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One night the little boy was not ready to eat when his meal was served.  The man and his wife ate and the man said, "Don't feed the boy until tomorrow because he would not eat with us."

Later that night the boy was hungry and cried for food.  The man became angry and put the child outside of the lodge.  He tied the door shut and told his wife not to open it.

But the woman pitied the child, so she crept pass her husband and tried to open the door.  He caught her and held her down.  When she begged him to allow her to go out and sit with her son, he struck her with a piece of fire wood.

When she awakened she heard the child's screams growing more and more faint.  She knew that the owls had carried him away.

The next morning her husband went out to hunt.  He didn't even mention the little one.

After he left, the woman went out looking for her baby.  At last she found a place where a small skull and little bones were scattered about.  Quickly she gathered them up, built a fire and laid the bones in the blaze.  Soon the bones were reduced to ashes.

She picked up the ashes and carried them home.  She prepared a meal for her husband and sprinkled it with the ashes from the bones of her little boy.

When the hungry man returned she put the food before him and he ate it.

Then he laid down to rest.  After a while she looked at him.  His eyes were open and his mouth moved but he could not speak.  It wasn't long before he died.

She stayed with him until the next morning then packed all her belongings, the ashes and her baby's belongings in her basket and carried it outside.

Then she laid dry wood around the lodge and burned it down.  She walked to another village where she found her younger brothers.

They were surprised to see her alone and asked about the boy.  At first she could only weep.  Finally, she told them everything.

They said, "It's a good thing he died for we would have killed him."  Then they said, "Stay with us.  We'll take care of you."

So, they lived together for a long time and one by one they grew old and died.
*****
Written by Anne M. Dunn
 

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