The Wife and Her Husband

A Level 1 String Story

Once there was a husband and a wife who lived together

happily. One day the husband went out in his kayak to hunt
seal at the coast. Shortly after he left, the wifes sister came
into the house and asked if she would cut her hair. The wife
said yes, so she brushed her sisters long hair.

1. Make position one. Pull the center string down all the way and let go.
2. Pull the new center string down all the way and let go. (Stylize like you are
brushing hair)

Then she got her scissors and cut her hair: snip, snip, snip.

3.Put your hand between the two strings hanging down, by your wrist.

4. With your index finger, pull down on the back pinkie string. With your
thumb, pull down on the back thumb string.
5. Pull out through the two strings. Open and close your thumb and index
finger to make the scissors snip.

The hair fell on the floor, so she got her broom and started
sweeping the hair out the door.

6. Open the fingers on your top hand and bend them into the scissor blade
holes. Hold onto the strings in your palm. Let go with your other hand and
let the hair fall on your lap.
7. Turn your hand palm-up and open your fingers.
8. Pull up on the top string with a snap and you have a broom. Move your
bottom hand to sweep.

While she was sweeping the floor, her husband felt he was
being swept out to sea. He paddled his kayak harder and
harder, but she kept sweeping and sweeping.

9. Turn the broom upside down and let go of the handle.

10. Put your index finger in the space between the index and ring finger loops.
Pull down until the two long strings are the same length.
11. Move the two loops on the ring finger and pinkie onto the thumb and
index finger of your other hand. Move your hands to paddle.

He kept paddling and paddling until he just tamaq. The wife

never saw her husband again, and the women learned that if
they swept when their men were out at the coast, they
would sweep them away.

12. Take the string off your fingers and ball it up in one hand when the
husband disappears.