And his youngest uncle left them a little old canoe. And the boy also started off, not knowing whither he was going.[1]
[Told by Wī′nats, chief of the Seaward-gîtî′ns.]
Far away from where they left him was a rock. One day a young eagle sat on the top of the rock. When it flew away, he (the boy) went to the place. Beside the rock lay the tail of a spring salmon. He picked it up and brought it to his mother. She steamed it, and they drank the soup. [[357]]
The next day he again looked toward the place where the eagle had sat. It sat there again. And he again went thither. A larger piece lay there than the one he had found before. Every morning they became larger until a whole spring salmon lay there.
One day, just at dawn,[2] he looked for the eagle that helped him. It sat there, and he went thither and found a porpoise tail lying there. He then took it to the house, and she (his mother) steamed it. There was a larger piece every morning until a whole one lay there.
One day the eagle sat there again, and he went thither. The tail of a black whale lay there. He cut it up and took it over to the house. The pieces of whale became larger every time until a whole one lay there. Then there were more whales. At last there were ten.
Then the slaves of his uncles went out to look for him. He felt their presence, brought them to the house, and gave them some food. And he watched them while they ate. He watched to see that they did not hide any mouthfuls. When they went away he told them not to say that he was being helped. And they went off.
The slaves returned home. They said that they had not seen him. They then went to bed. In the night something choked the child of the head slave, and they made a light for him. They tried to take out the object with their fingers. They pulled something fat out of his mouth. They then put it on a hot stone. It sizzled.
They then began to ask them about the thing, and they answered: “You ought to see how the one you abandoned is living. Black whales are floated ashore in front of him like driftwood.”
His uncles then dressed up their daughters, because each thought he would have his nephew marry his child. But the daughter of his youngest uncle was lame. She was the one who had left food for him. They then went to him, but he refused the women and waited for the one who was lame.