SYNOPSIS: The Eskimos of young Oonik's village are worried because for some mysterious reason the Ice King of the North has prevented the summer from arriving on schedule. To placate the Ice King, the villagers plan a festival in his honor.

CHAPTER TWO
THE FESTIVAL

"The Ice King of the North is very angry," said Miski, the wise man of the Eskimo village. "He sends frigid winds and storms of snow even though it is August and the ice on the sea should long since have melted.

"To placate the Ice King we must have a festival in his honor. Then he will surely put aside his anger and we will be able to do our summer hunting for reindeer and rabbits and duck."

“Hooray!” cried Oonik, the Eskimo boy. “I love festivals! Dancing! And singing! And eating! Oh, that will be good!”

But Oonik's mother said, "How can we have a festival? Hunting has been so poor there is scarcely any food left in the village. In my house we are down to our last seal flipper."

"It is the same with us,' moaned the other women. "Our storerooms are nearly empty."

Ooniks's faterh said, "Can we not have a festival without food?"

Miski shook his head. "The Ice King would be insulted if we had a festival in his honor and had no food. If we did not care to bring out our food in his honor perhaps he would not care to stop the winter winds."

Then the men said, "Very well. We will do it for the winter storms must end."

So the Eskimos returned to their igloos. The women melted snow and put their last hunks of meat in the water to stew. The men made flat drums out of wooden hoops covered with the thin inner tissures of seals.

When all was ready the villagers returned to the igloo of Miski, the wise man. They all sat on the floor of the snow house and Miski stood in the middle and sang a song to the Ice King.

He asked the Ice King to get over his anger and bring the Eskimos good weather so they could have good hunting again.

Then Miski sat down and the men began to beat on their drums with sticks made of ivory walrus tusks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Then the Eskimos sang. First they sang in a soft chant keeping time to the drum beat. Presently their voices rose and their singing became louder than the wind roaring around the igloo. Oonik, anxious to please the Ice King, sang louder than all the rest.

The dancing started. All the men and boys stood in their places and stamped on the floor and moved their arms up and sown in curious patterns meant to placate the Ice King.

After that the food was served. Oonik took half his share outside to his dog Keotuk who crouched at the door.

"Don't worry," said Oonik soothingly to his dog. "This has been a festival such as I have never seen. It is bound to have pleased the Ice King and tomorrow good weather will come and we will have good hunting again."

But, alas! On that very night came a storm worse than any that had come before. The furious wind swept sheets of ice from the north and hurled them on the tiny Eskimo village. Three igloos were smashed by the tons of ice and the poor owners had to move in with neighbors. A mountain of ice pushed out of the sea and towered over the village.

"The Ice King did not hear us, there is nothing more we can do," Miski told the terrified Eskimos who gathered in his igloo after the storm.

Oonik went out in the cold. He fell to his knees in the snow and pressed his mouth against the ear of Keotuk, the dog.

"Listen to me, Keotuk," he murmured. "I have a plan!"

Keotuk wagged his tail and licked his master's chin as if to say, "I'll do anything you say!"

"Come, then,' said Oonik, jumping to his feet. "you and I are going to Santa Land!"

Next: Storm at Sea