The Porcupine Year Read Online Free PDF

left home, they’d been homesick together. As they worked, they often spoke of their island.

    â€œRemember that funny old trader, his big belly?” asked Omakayas.
    â€œYou are still wearing the dress we bought from him with that dried fish!”
    â€œAnd the chimookoman girl, the Break-Apart Girl—do you think she’s taking good care of my dog?”
    â€œShe is feeding him her own food,” said Angeline kindly. “I’m sure she’s being good to him.”
    â€œI hope so,” said Omakayas. “Do you ever think of the school you went to?”
    â€œI practice the chimookomanag writing,” said Angeline. “I keep trying to teach Fishtail, but his hands are big and clumsy! Do you want a lesson?”
    Whenever Angeline was in the mood to teach, Omakayas always took the chance to learn from her. Angeline had written the chimookoman alphabet on a piece of birchbark. Omakayas had tried to impress her sister by memorizing it. When they took a break from working on the hides, Angeline helped Omakayas with the letters.
    â€œYour S letters look better than mine,” said Angeline. That was all it took for Omakayas to try even harder to follow and remember the squiggles and dots that held meaning.
    Later, they put the birchbark down and went back to working the hides. They moved together, talking of Nokomis’s garden back on the island, and of Omakayas’s pet crow, Andeg. Shadows lengthened, the light deepened, and soon there was the crackling sound of the hunters coming through the brush—two of them at least, Animikiins and his father. The old man appeared first, and Animikiins came after him, carrying a couple of fat rabbits. Though the two had gone out with the hope of killing something bigger, the snares set close to camp had paid off.
    â€œIt’s not a bear, but at least we have something,” said Animikiins.
    Omakayas smiled at him—he never teased her the way Quill did. He was taught to be careful and respectful, andhe tried to listen to his elders. She could see it. But Animikiins also had an explosive temper, like Mama’s, and he was easily hurt or shamed. He could not always contain his feelings. He scowled and glared if he thought he was being teased. Omakayas was always careful around him, and she didn’t talk very much.
    â€œMiigwech,” she simply said now. She didn’t dare say much else, for one never knew. Animikiins might take offense.
    â€œHuh.”
    That was his answer. He nodded his head abruptly and turned away. But there was something in the way he’d looked at her, almost with admiration, that made Omakayas feel unexpectedly warm. A soft, tingling blush rose and crept around her face.

    Later, Omakayas skinned the rabbits with a few slices of her knife, and with a few quick jerks she peeled off their fur.
    â€œYou do that well,” said Nokomis.
    Her praise was sweet, and Omakayas smiled. The night was warm, and after eating everyone slept outside, around the campfire. The first mosquitoes had hatched, but the smoke from the fire confused the zagimeg. They couldn’t torment the family with their fierce, annoying whines and stings. As Omakayas drowsed, she heard Quill and the porcupine, just beyond the circle of the campfire. The little porcupine breathed quickly, in light panting gusts, and made soft chirrups in its sleep, as if it was dreaming a delightful dream. Omakayas stayed awake just to listen to the comical and charming way it breathed and even lightly snored, but then her attention was caught by talk from the grown-ups.
    GOING NORTH
    T hey were not laughing at old times, as they did so often, or reviewing the day in low voices, either. After leaving the island, they had stayed close by the great lake, unwilling to leave it entirely. But the two winters had been very difficult. Now the family wanted to find land where they could settle. They had expected to meet up with relatives, but had