When you go traveling where do you stay at night? Where
do you think the old man and Sharpeyes stayed?
Where do you get food when you travel? Where would the
Cave-men get food?
What new clothing do you need before you go? What
clothing do you think the Cave-men needed to get
ready to go?
Did the Cave-men need anything that you do not need?
Why?
_The Way to the Fire Country_
The Cave-men knew that the fire country was far away from the wooded
hills.
They knew that the journey was a dangerous one, and that the old man
and Sharpeyes might never return.
So they did all they could to help them prepare for the journey.
Much of the way was rocky, and they knew their bare feet would blister.
So they tried to make something to protect their feet.
[Illustration: _How the sandal was put on the foot_]
They had not yet learned to make shoes and stockings, but they had
often bound grass about their feet.
They had even learned to make braided grass sandals.
They braided the grass, then sewed it.
Braided grass sandals were good while they lasted, but they soon wore
out.
So they made new sandals of thick, tough skin.
[Illustration: “_They made new sandals of thick, tough skin_”]
Part of the way was through thorny thickets, so they needed something
to protect their legs.
They had not yet learned to make trousers or leggins, but they cut
strips of skin to wind around their legs.
Skins that were worn as clothing by day served as blankets by night.
They dared not burden themselves with food, but trusted to killing game
on the way.
So they were careful to take their best spears and axes.
They knew that their weapons might break, so they took tools and straps
to mend them.
[Illustration: _The tool bag for carrying tools and straps_]
Everybody helped the old man and Sharpeyes.
Everybody arose early the morning they went away.
Sharpeyes and the old man put on their new clothing, and the women
brought them food to eat.
As the old man slung a hollow gourd over his shoulder, Firekeeper came
up and gave him a skin bag.
Nobody knew what the bag was for until Firekeeper showed them that it
would hold water.
The old man was glad to take it and leave the hollow gourd at home.
Then the old man and Sharpeyes took leave of their kinfolk and started
out on the long journey.