THE MIDNIGHT SUN.
Naka lives where it is very cold. There is snow and ice nearly all the year.
Naka lives in a queer little round house made of cakes of snow. The door is so close to the ground that she has to creep in and out on her hands and knees.
One day Naka’s mother dressed the little girl in her warm fur clothes.
She first put on stockings made of bird skins. The soft feathers kept her feet very warm. Over the stockings she wore another pair made of bearskin.
Next she put on a white bearskin coat. This had a hood which she put over Naka’s short, dark hair.
It was almost noon when they crept out into the dim light.
They climbed a hill and saw the sun just rising; the beautiful, bright sun which they had not seen for so long!
It soon went away, but the next day it came again and stayed longer. After a while it did not go away at all.
All day and all night the bright sun was shining on the earth. Naka had a merry time playing in the warm sunshine.
She ran about on the soft green grass and picked the pretty flowers.
She found some berries one day and carried them home to her mother.
She watched the great white birds that came to lay their eggs among the rocks.
Best of all, the reindeer came back and gave her milk to drink.
By and by the sun went slowly away. But Naka was happy.
In the winter she had no sun. But the moon and the stars were bright.
Then, too, she saw again the beautiful northern lights, which are brighter than fireworks.