Note 96 — Raven Traveling
Reading edition
After a while Qîng· arrived. They performed a dance, and Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai gave them to eat. Then Qîng· returned to his own country. The boy accompanied him. When he made the Tsimshian he wore a flicker96 (Sqaldzit) blanket. Then he changed and wore a woodpecker (sʟodz’adang) blanket. Afterward he used a Sixasʟdᴀlgang97 blanket. This is a large bird with yellow head, which flies very rapidly. Finally he used a T’in98 blanket. This is a bird that is eaten in Victoria. When they arrived in Qîng·’s house Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai sat between Qîng· and his wife. The chief asked him: “Are you hungry?” But he did not want to eat. He was chewing gum all the time. In the house there were many people. Two youths were standing on one side of the door when the chief was eating. The chief sent some food to them. Their skin was quite black. Their name was Squl (“Porpoise”). They were eating ravenously. The boy asked: “How is it that you can eat so much?” They replied: “Don’t ask us. We are very poor because we are hungry all the time.” But he insisted. He said: “I can not eat, and I must learn how to eat. You must assist me to learn.” They refused, but Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai insisted. They said: “We are afraid of your father. If we tell you, you will have bad luck.” But the boy would not accept their statements. Then they became angry and said: “Go and bathe, and when you do so scratch your skin and eat what you scratch off. Do so twice.” The youth did so, and then he became very hungry. He told his father: “I am a little hungry.” Then the old man was very glad. He called all the people to see how his child was eating. The people came, and when they had seen it they returned. After a very short time the youth was hungry again. His father invited the people, and after they had eaten they went away. It was not long before the boy was hungry again. He could not get enough to eat. He ate all the provisions that were stored in the house. Then Qîng· turned the boy out of his house and he was very poor. He asked to be admitted again, but Qîng· did not allow him to enter. Then he took his raven skin and put it on. He knocked the walls of the house with his beak, asking admission, but he was refused.