Читать книгу Haibu Lost in New York - Blake Freeman - Страница 9

MONTOOKA

Haibu was running around the front yard, chasing after the dogs like she was in the middle of a great battle, when a neighbor approached. It was Mr. Toko, one of the elders in the village. He was a great warrior and hunter back in his day, and always took time to talk to the other villagers, especially Haibu.

“Well, hello there, little Haibu,” he said.

“Hello, Mr. Toko. I’m protecting the village from these ferocious polar bears!” Haibu yelled.

Mr. Toko looked at the dogs that were climbing all over Haibu and licking her face. “Well, I thank you, and I’ll leave you be to save us helpless villagers from those wild beasts!” he said.

“Okay, Mr. Toko, I will save us all!”

Mr. Toko walked off in the snow and Haibu continued to play with her dogs. When Haibu’s father and brother appeared from behind the house, they were pulling a sled with several hunting and fishing tools.

Haibu ran over, excited. “Atata! Atata!” she called to her father.

Kneeling next to Haibu, her father spoke. “What are you up to, my little warrior?”

Haibu knew that they were on their way to go ice fishing. She also knew that fishing was usually left up to the men in the village. But what her father and brother didn’t know was that Haibu wanted badly to prove that she could fish just as well as the boys.

Haibu replied, “I want to come fishing with you, Atata.”

Haibu’s brother, Amook, laughed. “You’re too small; you couldn’t catch your own shadow, much less a fish! You want the village to starve?!”

Amook laughed some more and Haibu shouted back at him, “I could catch a lot of fish! Fish with big mouths, just like yours, Amook!”

Chuckling, her father continued, “Haibu, I need you here. Who else is going to protect the village while I’m gone?”

Haibu frowned. “But Atata, I am ready!”

Father rubbed Haibu’s head and said softly, “Soon enough, soon enough.”

Haibu was left behind as they disappeared into the snowy distance.

After stomping through the snow, Haibu entered her house and slammed the door behind her.

“Haibu, would you like to help me with dinner?” her mother called.

“No thank you, Anana.” Haibu pouted. “I’m not big enough to help.” Haibu ran into her room and leaped onto the bed.

Moments later, Haibu’s mother walked in and sat down beside her. “Haibu, what is wrong?” she asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Anana.”

“Is this because you wanted to go fishing with Amook and your father?”

Haibu sat up. “Yes! Anana, I am as strong as Amook and as good a fisherman as anyone in this village. If they would only let me—”

Haibu’s mother interrupted. “Oh my little Haibu, of course you are. But they are going far out to the ice shelf, where the ocean and the ice meet, and it’s quite dangerous. You could fall through the ice or stumble upon a nanuq looking for food. It’s just not safe.”

Nanuq is the Mayok word for “polar bear.” From a very young age every villager was taught to stay far away from them. Besides the weather, polar bears are a Mayok’s biggest threat.

But Haibu didn’t want to listen. “You think I’m scared of a fluffy ole nanuq, Anana?” She stood up on her bed with her hands in the air, mimicking a bear. “Have you ever seen a nanuq this tough, Anana? Rawr! Rawr!” she growled.

“You are a very scary nanuq. It’s been a long day, Haibu. Why don’t you rest and I will call you when dinner is ready,” her mother said, as she headed back to the kitchen.

Haibu dropped to her bed and muttered, “They’ll never understand.”