  For many days the children played in their igloo. More snow fell. They dug it out of the path. Then they could get to the door. "It only makes our house taller," said Polly. "It does not hurt the inside. I do not care how much snow comes on top of it." "You may care some day," said father. "Snow is heavy. After a while it may break down your roof." "What if we are inside when the roof breaks, Peter? The snow will get down our necks." "It will do more," said father. "It will bury you." "Will it hurt us, father?" "I think not. But you will look like snow men afterward." One day Tim was playing with Peter and Polly. They were in the igloo. Collie was outside playing with Wag-wag. Wag-wag could go into the igloo. But the children did not like to have Collie there. He was so large that he took up too much room. Polly was the mother Eskimo. Peter was the father Eskimo. Tim was the little boy Eskimo. Mother Eskimo. "I think we need some meat. We need a seal. I can use its skin. I will make boots of it." Father Eskimo. "I killed a bear yesterday. Use the bearskin for boots." Mother Eskimo. "Oh, no. That would not make good boots. I need sealskin for them. Besides I wish to use the bearskin to make some trousers. I must have new ones." "O Polly," said Peter, "women do not wear trousers." "Eskimo women do, Peter. Now you go and catch me a seal." Father Eskimo. "But it is cold. I may have to watch many hours for a seal. I must sit very still beside his hole in the ice. If I move, he will not come up there to breathe. Perhaps I shall freeze, sitting so still." Mother Eskimo. "No, you will not. Do I not make you good fur clothes? Do I not sew them with my good bone needle? They will keep you warm." Father Eskimo. "Yes, but don't I have to get the fur for them? That is harder than making the clothes." Mother Eskimo. "I am not so sure that it is. Should you like to scrape the skins to clean them? Should you like to chew them to make them soft?" Father Eskimo. "No, I should rather hunt than chew skins. So I will go now." Father Eskimo crawled out of the igloo. He called to the dogs. "Come here, dogs. You must drag my sledge. I am going out to catch a seal. You must draw it home on the sledge." The dogs were jumping up and down and playing with each other. They did not know that they were Eskimo dogs. Peter could not get them. He grew quite cross. He crawled back into the igloo. "I cannot catch the dogs," he said. "I shall not go hunting. I shall not play Eskimo any more to-day." Polly started to speak. But instead she screamed. Something was happening. What were the dogs doing? Were they on the top of the igloo? The roof was breaking. She could see the leg of one dog sticking through. Then something fell on the children. It was the snow roof. It was also two dogs. Collie and Wag-wag had broken down the igloo. Father was just coming home. How he laughed when he saw the children and the dogs. He pulled them out from under the snow. He said, "Aren't you glad you are not real Eskimos? Aren't you glad you live in a strong house? Let's all go in and see what mother is cooking for supper. It will not be seal meat. Tim must come, too." |
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