The Tree-Dwellers Part 2

This is the way that it came about.

She found plenty of roots and ripe blue berries.

She ate until she was satisfied.

Then she began to play among the trees.

She walked out upon a strong spreading branch.

Then she grasped a tough branch just over her head.

She swung herself into a neighboring tree.

Then she walked out on another branch.

She swung herself into another tree.

She traveled in this way for a long time.

At last she came to a dense forest.

How dark and damp it seemed!

How still it was!

She stopped her play.

She began to feel tired and hungry; so she rested a while, and then searched for food.

She found few signs of roots or berries.

There were many trees, but nuts were scarce.

So she ate the bark from the tender twigs.

But she was not satisfied.

She missed the roots and berries.

She missed the bright suns.h.i.+ne.

She missed familiar sights and sounds.

So she soon went back to the wooded hills.

Another day Sharptooth went to the edge of a gra.s.sy plain.

There were many wild animals feeding there.

She hid in the tall green gra.s.s and watched the wild cattle from her hiding-place.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_Sharptooth hid in the tall green gra.s.s_"]

She saw mammoths eating the tender gra.s.s.

There were smaller animals not far away.

A lion was creeping up through the gra.s.s.

Sharptooth saw him pounce upon the beasts.

The frightened creatures ran for their lives.

Sharptooth wished that she had not ventured so far.

She watched for a chance to get away.

As soon as she dared she crept to the trees.

Then she hurried back to the wooded hills.

She never forgot what she saw that day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A lion_]

THINGS TO DO

_Think of Sharptooth as she was playing among the trees. Draw the picture._ _Think of what she saw when she was hiding in the tall gra.s.s. Draw the picture._ _Show on your sand map where the dense forest was._ _Show where the gra.s.sy plain was._ _Cut a lion and a mammoth from paper._

V.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Can you think why the Tree-dwellers did not live in families as we do?

Why did each one have to take care of himself?

Who took care of the babies then?

Do you know whether the baby Tree-dwellers could do anything for themselves?

_Sharptooth and Her Baby_

We have learned that the Tree-dwellers had no homes.

All the Tree-dwellers had a hard time to live, for they had not yet learned to help one another.

It took many long years to learn to do that.

But mothers have always taken care of their babies.

Sharptooth's mother had once taken care of her.

But Sharptooth soon learned to take care of herself.

Then she began to live as the other Tree-dwellers lived.

She lived by herself the greater part of the time.

She grew to be a strong young woman.

Then a baby came to live with her.

How proud she was of the little boy!

Wherever she went she took him with her, for there was nothing else for her to do.

There was no place where she dared to leave him, so the mother and baby were never apart.

Sometimes the baby clung to her waist.

Baby Tree-dwellers knew how to hold fast.

Sometimes Sharptooth tied a vine around her waist.

Then the baby clung to the vine.

Sometimes he sat on her shoulder and clung to her head or neck.

Sometimes he rode upon her back.

Sharptooth helped him all that she could, but she needed her hands for other work.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Sharptooth gathering berries_]

THINGS TO DO

_Show how your mamma carries your baby brother or sister._ _Show how Sharptooth carried her baby._ _Which of the babies do you think has the better care?_ _How do you help to take care of the baby?_ _Draw a picture of a mother and baby._

VI.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

How many kinds of cradles have you seen?