15. The Contest between the Giant and the Plover.

15. The Contest between the Giant and the Plover.

A Giant and a small Plover had a contest to ascertain which was the stronger. They took large stones. Plover said, "You throw first!" The Giant threw, and hit the Plover on the hip. The little bird just stretched its leg. Then he gathered a few berries of Empetrum nigrum, and rubbed the wounded hip with their juice. After that the Plover threw the stone. He closed his eyes and then cast the stone. He hit the Giant and broke both his hips. That is all.

Told by Ale´qat, an Asiatic Eskimo man, on St. Lawrence Island, May, 1901.