Not until the second hunting were they permitted to keep any for themselves.
Next day they went out to hunt for seal. They harpooned many, but these also were given to Tugto and his wife. Of these also they kept nothing for themselves until the second hunting.