Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/220

 Eastern Eskimo LONG time ago, Hare lived with his grandmother. They were poor, and Hare was hungry. One day he said, "Grandmother, I shall set a trap and catch fish." The old woman laughed. She said, "If you can! Go set the net, grandson. But even if you should catch one, we have no fire."

"I'll see to that," said Hare.

Off went Hare with the net, and he set it. The next morning in every mesh of the net was a fish, caught by its fins. Hare said, "Oh, my!' He could not even pull up the net, so he shook out some of the fish and pulled the rest in. Many of these he buried. The rest he took home, and dropped them outside the lodge while he went in.

"Grandmother," said Hare, "Here are the fish. You clean them. The Indians across the river have fire, and I shall go over and steal some."

Grandmother was frightened. She said, "Oh, no!" But Hare had now dried his net, so he folded it up and put it under his arm.