Elizabeth Cleaver Quotes

“She and the boy skinned the bear. Then they made a fire and cooked some meat. ‘Why should that old man have good?’ she muttered, gorging herself. ‘He is blind and useless.’ She did not notice the boy hide some meat in his robe.”

“Before the boy could tell his father that he had killed the bear, an old hag appeared. She lived by herself near their clearing and was feared for her magical powers.”

“Afraid to refuse, he got in and they crossed the stream together. “If you tell your father that he killed a bear,′ said the hag, ‘I’ll give you a beating.

“Suddenly the boy spotted a bear on the other side of the stream, if only he could find a way to kill it! He had an idea.”

“One morning his wife went looking for berries, leaving the boy to care for his father. The unhappy old man sat in the sun, thinking of his days as a great hunter.”

“The boy stood on a rock and pointed the arrow at the bear’s heart. ‘Shoot!’ he cried. The old man pulled hard and the arrow flew through the air. It hit its mark and the bear fell dead.”

“Upon seeing the dead bear across the stream, she thought of the meals if would give her - enough to last all winter long. ‘Good for you, old man!’ she sneered. ‘You hit a log.’ Then she called to the boy. ‘Come with me!‘, and stepped into his canoe.”

“An old man who had recently gone blind lived with his wife and young son near a salmon stream. It was winter and there were starving because he could no longer hunt.”

“His father did not touch it. ‘Keep it for your mother,’ he said. ‘I want to go to the lake.’ He reached for the boy’s arm and stood up. ‘I will visit Loom there. He s a wise and magical bird who might help me.”

“He guided his father to the water’s edge and put a bow and arrow in his hands. ‘I am going to help you kill a bear,’ he said. ‘But how can I aim?’ his father asked. ‘I will be your eyes.‘”