Читать книгу Animal Stories from Eskimo Land. Adapted from the Original Eskimo Stories Collected by Dr. Daniel S. Neuman онлайн

12 страница из 23

They traveled this way for many days and nights, until at last they could hear a faint, rumbling noise like distant thunder. The sound lent renewed strength to Ivango’s mighty paddle. So powerfully did he wield it that they went faster than the ducks, who were leading them straight to their sister.

Nearer and nearer they came to the strange sound, and louder and louder it grew, until it seemed as though mountains of rock were being hurled together by the hands of some mighty giant.

Soon they could see two great cliffs drawing swiftly together through the ocean. They met with a mighty crash that seemed to shake the sea and sky. Ivango had trouble in keeping the boat upright, so high were the waves made by the rocks when they came together.

As the boat came nearer, the cliffs slowly drew apart, and some sea parrots and seals tried to pass through the opening, but the rocks rushed together and the birds and seals were caught and crushed to death.

Ivango felt his heart fail within him. Could they ever pass through alive, or must they all be crushed like the animals and birds? It did not seem possible that they could ever reach the other side of the cliffs. Oh! if they only might fly over in the sky like the ducks were doing! Then they would be safe.