CHAPTER XIX THE CHRISTMAS STORY

THAT was a never to be forgotten summer to Tuktu and Aklak. A ship came in the harbor¹ near which they were camped, and they had a chance to see how the white men lived on the ship and all the wonders that the ship contained. One of the white men spent much time at their camp asking through one of the herders, who could speak his language, all sorts of questions, questions that made Tuktu and Aklak think that he knew very little. But then when they in their turn began asking questions, he told them such wonderful things that they began to think that they knew very little.

 

One day, as he sat watching Tuktu and her mother, Navaluk, making a coat—with a hood² attached³, trimmed⁴ with a fringe⁵ of wolverine fur around the edge—he told them stories, and the story that he told of Christmas was the story that Tuktu liked best of all. She told it to Aklak.

 

“What do you think, Aklak?” she said. “The children outside of our beautiful Northland have no reindeer⁶. Most of them have never seen a reindeer.”

 

“What drags their sleds then, dogs?” demanded the practical⁷ Aklak.

 

“No,” replied Tuktu, “they have other animals called horses. But they cannot be beautiful like our deer, for they have no antlers. But all those children have heard of our reindeer, Aklak, and there is a certain time in the winter called Christmas when in the night after every one is asleep, there comes the children’s saint⁸ and visits each home. And, Aklak, he comes with reindeer!”

 

Aklak looked up quickly. “The Good Spirit?” he cried.

 

Tuktu’s eyes were shining as she nodded. “It must be,” she said, “for who else would have reindeer? And, listen, Aklak: he is short and round and shakes when he laughs; and he has a white beard and a fur-trimmed coat and a fur-trimmed hat; and his reindeer take him right up on the roofs of the{115} houses; and then he takes a pack on his back and goes right down the chimney⁹; and he leaves gifts for little children while they are asleep. And if any little boy or little girl lies awake and peeps¹⁰ and tries to see him, he doesn’t leave any presents for that little girl or that little boy and they never do see him. When he has made his visit, he goes right up the chimney again and jumps in his sleigh and calls to his reindeer and away he goes to the next stopping place. And he makes all those visits in one night. No wonder he wants reindeer. No wonder he wants the very best reindeer.”

 

“But if no one ever sees him, how do they know what he looks like?” demanded practical Aklak.

 

“Oh,” replied Tuktu, “it is only on the night before Christmas that he never is seen. I mean he is never seen coming down the chimney and putting the gifts for the children where they will find them. But he is seen often going about before Christmas, for he has to find out who have been good, that they may receive presents. And the children give him letters and tell him what they want, and if they have been good, he tries to give them what they want. So he leaves the Northland early, some time before Christmas, and goes out into the Great World. Then he returns for the gifts and the night before Christmas makes that wonderful flying trip with the deer. He loves reindeer.”

 

“Of course he loves the reindeer!” Aklak interrupted¹¹. “How could he help loving the reindeer? Aren’t they the most important animals in all the Great World?”

 

“That is what I said, but the man said that horses are more important down there. I asked him if they ate the meat of the horses and he said no. And I asked him if they made clothing from the skins of the horses and he said no. He said they were important because they worked for men.”

 

Aklak shrugged¹² his shoulders. “The reindeer work for men also. They carry us where we want to go. We do not have to carry food for them, for they find it for themselves. They furnish¹³ us with food and clothing and our tents. I would not for the world live down there where there are no reindeer. Did the man tell you anything else?”

 

Tuktu’s eyes were like stars. “Yes,” said she. “He said that all over that land at Christmas time they have beautiful green trees covered with lights at night and many shining things. And sometimes these trees are hung with presents for the boys and girls; and sometimes the Good Saint appears at one of these trees and with his own hands gives the gifts to the children. But the very day after Christmas he disappears and he is seen no more until the Christmas season comes again; and no one knows where he is. All the children wonder and wonder where he is all through the year, but they have never been able to find out.”

 

“Did you tell the man that we know?” Aklak asked.

 

Tuktu shook her head. “He wouldn’t believe,” said she. “But we do know, Aklak, for that children’s saint is the Good Spirit who lives in the Valley of the Good Spirit. Oh, Aklak, wouldn’t it be too wonderful if he would choose our deer for that marvelous¹⁴ Christmas journey?”

1 harbor   

n.海港，港口；vt.庇护，藏匿；心怀(怨恨等)

参考例句：

• The harbor lies to the south of the city.港口在城市的南边。
• At that time,our ship was tied up at this harbor.当时我们的船停靠在这个港口。

2 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

3 attached   

附加的

参考例句：

• The lease entitles the holder to use the buildings and any land attached thereto.本租约持有人有权使用此建筑物以及所附属的土地。

4 trimmed   

adj.平衡的，纵倾的v.整理( trim的过去式和过去分词 )；修剪；装饰；减少

参考例句：

• The general's uniform was trimmed with gold braid. 将军的制服饰有金色穗带。
• She wore a white satin gown trimmed with lace. 她穿着一条饰有蕾丝花边的白色缎子长裙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 fringe   

n.边缘；（窗帘）缘饰，额前垂发；vt.饰...的边

参考例句：

• The girl wears her hair in a fringe.那女孩留着刘海。
• This is an enormous field of which l can touch only the fringe.这是一个很广阔的领域，我在这里只能谈个大概。

6 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

7 practical   

adj.实际的，实践的；实用的，应用的；有实际经验的

参考例句：

• He is a practical person.他是位很讲实际的人。
• Your invention is clever,but not practical.你的发明很巧，但不实用。

8 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

9 chimney   

n.烟囱，烟筒；玻璃罩

参考例句：

• The chimney blew out a cloud of black smoke.烟囱里喷出一团黑烟。
• His father is a chimney sweeper.他的父亲是一位扫烟囱的工人。

10 peeps   

窥视( peep的第三人称单数 )； 偷看； 隐现； 慢慢露出

参考例句：

• The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。
• Genuine emotion peeps through, only to be squeezed back by some orthodox piety. 真实的感情偶尔出现，但跟着便被正统的虔诚挤跑了。

11 interrupted   

adj. 中断的 动词interrupt的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He could not conceal his annoyance at being interrupted. 他因受扰而难掩怒色。
• She was interrupted by the entrance of an attendant. 服务员进来，打断了她的话。

12 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 furnish   

v.供应，提供，装备；布置，为...配备家具

参考例句：

• I will furnish all you need.我愿供给你所需要的一切。
• No one in the class could furnish the right answer to the question.班上没有一个人能给出问题的正确答案。

14 marvelous   

adj.奇迹般的，惊人的，了不起的

参考例句：

• It'seems to me a most marvelous book.这本书我觉得奥妙之至。
• I congratulate you on this marvelous opportunity.恭喜你获得这样一个极好的机会。