Part 5 (1/2)

Koolee looked up from her sewing. ”Isn't it five sleeps since you killed the bear?” she said.

Kesshoo counted on his fingers. ”Yes,” he said, ”it is five sleeps.”

”Then it is time to eat the bear's head,” said Koolee. ”His spirit is now with our fathers.”

”Why not have a feast?” said Kesshoo. ”There hasn't been any fresh meat in the village since the bear was killed, and I don't believe the rest have had anything to eat but dried fish. We have plenty of bear's meat still.”

Koolee hopped down off the bench and put some more moss into the lamp.

”You bring in the meat,” she said, ”and tell the twins to go to all the igloos and invite the people to come at sunset.”

”All right,” Kesshoo answered, and he went out at once to the storehouse to get the meat.

II.

When he came out of the tunnel, Kesshoo found the twins trying to make a snow house for the dogs. They weren't getting on very well.

Kesshoo could make wonderful snow houses. He had made a beautiful one when the first heavy snows of winter had come, and the family had lived in it while Koolee finished building the stone igloo. The twins had watched him make it. It seemed so easy they were sure they could do it too. Kesshoo said, ”If you will run to all the igloos and tell the people to come at sunset to eat the bear's head, I will help you build the snow house for the dogs.”

Menie and Monnie couldn't run. n.o.body could. The snow was too deep.

They went in every step above their knees. But they ploughed along and gave their message at each igloo.

Everybody was very glad to come, and Koko said, ”I'll come right now and stay if you want me to.”

”Come along,” said the twins.

They went back to their own house, kicking the snow to make a path.

Koko went with them. The snow was just the right kind for a snow house.

It packed well and made good blocks.

While the twins were away giving the invitations, Kesshoo carried great pieces of bear's meat into the house.

Koolee put in the cooking pan all the meat it would hold, and kept the blaze bright in the lamp underneath to cook it.

Then Kesshoo took his long ivory knife and went out to help the twins with the snow house, as he had promised.

”See, this is the way,” he said to them.

He took an unbroken patch of snow where no one had stepped. He made a wide sweep of his arm and marked a circle in the snow with his knife.

The circle was just as big as he meant the house to be. Then he cut out blocks of snow from the s.p.a.ce inside the circle. He placed these big blocks of snow around the circle on the line he had marked with his knife.

When he got the first row done Menie said, ”I can do that! Let me try.”

He took the knife and cut out a block. It wasn't nice and even like his father's blocks.

”That will never do,” his father said. ”Your house will tumble down unless your blocks are true.”

He made the sides of the block straight by cutting off some of the snow.