Slowly their strength grew
An’ the winter they
made it through.
The two old ladies survived
the cold weather
By working together
and sleeping together.
Because they knew
how to survive
they kept each other alive.
With the warm
weather of spring
more food it would bring.
All summer they dried
lots of fish and meat
so in the winter they’ ll
have lots to eat.
Because times
will be rough
the wise old ladies dried
more than enough.
They picked berries
in the fall
and lots of wood
they had to haul.
They knew times
will be hard
an’ they didn’ t want
to be off guard.
When a cold winter came
they kept warm
by the flame.
Famine faced their
tribe once again
an’ there was lots
of hunger an’ pain.
The two old ladies
ate dried salmon
while their tribe faced
another famine.
The two old ladies
they came upon
who they thought
were long gone.
The people were too weak
and they could
hardly speak.
in order to save their tribe
the two old ladies
they had to bribe.
The two old ladies
were forgiving
and they wanted their
tribe to go on living.
All their food they shared
because for their
tribe they cared.
Starvation they won’ t
have to face
’cause they have lots
of food to taste.
Their whole tribe
they would save
and their people
they forgave.
The two wise ladies
lived to be very old
and this Gwichin legend
Velma Wallis told
