The Big Hunt. Inuit Adaptation. Ursa Major.

This is a story I heard on my travels in the snow covered north. I was walking through a small town and an old man offered his campfire and he told me the most peculiar story. I thought it was interesting and so I'll tell you the tale.

One winter day four men were hunting in the ice fields. They stomped across the hardened snow and their voices echoed off the grand mountains. A heavy mist hung in the air but they kept looking for food to hunt despite the conditions.

As the sun set, the four men spotted a large bear in the distance. It was enormous and white and would feed the village for many weeks, so the four decided they had to pursue the bear.

These men were good hunters, but a wise polar bear is a fierce creature and must be approached carefully. Every time they would creep close to the bear, it would spot them and run across the ice and up a mountain. So they formed a single file line and began a steady march towards the bear.

They were careful to keep the crunch crunch crunch of their boots quiet. But the bear would hear and run higher.

They were careful to keep their panting wheezing gasping breath to themselves. But the bear would hear and run higher.

They were careful to keep their heads low by ducking crouching bending to blend in with the horizon. But the bear would see and run higher still.

The four hunters pursued the bear like the ocean chases the beach. Never completely reaching their prey and never giving up. Up they went, focused by the bear before them.

Suddenly the last hunter in the line moved to scratch his nose– realizing in shock his mitten had fallen off! His hand was so cold he didn't even notice! Suddenly he was snapped out of the trance of hunting and realized in horror they were no longer on the ice field. They were no longer on the mountain. They were no longer on earth. They had climbed a slope of shimmering northern lights– the aurora borealis– and stood miles above Earth.

Oh no! The hunter thought, I have to get back to my family! I must get down to earth!

The hunter called out to his friends still following the bear, "Come back! We are too far gone!"

But they did not hear, or maybe they did not care, so the three hunters continued pursuing the bear. The last hunter turned away from his friends and the hunt, clutching his dead hand. He walked down to earth and his warm home missing his friends all the while.

The three hunters (Ursa Major handle) chase the bear (Ursa Major square) every night around and around in circles. They never stray or let up from the hunt.

The old man never told me how the last hunter came down from the stars. But I did notice, between you and me, he only had one hand.