On the western coast of Ungava Bay the dwarf shrubs, ancient and gnarled like old men, grow huddled in the hollows between the rocks. Here the great western wind rules with an iron hand striking down anything with the audacity to rise too high. The plants have learned the lesson and are not deceived by a calm. For days the wind will rest over an oily sea and then, with a smell of distant shores, a whisper of breath, and it begins to swell with power. Sweeping the sea birds in its path, crashing upon the mud flats turning the sea to a dull, silt brown and tossing great rotting rows of seaweed over the rocks and into the cracks where they bake in the long summer days, the western wind rules over all in its path. I am told this is a true story by the men who live there. The people of Ungava live a harsh life always on the edge of starvation. No man knows where the seals go when they leave or why and so, the hunters must follow in their kayaks. Sometimes they travel great distances. From childhood the men learn to paddle. All of the hunters of Ungava were skilled paddlers and all could roll their kayaks when an accident befell them. All, that is, except Tuktosook. Tuktosook could not abide his head under water and all attempts to teach him to roll failed. He was a great amusement to the other hunters. Sometimes his friends would sneak up behind him and capsize his kayak but Tuktosook would bail out and hold on to the boat until rescued cold and shivering. Always he had a great smile on his face as if he enjoyed the game but never would he try to roll. As he grew older and stronger he tired of the game and would simply stay far enough away to avoid being dumped. His father ridiculed him for not learning to roll but that did no good for Tuktosook just went about his business. Eventually his father gave up. "Someday you will drown Tuktosook. Then you will wish you had learned to roll". his father said. Even though Tuktosook could not roll he was a strong and wise paddler. Better than his friends he could read the sky and smell the western wind long before anyone else knew of the coming danger. When Tuktosook smelled the wind he stayed ashore and when other hunters came back from the hunt with tales of narrow escapes Tuktosook would have nothing to say. Many considered him a dull man and the girls laughed behind his back because he had no tales to tell and would sometimes stay ashore with the women when the other men went hunting. They said he lacked courage. Sometimes not all the men would return and those who did told tales of capsizes and daring rescues and the women would weep over lost husbands and marvel over the skills and bravery of those who survived. One day Tuktosook smelled something in the wind and warned his father and brothers not to go hunting. But the sea was glassy smooth and they laughed at him and called him "old woman". Tuktosook ran from hunter to hunter urging them not to go telling them that the western wind was coming and that he carried great power. "Tuktosook, you are a coward. We must hunt. Our children cry out for food." Tuktosook told them to wait that they could always hunt another day but to no avail. The men paddled out upon the smooth, innocent rolling sea in search of seals. When the storm came it showed no mercy and many days passed and the rocks were coated with rotting sea weed far up from the water's edge. Everyday the women scanned the horizon and wept searching for even the smallest dot or a single flash of a paddle. None appeared. When the storm abated Tuktosook went hunting. He returned with a fat seal and the starving people ate but no other hunter ever returned. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Web site address, http://home.ican.net/~735769 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi John, That was superb. Maybe Fables are really the way to teach. I could easily replace a portion of one of my lectures with this. Thanks for a great tale. Cheers, -- Rob Cookson 3 Hats Design INTERNET PRINT ILLUSTRATION 5201 15 Ave NW Suite 220 Seattle, WA 98107 206.851.8202 direct line 206.784.1641 main office phone 206.784.2231 main office fax mailto:rob_at_3hats.com http://www.3hats.com > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of 735769 > Sent: Friday, March 24, 2000 5:12 AM > To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subject: [Paddlewise] A story > > > On the western coast of Ungava Bay the dwarf shrubs, ancient and gnarled > like old men, grow huddled in the hollows between the rocks. > Here the great > western wind rules with an iron hand striking down anything with the > audacity to rise too high. The plants have learned the lesson and are not > deceived by a calm. For days the wind will rest over an oily sea > and then, > with a smell of distant shores, a whisper of breath, and it > begins to swell > with power. Sweeping the sea birds in its path, crashing upon > the mud flats > turning the sea to a dull, silt brown and tossing great rotting rows of > seaweed over the rocks and into the cracks where they bake in the long > summer days, the western wind rules over all in its path. > > I am told this is a true story by the men who live there. > > > The people of Ungava live a harsh life always on the edge of > starvation. No > man knows where the seals go when they leave or why and so, the > hunters must > follow in their kayaks. Sometimes they travel great distances. From > childhood the men learn to paddle. All of the hunters of Ungava were > skilled paddlers and all could roll their kayaks when an accident befell > them. All, that is, except Tuktosook. Tuktosook could not abide his head > under water and all attempts to teach him to roll failed. He was a great > amusement to the other hunters. Sometimes his friends would sneak > up behind > him and capsize his kayak but Tuktosook would bail out and hold on to the > boat until rescued cold and shivering. Always he had a great smile on his > face as if he enjoyed the game but never would he try to roll. As he grew > older and stronger he tired of the game and would simply stay far enough > away to avoid being dumped. His father ridiculed him for not learning to > roll but that did no good for Tuktosook just went about his business. > Eventually his father gave up. > > "Someday you will drown Tuktosook. Then you will wish you had learned to > roll". his father said. > > Even though Tuktosook could not roll he was a strong and wise paddler. > Better than his friends he could read the sky and smell the western wind > long before anyone else knew of the coming danger. When Tuktosook smelled > the wind he stayed ashore and when other hunters came back from the hunt > with tales of narrow escapes Tuktosook would have nothing to say. Many > considered him a dull man and the girls laughed behind his back because he > had no tales to tell and would sometimes stay ashore with the > women when the > other men went hunting. They said he lacked courage. Sometimes > not all the > men would return and those who did told tales of capsizes and > daring rescues > and the women would weep over lost husbands and marvel over the skills and > bravery of those who survived. > > One day Tuktosook smelled something in the wind and warned his father and > brothers not to go hunting. But the sea was glassy smooth and they laughed > at him and called him "old woman". Tuktosook ran from hunter to hunter > urging them not to go telling them that the western wind was > coming and that > he carried great power. "Tuktosook, you are a coward. We must hunt. Our > children cry out for food." > > Tuktosook told them to wait that they could always hunt another day but to > no avail. The men paddled out upon the smooth, innocent rolling sea in > search of seals. > > When the storm came it showed no mercy and many days passed and the rocks > were coated with rotting sea weed far up from the water's edge. > Everyday the > women scanned the horizon and wept searching for even the > smallest dot or a > single flash of a paddle. None appeared. > > When the storm abated Tuktosook went hunting. He returned with a fat seal > and the starving people ate but no other hunter ever returned. > > > Cheers, > > John Winters > Redwing Designs > Web site address, http://home.ican.net/~735769 > > ****************************************************************** > ********* > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the > author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > ****************************************************************** > ********* *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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