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RAGO AND GONI
THE TREE-DWELLER CHILDREN
[Illustration]
RAGO _and_ GONI
THE TREE-DWELLER CHILDREN
BY
BELLE WILEY
SUPERVISOR OF METHODS IN ENGLISH, CITY NORMAL SCHOOL, ROCHESTER,
N. Y.; AUTHOR OF “THE CHILDREN OF THE CLIFF,” “LODRIX, THE
LITTLE LAKE DWELLER,” “MEWANEE, THE
LITTLE INDIAN BOY,” “THE MOTHER
GOOSE PRIMER”
[Illustration]
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
Printed in the United States of America
THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO
RUTH BENEDICT
REGINA WILEY
MAXINE WILEY
JANE BENEDICT
JULIAN WILEY, JR.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I.--THE TREE-DWELLER CHILDREN 1
II.--THE RACE 11
III.--THEIR FOOD 20
IV.--THE ANIMALS 28
V.--THE HUNT 37
VI.--THE CLAN 47
VII.--THE FIRE 54
VIII.--THE SHELTER 65
IX.--THE ATTACK 77
X.--THE RETURN 88
CHAPTER I
THE TREE-DWELLER CHILDREN
Rago and Goni were brother and sister.
They lived a long time ago in a country far, far away.
They were the first little boy and girl that we know anything about.
Rago and Goni lived among the tall trees on the wooded hill near the
river.
They lived with their mother and baby sister.
Rago was twelve years old and Goni was seven.
Baby sister was much younger. She was too little to take care of
herself.
[Illustration]
Mother always carried her little girl with her.
Of course she could not carry her baby in her arms, for she needed her
hands for other things.
Sometimes the baby clung to a strong vine which her mother tied around
her waist.
Sometimes she just held fast to her mother’s waist or clung to her
neck.
One morning very early Rago awakened with a start.
He sat up and listened.
He had been fast asleep in the branches of the strong oak tree.
[Illustration]
Rago and Goni always slept in trees.
Really the trees were the only home Rago and Goni knew.
That night their mother had selected beds in the oak trees, because
the strong branches were woven together with vines.
[Illustration]
These vines made good strong beds for the children.
Sometimes when there were no vines, the Tree-dwellers wove the slender
branches of the tall trees together.
This also made a strong bed to lie upon.
Very often the older Tree dwellers would just stretch themselves on a
strong branch for the night.
They would tie themselves to the branch to keep from falling.
Rago had been sleeping so soundly that he had to rub his eyes to make
himself wake up.
Then he looked down toward the foot of the tree.
There stood two huge panthers.
Rago was afraid, for he knew that the panthers could climb trees
quickly and easily.
“What shall I do, what shall I do?” he thought.
[Illustration]
He was almost afraid to move for fear the panthers would rush right up
the tree.
Just then he heard his mother call softly from a nearby tree.
She too had seen the panthers.
She had already picked up her baby and put her upon her back.
The baby clung fast to her mother’s neck. She was frightened, for she
had been awakened from a sound sleep.
Goni was still fast asleep, she had not heard the fierce cry of the
panthers.
“Waken your sister, Rago,” called his mother, “she is fast asleep.”
“All right, mother,” he answered softly.
Rago sprang lightly from one branch to the other until he reached the
oak tree in which Goni slept.
[Illustration]
He had to be very quiet so the panthers would not hear him.
Not a sound did he make so lightly did he go, and soon he reached the
tree in which Goni slept.
“Wake up, Goni, wake up, Goni,” whispered Rago. “The panthers are at
the foot of these trees.”
Goni sat up and began to cry. She was very frightened. “Hush, hush,
sister,” whispered Rago, “the panthers will hear you. Come, we must go
to another part of the forest.”
“Where is mother?” cried Goni.
“She is coming with baby sister,” whispered Rago. “Hurry, spring
lightly, so the panthers will not hear you.”
Rago and Goni did not stop to dress, for they wore no clothing.
Very nimbly they sprang from branch to branch and soon they reached
another part of the forest.
Their mother followed them with baby sister upon her back.
Soon they stopped to rest and listen.
The panthers had not heard them go, so softly did they move.
They were afraid the panthers might follow them, but when they stopped
to look they were not in sight.
How glad they were to be safe!
“The panthers were very near us that time,” said Rago.
“It is well we heard them before they reached us,” said mother.