THE MAGIC BOX

Evening Star, Issue 21138, 25 June 1932, Page 5

THE MAGIC BOX

The little dome-shaped igloo where Silent Water, the Husky girl, lived with her father the hunter, was better kept than any in the village. Silent Water talked little, her eyes wore as black as coals, and her oily hair as shiny as a seal’s back. She coul 1 make a seal stow with dough balls fit to sot before a hungry king, and sow rabbitskins into neat blankets. No wonder that all the young huskies desired her as a wife. But the only one who pleased her was brave Kwasind, and she would not leave her father even for him.

Cruelly disappointed, Kwasiud, hoping his absence would make her heart grow fonder, sailed away to strange lands in a whaler; but in a year he returned carrying a new axe, a looking glass (what a treasure for a young wife’s igloo), and a square box. “ What is in the box, Kwasind?” asked the puzzled villagers. “ Aha! I have been to a country where it is possible to catch devils.” The women began to shriek. “Keep quiet, foolish ones! I have in this box a very clever and amusing devil who sings and plays tunes. Come to my igloo to-night and you shall hear.” Now, in those days the huskies believed everything they did not understand to be magic, and when they' trooped into Kwasind’s igloo that night and saw him give a magic touch to the box which immediately began to play tunes, and sing songs in the language of the white man, they were amazed, terrified, and delighted, too. Kwasind was a hero indeed! “ What is the devil’s name, Kwasind?” “He is called Gramophone. Listen again.” Kwasiud gave another magic touch, and the devil began ot play ‘ Rule Britannia ’ and afterwards to sing ‘ Annie Laurie.’ Oh. what an amusing devil for a lonely igloo on those dark winter nights! Kwasiud sought out Silent Water. “ Little seal,” said he, “ will you marry me now?” But, alas! Silent Water shook her head. She said she could not live with a devil in the house. “ But he’s shut in a box.” “ He might get out and hurt our children. No, Kwasind, you must choose him or me.” “ I will sell him.” “No; he might come hack to us. You must kill him.” So poor Kwasind was obliged to take his new axe and smash up his new treasure, and then Silent Water consented to be his bride. In a year came Sun Face, a fat, black-eyed baby, and both Kwasind and Silent Water thought his cries the sweetest music on earth; but all the same, sometimes on winter nights in the igloo, Kwasind sighed for Gramophone Devil to amuse them with ‘ Rule Britannia ’ and ‘ Annie Laurie.’