SKAI AND THE DANCING BEAR

Many years ago there lived a sub-chief’s son whose
crazy antics from earliest childhood had always
amused the Haidas. His name was Skai, but every
one in Quasset called him by a longer name meaning
“the-one-who-performs-crazily.”” Wherever a crowd
was, there was Skai, walking on his hands, mimick-
ing this or that one, singing jolly songs that poked
fun at different people in the tribe, or imitating the
bird songs so cleverly that all stopped to listen.

Skai could talk exactly like the head chief, ex-
actly like the head shaman, and sometimes he called
the children together in the forest and gave a clever
exhibition of his skill. Sometimes he made a long
speech, speaking exactly as the chief did at potlatch
time; sometimes he put on a mask and a shaman’s
apron and mimicked the shaman, shaking his rattle,

dancing, singing weird incantations over an imaginary
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