The man kept on and travelled a long distance.  At last, after many days, he came to a lodge—­a strange lodge, for it was made of stone.  Just like any other lodge it looked, only it was made of stone.  This was the home of the Raven chief.  The man entered.

“Welcome, friend,” said the chief of the Ravens; “sit down there,” and he pointed to a place.  Soon food was placed before the poor man.

When he had finished eating, the Raven chief asked, “Why have you come here?”

“Thunder has stolen my wife,” the man answered.  “I am looking for his dwelling-place that I may find her.”

“Are you brave enough to enter the lodge of that dreadful person?” asked the Raven.  “He lives near here.  His lodge is of stone like this one, and hanging in it are eyes—­the eyes of those he has killed or taken away.  He has taken out their eyes and hung them in his lodge.  Now, then!  Dare you enter there?”

“No,” answered the man, “I am afraid.  Who could look at such dreadful things and live?”

“No man can,” said the Raven; “there is only one old Thunder fears; there is but one he cannot kill.  It is we.  It is the Ravens.  Now I will give you some medicine, and he shall not harm you.  You shall enter there and try to find among those eyes your wife’s, and if you find them tell the Thunder why you came and make him give them to you.  Here, now, is a raven’s wing.  Point this at him and he will be afraid and start back; but if that should fail, take this arrow.  Its shaft is made of elk horn.  Take this, I say, and shoot it through the lodge.”

“Why make a fool of me?” the poor man asked.  “My heart is sad.  I am crying.”  He covered his head with his robe and wept.

“Oh,” said the Raven, “you do not believe me.  Come outside, come outside, and I will make you believe.”

When they stood outside the Raven asked, “Is the home of your people far?”

“A great distance,” said the man.

“Can you tell how many days you have travelled?”

“No,” he replied, “my heart was sad; I did not count the days.  Since I left, the berries have grown and ripened.”

“Can you see your camp from here?” asked the Raven.

The man did not answer.  Then the Raven rubbed some medicine on his eyes and said, “Look!” The man looked and saw the camp.  It was near.  He saw the people; he saw the smoke rising from the lodges; he saw the painting on some of the lodges.

“Now you will believe,” said the Raven.  “Take, then, the arrow and the wing, and go and get your wife.”  The man took these things and went to the Thunder’s lodge.  He entered and sat down by the doorway.

The Thunder sat at the back of the lodge and looked at him with awful eyes.  The man looked above and saw hanging there many pairs of eyes.  Among them were those of his wife.

“Why have you come?” said the Thunder in a dreadful voice.

“I seek my wife,” said the man, “whom you have stolen.  There hang her eyes.”