Atondido Stories
Raven Makes an Ocean Voyage
One day Raven was sitting on a cliff near the sea when he saw a
large whale passing close along the shore.
"I have an idea!" said he. "I'm going to try something new."
Then he called out to the whale, "When you come up again, shut
your eyes and open your mouth wide, and I'll put something in
it."
Then he drew down his mask, put his drill for making fire
under his wing, and flew out over the water. Very soon the
whale came up again and did as he had been told. Raven, seeing
the wide open mouth, flew straight down the whale's throat. The
whale closed his mouth, gave a great gulp, and down he went to
the bottom of the sea.
Raven stood up, pushed up his beak, and looking about,
found himself at the entrance to a fine room, at one end of which
burned a lamp. He went in and was surprised to see a beautiful
young woman sitting there. The place was clean and dry, the
roof being supported by the whale's spine, while its ribs formed
the walls. The lamp was supplied from a tube that extended
along the whale's backbone, from which oil constantly but slow-
ly dripped into the lamp.
When Raven stepped in, the woman started up in alarm and
cried out, "How came you here? You are the first man who ever
came into my house."
"I came in through the whale's throat," said Raven as politely
as he knew how, for the woman was young and fair to look up-
on. Moreover, he had already guessed that she was the inua or
spirit of the whale. "I should like to stay a while."
"As you cannot get out at present, it seems that you will have
to stay. Whether you like it, or whether I like it, you appear to be
my guest, so I must prepare food for you."
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