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Updated: May 21, 2025
And as the kayaks began to come in, others went down to the shore and told them the news: "Qasiagssaq has struck a walrus." And this they said to all the kayaks as they came home, but as usual, there was one of them that remained out a long time, and when at last he came back, late in the evening, they told him the same thing: "Qasiagssaq, it is said, has struck a walrus."
"Hrrrr!" said Qasiagssaq, to frighten her. And after that Qasiagssaq went about as if nothing had happened. One day he was out in his kayak as usual at a place where there was much ice; here he caught sight of a speckled seal, which had crawled up on to a piece of the ice.
And those things were brought, and given back to them. Then Qasiagssaq's wife said as usual: "Now you have lied again. When you do such things, one cannot but feel shame for you." "Hrrrr!" said Qasiagssaq, to frighten her, and went on as if nothing had happened. Now it is said that Qasiagssaq's wife Qigdlugsuk had a mother who lived in another village, and had a son whose name was Ernilik.
And they rowed over there, but when they reached the place, there was nothing to be seen. And again they asked: "Where is it? Where is it?" "Up there, beyond the little ness." And again they reached the place and rowed round it, and there was nothing to be seen. Then the others said: "Qasiagssaq is lying as usual. Let us kill him."
But his wife, who was beside him, said: "When Qasiagssaq does such things, one cannot but feel shame for him." "Hrrrr!" said Qasiagssaq to his wife, as if to frighten her. And after that he went about as if nothing had happened. One day when he was out in his kayak as usual, he said: "What is the use of my being out here, I who never catch anything?" And he rowed in towards land.
After they had hauled the seal to land, his wife cut out the belly part, and when that was done, she shared out so much blubber and meat to the others that there was hardly anything left for themselves. And then she set about cooking a meal, with a shoulder-blade for a lamp, and another for a pot. And every time a kayak came in, they told the newcomer that Qasiagssaq had got a big black seal.
Then said Qasiagssaq: "How foolish I was not to take so much as a little blubber with me. Over in our village, seals are daily thrown away. You must come back with me to our place." Next morning they set off together. When they reached the place, Qasiagssaq hurried up with the harpoon line in his hand, before his wife's mother had landed.
Afterwards she was well fed by the other villagers there, and next morning when she was setting out to go home, they all gave her meat to take with her; all save Qasiagssaq, who gave her nothing. And time went on, and once he was out as usual in his kayak, and when he came home in the evening, he said: "I have found a dead whale; to-morrow we must all go out in the umiak and cut it up."
As soon as a voice could reach the land, Qasiagssaq cried: "Now you need not be afraid of breaking the handles of your knives; I have struck a great walrus, and it has gone down under water with my two small bladder floats. One or another of those who are out after seal will be sure to find it." He himself remained altogether idle, and having come into his house, did not go out again.
Then he disappeared from sight behind an iceberg, and when he came round on the other side, his bladder float was gone, and he himself was rowing as fast as he could towards land. His wife, who was looking out for him as usual, shading her eyes with her hands, said then: "But what has happened to Qasiagssaq?"
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