Week 9 Storytelling: Atdlarneq Eats Himself Sick

One fine day, the fine and handsome young man, Atdlarneq, was venturing through the dense forest hunting for his dinner when he stumbled across a little house in an open field just beyond the trees. He peered at it for some time, debating whether or not to try his luck and enter. He was feeling quite hungry since he had not yet caught any game for his meal that night after several hours of hunting and he supposed he ought to try. He cautiously approached the door and seeing that it was slightly cracked open, entered the small house. He was met by a small old man, grouchily sitting in a cushioned chair and glaring into the fireplace. His eyes slid to the side to meet Atdlarneq's curious gaze and he gritted his teeth before speaking.

(Grumpy Old Man)

"Who goes there?" the old man grumpily implored. Atdlarneq was taken aback by his curtness and stood still for a moment before speaking.

"Um...it is Atdlarneq, kind sir. I have been hunting for my dinner for several hours now and have not found anything... but I am very, very hungry, sir. Do you have any food you could spare before I make the dreaded walk back to my village? Please, sir, I am begging you. I am worried that my hunger will make the journey back very difficult. Please help me," Atdlarneq explained.

"Well...sure, I suppose. I was just about to eat. Tungujuluka! Prepare a hearty meal for my new friend Atdlarneq and me....Bring the food at once!" the old man grunted as he hobbled with his cane to an old and beaten wooden table. Atdlarneq cautiously followed suit and joined his new acquaintance at the table, unsure of what he had gotten himself into.

Tungujuluka. the old man's maid, quickly rushed two overflowing plates of fish and blubber to the table for her master and Atdlarneq. Both of the men's mouths watered before they gobbled the food down as quickly as they could. Between bites, they drank great amounts of water from the pitcher on the table and were very full after eating. The old man leaned back in his chair and eyed Atdlarneqwith with an intimidating and confusing look.

"Another round for my friend, Tungujuluka!" he yelled far too loudly as Atdlarneq was filled with excitement at the prospect of another plate of delicious food. His hunger had faded away into a distant memory and he was grateful to the old man for his generosity.

The next plate of food Tungujuluka brought was overflowing with Halibut, Salmon, Cod, and even more blubber, which Atdlarneq scarfed down immediately. He sat there satisfied, finishing with a large glass of water, while the old many peered at him even harder with his small beady eyes.

"Give him some more to eat." Tungujuluka rushed back to the kitchen and returned with another packed plate, only this one was stacked with ten pancakes, seven scrambled eggs, fifteen pieces of bacon, and fifteen pieces of sausage. Atdlarneq's eyes widened and he excitedly devoured his third plate of food before he began to feel overly stuffed.

The old man called his maid yet again and when she brought a fourth plate to Atdlarneq, he challenged him saying "Eat that up too". Atdlarneq hesitated for a moment because he had eaten so much in such a short period of time, but he did not want to disappoint the old man who had graciously shared his food with him. So he guzzled down six steaks, eight baked potatoes, seven corns on the cob, and twenty rolls. He began to feel ill at this point but the old man called for a fifth plate to be brought out to him full of a spaghetti with meatballs and five loaves of Italian bread.

(Overflowing Plates of Delicious Food)

This manner continued for several more hours until Atdlarneq had eaten ten plates of food. He could not longer eat anymore, yet the old man was still calling another over. When he denied the eleventh plate, the old man flew into a fit of rage at Atdlarneq's ungratefulness and cast him from his home, sending him hobbling down the sidewalk sick to his stomach with all of the food he had consumed. The old man stared from the porch and laughed at Atdlarneq's terrified expression and hurriedness to get away before sitting back down in his cushioned chair, comfortably full from the one plate of food he had eaten. He had had enough entertainment for the day with Atdlarneq's tenacity and desperation and Atdlarneq learned his lesson that day to never wish for something so badly from a stranger.

Bibliography:
The Eskimo Folk Tales are Canadian Inuit stories recorded by the explorer Knud Radmussen in the 20th century.

Author's Note:
The original story about Atdlarneq tells of his hunt for seals and how he stumbles upon the small house and when he enters, he meets three lovely ladies waiting for their master. When the master returns, he insists that Atdlarneq eat many plates full of fish and blubber as well as an entire frozen seal until he is absolutely stuffed, although he does not feel sick (because he swallowed a small stalk of grass beforehand) and he never ventures southward again, having learned his lesson. This story made me giggle picturing him devouring so much food that he does not want, so I decided to expand on that and make it even more ridiculous just how much he ate. I added modern day foods such as pancakes, steak, and pasta that also gave a more tangible feel for just how much he consumed. I felt sick just thinking about it! I also wanted to give the old man more of a role in that he was senile and honestly crazy, just seeking entertainment and simply curious at how much Atdlarneq would actually eat or just how far he would go to seem grateful to the old man. His character is pretty crazy and I wanted him to be confusing and even scary to Atdlarneq.