Aka tamaani there lived a kind old woman and her husband who lived in a Yupik village called Takcak. Most of the time they made skin boots for a living. That's how they supported themselves. And they were well known for the fine quality of their boots which where usually made of the best seal skins and were sewn so well you could barely see the stitches.

This year however, the old man and woman were very poor. They barely had enough seal skin to make one last pair of simple boots. After that they would have no more. So one winter night they both cut out the skin for boots and then because they were so tired and hungry they went to bed early, planning to finish the boots in the morning.

When the old couple got up in the morning they ate their last remaining bites of fish and then went over to the seal skin and prepared to work on their last pair of boots. To their surprise, they found a beautiful pair of fancy sealskin kameksaks, much nicer than they could have made with the small amount of seal skin remaining to them. They were very happy because now they would be able to trade them for some food and more seal skins.

The old man was very curious about what had happened though, and he went outside into the cold to look around, but all he found was a black Raven feather just outside their door. Picking it up, he wondered where it had come from? Could it have come from old grandfather Raven--the same one that created our first man and woman? He didn't know, so he went back inside to be with his wife.

The fancy boots were made so well and were so handsome that a great hunter came along the very same day and traded them for some fresh fat caribou meat and four nicely tanned seal hides After the hunter left their house, the old couple picked up the skins and decided to make more boots with them.

That night they cut out the seal skins, but they were so hungry thked on some delicioius dried caribou meat they had traded from the hunter. After eating to their stomach's content, they were so tired they decided to leave the making of the boots till the next day, and they went immediately to sleep.

When the old couple woke up the next morning they found yet another surprise waiting for them--two more pair of beautifully sewn sealskin kameksaks………….And when the old man went outside to look around, he found yet another black Raven feather just outside their door. He wondered again if the feather could have come from Raven the creator?

These kameksaks were so handsome that by the end of the day the old couple were easily able to trade them to another hunter for some seal meat and a sled load of seal skins from the coast……..The hunter was so happy with the boots he also gave the couple some delicious seal oil that was still fresh from a recent catch down by Sheldon Point……..By now the old couple were very curious about who was doing this work for them, so they decided to pretend to sleep the very next night and try to discover what was going on.

Just about midnight they heard a Raven croak……and two little bootmakers sneaked quietly into the room and set to work with the seal skins to make four more pair of handsome dancing kameksaks. While they worked they hummed and talked softly which showed they truly enjoyed doing this fine work. But the old couple noticed that their clothes were very worn and tattered and they decided on a plan for the next day. Before they could finish thinking about their plan though, there was another Raven croak……..and before you could say "Tulukaruq," the bootmakers had disappeared out the door and away into the dawning sky.

After getting up and eating their breakfast and talking about what they had seen the night before, the old couple quickly set to work making the bootmakers two fine suits of winter clothes…….They took all day to do this because they wanted the clothes to be the very best quality.

When they were finally finished with the clothes it was late in the evening. So they ate their dinner and prepared for the arrival of the bootmakers. They neatly layed out their clothes on the work bench and then set out a tiny meal of dried fish and seal oil for them to enjoy while they worked. Then they lay down on their blankets and waited for the arrival of the two little bootmakers.

Again, just at midnight they heard the bell croak of the Raven…….and in came the same two little bootmakers dressed in tatters and rags. They headed straight for the work bench and there found the little gifts of clothing and food the old couple had made for them.

Immediately they put their new clothes on……..and they were so happy with them that right there and then they did a little jig around their work bench. They looked like two little whirlwinds the way they were whirling and jumping in their joy……..Finally they sat down and began to work, every now and again dipping a piece of fish or seal meat into the seal oil and smiling happily.

The bootmakers didn't work as long as they had the previous night, but before the night was over they had made the two most beautiful pair of kameksaks anyone in the region had ever seen before. Before leaving they held up the pair of boots to admire them for the last time. On both pair could be seen the beaded message, "Quyana."

While the couple were watching the bootmakers work they dozed off and slept for awhile. Just as the two little people were getting ready to leave though there was a loud double Raven croak……and the old couple woke up to see a great shining black Raven standing outside the open door. They shuffled quickly over to the door and got there just in time to see the bootmakers hopping onto the Raven and taking off straight into the shining face of the full moon.

As the Raven was flying up in the air, he turned his shiny neck around and bell-croaked four times down to the old couple……..Then he raised his mask and shouted, "Angniq Aluussistuaq. Merry Christmas, everyone, and a Happy New Year!"