THE SHELTER
It was growing late and the Tree-dwellers were tired.
So they stretched themselves about the fire to sleep.
“I shall watch the fire tonight,” said one of the women.
“Why must someone watch the fire?” asked Rago.
“We must not let it go out,” answered Strong-arm, “for if we did we
would have no fire.”
“I do not wish to sleep on the ground,” said Goni. “I am afraid.”
“You may sleep in the trees if you wish,” said Strong-arm.
“Where will you sleep, Rago?” asked Strong-arm.
“I shall sleep on the ground,” answered Rago. “I am not afraid.”
So their mother found a bed in the evergreen trees for Goni and baby
sister.
She, too, stretched herself on a limb and tied herself tightly to it so
she would not fall.
There she could watch baby sister and Goni.
She could look down on the Tree-dwellers as they slept on the ground.
[Illustration]
The trees sheltered them from the wind and rain.
So they slept through the long night.
All night long the woman Tree-dweller fed the fire. She did not sleep
for fear the fire would go out.
In the early morning the Tree-dwellers awoke.
Each one left the fireplace to go in search of food.
The mothers carried their babies with them, and did not go far away
from the fire.
The men went into the forest.
They left a woman in charge of the fire.
When Goni and baby sister awoke, Rago had already eaten his breakfast
of berries and roots, which he found near by.
[Illustration]
He stood watching some women who were working among the evergreen trees.
He wondered what they were doing, as he watched them break off the
evergreen branches.
“Shall I help you carry them?” asked Rago.
“Thank you,” said the woman. “You may carry the branches to those young
trees near the fire. We shall follow you.”
Rago wondered what the women would do with the branches.
They soon came carrying armfuls of them.
Rago watched them bend down the tops of the young trees and tie them
together.
[Illustration]
They wove the evergreens among them and piled larger branches against
the young trees to strengthen them.
“What are you making?” asked Rago.
“A shelter for our children, which will protect them from the cold and
rain.
“Now that it is cold and the trees have lost their leaves we need
shelter for our children.”
“Do not these evergreen trees protect you from the rain and snow?”
asked Rago.
“Not always,” answered the woman.
“We have carried our fire to the evergreen trees, because they are the
only trees which will protect us in the winter.
“But the needles of the evergreen trees do not protect us so well as
the leaves of the birch and oak trees.”
“I have never seen a shelter before,” said Rago.
“No,” said the woman, “this is the first house which the Tree-dwellers
have made.”
Rago went to the fire. The Tree-dweller woman was piling cedar logs
upon it.
“Where are all of the men?” asked Rago.
“They have gone into the forest to hunt,” answered the woman.
“Come, Rago,” called one of the boys, “let us go into the forest too.”
“What is your name?” asked Rago of the boy.
“My name is Long-head,” said the boy.
[Illustration]
“How old are you, Long-head?” asked Rago.
“I am fourteen years old,” answered Long-head.
“I am twelve,” said Rago.
“Come along,” said Long-head, “here is a firebrand for you.”
Rago felt very big with the firebrand in his hand.
[Illustration]
He wasn’t afraid to carry it.
Now he would not have to swing from branch to branch, but could walk
upon the ground. He would be safe while he carried the torch.
The two boys wandered into the forest.
At first they followed the trail, then they left the trail and went
into the denser part of the forest.
Long-head walked faster than Rago and soon got ahead.
Rago did not hurry, for he had many strange things to look at.
He was used to traveling in the trees, for he had never before had a
torch to protect him.
He felt very brave and safe as he walked along.