Erik had insisted that this time, the story be told in his bedroom. The children slowly filed in and sat down. Erik surveyed the crowd.
"Have any of you ever heard a Hanatchi-song at night?"
Slowly but surely, everyone nodded.
"Those are the selkies. They are beautiful Mimitchis who can slip on a Hanatchi skin and turn into one."
An exited murmur flew o'er the crowd.
************************************************
"One morning, an young and handsome Scottish Maskitchi was wandering along the beach when he heard beautiful singing. Curious, he edged closer to a group of rocks. He saw Hanatchi skins draped over them. Looking over the rock, he saw beautiful young Mimitchis bathing. One saw him and screamed,
'Flee! Flee!'
He grabbed one of the Hanatchi skins and in all the confusion, nobody noticed but the owner of that skin.
She swam up to him and pleaded,'Dear sir, please let me have my Hanatchi skin! Without it, I cannot return to my sisters!'
'Not unless you marry me.' he insisted.
After a long argument, the Mimitchi agreed to marry the man. But he did not give back her Hanatchi skin.
Years passed and she bore him four children, two boys and two girls. One frosty spring morning, the Maskitchi took his children out fishing-all but the youngest, who had sprained her ankle the night before.
The young girl noticed her mother searching for something. Pulling out drawers, muttering to herself. the girl decided to take a chance.
'Mama, what are you looking for?'
'A Hanatchi skin, my lassie.'
'I've seen one.'
'Where?'
'In the rafters of the barn.'
The selkie raced out to the barn and took down the skin. She quickly kissed her daughter on the cheek.
'Farewell, my bonnie lass!'
'Mama, wait!'
But the selkie wife was never seen again."
*************************************************
"What happened to her?" asked a Kinakomotchi.
"She went back to her home." said Erik.
And he refused to say more.
"Have any of you ever heard a Hanatchi-song at night?"
Slowly but surely, everyone nodded.
"Those are the selkies. They are beautiful Mimitchis who can slip on a Hanatchi skin and turn into one."
An exited murmur flew o'er the crowd.
************************************************
"One morning, an young and handsome Scottish Maskitchi was wandering along the beach when he heard beautiful singing. Curious, he edged closer to a group of rocks. He saw Hanatchi skins draped over them. Looking over the rock, he saw beautiful young Mimitchis bathing. One saw him and screamed,
'Flee! Flee!'
He grabbed one of the Hanatchi skins and in all the confusion, nobody noticed but the owner of that skin.
She swam up to him and pleaded,'Dear sir, please let me have my Hanatchi skin! Without it, I cannot return to my sisters!'
'Not unless you marry me.' he insisted.
After a long argument, the Mimitchi agreed to marry the man. But he did not give back her Hanatchi skin.
Years passed and she bore him four children, two boys and two girls. One frosty spring morning, the Maskitchi took his children out fishing-all but the youngest, who had sprained her ankle the night before.
The young girl noticed her mother searching for something. Pulling out drawers, muttering to herself. the girl decided to take a chance.
'Mama, what are you looking for?'
'A Hanatchi skin, my lassie.'
'I've seen one.'
'Where?'
'In the rafters of the barn.'
The selkie raced out to the barn and took down the skin. She quickly kissed her daughter on the cheek.
'Farewell, my bonnie lass!'
'Mama, wait!'
But the selkie wife was never seen again."
*************************************************
"What happened to her?" asked a Kinakomotchi.
"She went back to her home." said Erik.
And he refused to say more.
