Fur Parkas Worn by Eskimo Women
At last the woman said, “What low tide is this Raven talking about?”[1] Raven did not answer. The woman kept repeating, “What low tide are you talking about?”
[1] In these Northern myths, questions and answers have no relation to each other. Such speeches are regarded as magic sayings.
Then Raven became angry. He said, “I will stick these sea urchins into you if you don’t keep quiet.” At last he did so.
Then the woman began singing, “Don’t, Raven! The tide will go down if you don’t stop.”
But the water was receding, as Raven had told it to, in his magic words. Raven asked Eagle, who was watching the tide, “How far down is the tide now?”
“The tide is as far down as half a man.”
“How far down is the tide?” he asked again.
“The tide is very low,” said Eagle.
Then the old woman started her magic song again.