In Fond Remembrance of Me Read Free Page B

they got to the boat, a man shouted, “Who’s on this boat? Whose boat is this?”
    â€œMy name is Noah,” a man shouted down. “My wife, son,
and daughter are with me. It’s too cold here — we’re going away.”
    This made the villagers laugh in their kayaks —“ No, no, no — here comes winter!” With this, winter arrived and the big boat was surrounded by floating pieces of ice.
    â€œWhat?—What?—What?” said Noah. “Get us out, get us out.”
    â€œNot until the ice-break-up,” a village man said.
    â€œTake us into your village,” said Noah’s wife.
    â€œHow can you say that—how can you say that?” Noah said.
    With this, Noah’s wife, daughter, and son jumped into kayaks and were paddled to the village. Paddled past pieces of ice—pieces of ice were all around, bumping against the kayaks. When Noah’s wife, son, and daughter turned to look back, they saw that the ark was now stuck in the ice!
    In the village, Noah’s wife, son, and daughter were given a place to live. They were given food to eat. They were given warm clothes. One night, Noah’s wife said to the villagers, “On our travels, we had a lot of big animals on the ark. But then we got hungry. Our other food ran out. It was raining hard. The rain didn’t stop. We ate some animals. Then we arrived at this place. We didn’t know how to get home. We got lost up here. That’s what happened.”
    â€œDid any of the animals taste good?” a village woman asked.
    â€œSome did — some didn’t,” Noah’s wife said.
    â€œGive us their names,” a man said.
    â€œGiraffe”-this made everyone fall to laughing. “Hippopotamus —” this made everyone fall to laughing.
    But each day, Noah’s wife was deep in worry and sadness. She stood at the edge of the ice to see if her husband was walking from the ark. Then one morning she called out, “Look—!” Everyone saw a polar bear walking across the ice. Following the bear was a
fox. Following the fox was a raven—walking, hopping along, flying a little. Following the raven was Noah, crawling. “What is my husband doing?” Noah’s wife cried out.
    A village man said to Noah’s wife, “A bear walks along—it kills a seal, it drags it up and eats some. The fox might run in fast and grab a scrap or two. Then—next—next—the raven can fly in fast and grab a scrap or two.”
    â€œOh—oh—oh!” said Noah’s wife. “So lastly my husband might get something to eat.”
    â€œAt least he’s found a way to get something to eat,” the man said.
    â€œIf I pry off plank of wood, will you leave my husband some food?” she said.
    â€œYes,” the man said.
    With this, Noah’s wife walked out to the ark. She pried off a plank of wood and carried it back to the village. The villagers used it to start a fire. Everyone sat by it—and then some men went out on the ice and left scraps of seal meat and fish for Noah. First, the fox grabbed a little—it ran off. Then a raven got some—it flew off. But Noah got some food, too .
    Then it happened that the bear went a long time without killing a seal. It got very hungry. One day, it turned and chased the fox, but the fox knew how to get away. The bear scattered off the raven—and then it caught this Noah, killed him, out on the ice. When news of this reached Noah’s wife, she wept—her daughter wept, her son wept.
    More planks were taken from the ark. One night, Noah’s wife stood by the sea ice and saw the ghost of her husband walking in the southerly direction. “Where are you going?” she shouted out to him .

    â€œHome,” he said. “Get our son and daughter—all three can come with me.”
    â€œNo,” said Noah’s wife, sadly, but she said it. “You