THE PROUD MAIDEN, TUNGAK, AND THE SUN: A Russian Eskimo Tale

Why the sun and the moon live in the sky, according to the Russian Eskimos who tell, charmingly, of Tungak, one time evil spirit of the tundra, and how an old couple saved the maiden he wanted to marry by causing him to melt into a puddle of oil, which their dogs then lapped up. Later the maiden marries the couple's radiantly handsome son and they go to live among the dwellers in the sky, annually removing the lard-burner from a hole in the floor of their tent and sliding down a leather strip to visit their parents -- thereby bringing spring and brightness to the tundra. And when during the winter the wife becomes lonely, she removes the lard burner from the hole and peeks down -- a full moon in the sky. Soviet artist Igor Galinin's blue and white illustrations borrow from folk art, Eskimo masks and post-nouveau decoration for a pleasing and surprisingly unified effect.