The Woman and Her Bear

A Play Based on an Inuit Legend

Characters:

-Narrator 1

-Narrator 2

-Narrator 3

-Old Woman

-Nukilik: Villager

-Aput: Villager

-Ikiaq: Little Boy

Narrator 1: In the cold, dark north, an old woman lived all alone in a little hut at the edge of an Inuit village. She had no husband or sons to hunt for her, so she sometimes had to depend on her neighbors for food.

Ikiaq: My mother sends salmon for your dinner.

Old Woman: Thank you. Tell her I am lucky to have such a generous neighbor. And she is lucky, too — to have such a kind, strong son.

Narrator 1: The old woman often walked along the shore, staring out at the sea, praying to the gods that she might also have a son. One day, she saw a little white polar bear in the distance. She walked out on the ice to get a closer look.

Old Woman: Where is your mother? Has someone killed her? It seems we are both alone in the world, then. Come, little one.

Narrator 1: She took him back to her home and shared what little food she had with him.

Old Woman: I will call you Kunik, my son.

Narrator 2: Kunik and the old woman were happy together. He was a round, friendly, little bear. The children of the village loved to play with him, sliding on the ice and tumbling in the snow together. Kunik grew quickly over the spring and summer. During the long, dark winter, the children taught him to hunt and fish. By spring, he was bringing salmon home to his mother every afternoon.

Old Woman: Thank the gods for you, Kunik. Now I have plenty of meat and fish to eat, furs to keep me warm, and blubber for cooking. Good neighbors, come and share Kunik’s catch with us. There’s more than enough.

Nuklik: She speaks the truth. That bear brings home the biggest seals and the fattest salmon.

Aput: Yes. He makes the rest of us look bad.

Nuklik: And he has grown so strong, he is a danger to our families. For the sake of our children, we must kill him.

Ikiaq: (overhearing) Oh, no! I must warn the Old Woman.

Narrator 2: When she heard of her neighbors’ wicked plot, the old woman visited each of them to plead for her son’s life.

Old Woman: Kunik is my son. Please do not take him. Kill me, instead.

Nuklik: That bear is getting too strong and dangerous. Tomorrow, he must die. Then the whole village will have a fine feast — and use his fur to keep us warm.

Narrator 2: The old woman hurried home. She called Kunik to sit beside her.

Old Woman: My son, you must leave at once. The villagers have become jealous and plan to kill you. Run quickly and do not come back.

Narrator 3: With tears in his eyes, the bear did as his mother asked.

Old Woman: Do not forget me. . .

Narrator 3: From time to time, the broken-hearted old woman felt very lonely and hungry. Then she left her hut early in the morning to walk far out on the ice, calling Kunik’s name. Soon, a great polar bear came running to meet her.

Old Woman: My son! How are you? Let me check your fur to make sure you have not been injured. No, you look big, strong, and sleek!

Narrator 3: When he saw that she was hungry, Kunik ran to get her fresh meat and fish. They ate some together, and she took the rest home.

And so it happened for many years. The villagers realized the love between the old woman and her bear was strong and true. And, to this day, the Inuit tell the tale of the faithful bear Kunik and the old woman who brought him up.