After Raven had lived alone a long while, he decided to get married. It was late in the fall and the birds were flying southward. So Raven flew away in the path of the geese and birds on their way to summerland. Raven stopped directly in the path.
Soon Raven saw a young goose coming near. He looked down at his feet and called, "Who will marry me? I am a very nice man." The goose flew on.
Soon a black brant passed. Raven looked down at his feet and called, "Who will marry me? I am a very nice man." The black brant flew on. Raven looked after her. He said, "What kind of people are these? They do not even stop to listen."
A duck came near. Raven hid his face and called, "Who will marry me? I am a very nice man." The duck looked toward him, then flew on. Raven said, "Ah, I came very near it then. I shall succeed this time."
Soon a whole family of white-front geese came along. There were the parents, four brothers, and a sister. Raven called out, "Who wants to marry me? I am a fine hunter. I am young and handsome." The geese alighted just beyond him. Raven thought, "Now I will get a wife."
Raven saw near him a pretty white stone with a hole in it. He picked it up, strung it on a long grass stem, and hung it about his neck. Then he pushed up his beak so that it slid to the top of his head like a mask; so he became a dark-colored young man. Then he walked up to the geese. Each of the geese pushed up its bill in the same manner; they became nice looking people. Raven liked the girl; he gave her the stone, thus choosing her for his wife, and she hung it about her own neck. Then all pushed down their bills again and became birds. So they flew south toward the summerland.
The geese flapped their wings heavily and flew slowly. Raven, on outspread wing, glided on ahead. The geese looked after him, saying, "How light and graceful he is!"
When Raven became tired he said, "We had better stop early and look for a place to sleep." Soon they were all asleep.
The next morning the geese were awake early. They wanted to be off. Raven was sound asleep. Father Goose wakened him. He said, "We must make haste. It will snow here soon. We cannot wait."
So the geese flapped their wings and flew slowly and heavily along. Raven led the others with outspread wings. He was always above or ahead of the others. They said, "See how light and graceful he is!"