What do you think those who stayed in the cave will do during the
storm? Can you think of any way by which they could get food?
Did you ever walk on snowshoes? How do you think people came to
make snowshoes?
_How Antler Happened to Invent Snowshoes_
Antler saw the coming storm and at once she thought of the fire. She
called to the women. And soon they were all breaking branches with
stone axes and mauls. The children piled the fagots together and
carried them to the cave.
[Illustration: _A stone maul._]
The snow was falling fast before they finished their work. They
watched the storm for a little while and then went into the cave.
The children were hungry and asked for meat. But there was no meat in
the cave. Antler tried to get the children to play and to forget that
they were hungry. And the children played for a little while, but they
soon grew tired. And so Antler gathered the children together and
began to tell them stories.
As the storm raged fiercer and fiercer, Antler told stories of other
storms. She had braved many storms on the wooded hills and the
children liked to hear her stories.
Among the stories she told that day was the story of the Big Bear. She
said that the Big Bear lived in a cavern away up in the mountain. She
said that he kept watch of the game and that sometimes he shut the
game in his cavern. Antler said she had often heard the Big Bear above
the voice of the storm. And Fleetfoot, listening for his voice,
thought he heard it in the wailing of the storm.
In spite of the stories Antler told, the day was long and dreary. The
next day was still more dreary, for the children were crying for food.
Toward the close of day they were very tired, and soon they fell
asleep.
Most of the women slept that night, but there was no sleep for Antler.
She could not sleep when the children were hungry and when the men
were out in the storm. She stayed awake and watched and listened all
through the long dark night.
[Illustration: _Fur gloves._]
Toward morning the storm began to slacken, and Antler gave a sigh of
relief. She felt sure that many bison were floundering in the drifts.
She hoped they were not far away from the cave. So she dressed in her
fur garments and took a large knife and an ax. And at break of day she
set out hoping to find a bison.
But the snow was very deep and Antler could scarcely walk. She was
faint from hunger and cold. For a while she struggled through the
drifts, but soon her strength failed, and she sank down in the snow.
As Antler lay in the deep drifts, she seemed powerless to move. The
thought of the hungry children, however, made her turn to the gods.
Then the branches of spruce trees seemed to urge her on.
And so Antler took courage and grasping a strong branch of a friendly
spruce struggled through the deep snow. She stepped upon the partly
buried branches and they helped her on her way.
A bison, floundering in a drift, filled her heart with hope. But when
she started toward the bison, Antler sank down once more into the
drifts. So again she turned to the friendly trees, and again she
reached out to them for aid. And she broke branches from the trees and
bound them to her feet.
Starting once more, Antler walked as if on winged feet. She ran over
the deep drifts. And since she could hunt as well as the men, she soon
had plenty of meat.
As Antler was strapping her load upon her back, she heard a familiar
voice. Quickly she turned, and her heart beat fast as she listened to
hear it again. And seeing the men struggling through the drifts, she
knelt and gave thanks to the gods.
Soon Antler arose and laid down her load; and breaking a handful of
branches, she hurried over the drifts and met the Cave-men.
[Illustration: _A snowshoe._]
When the men saw Antler gliding over the drifts they wondered if it
was one of the gods. Not until Antler spoke were they really sure it
was she. And not until she showed them how to tie the branches to
their feet did they understand what she had done. And even then they
did not know that Antler had invented the snowshoe. Many people worked
upon snowshoes before fine snowshoes were made. For when people heard
what Antler had done, they tried different ways for themselves.
Of course all the people were glad when Antler returned with the men.
They feasted and told stories all day long. And afterward the children
played they were hunters overtaken by a storm, and they made little
snowshoes and learned to walk over the drifts.
#THINGS TO DO#
_The next time there is a storm listen to it and see if you can
hear what the Cave-men thought was the voice of the Big Bear. See
if you can tell what it is that makes the music of the storm._
_Listen to the music of the birds and see if you can give their
songs and calls._
_What other animals do you hear calling one another? See if you can
give their calls._
_Tell a story of some storm you have seen._
_Draw one of these pictures;_--
_Antler praying to the gods for help._
_A bison floundering in the drift._
_Antler bringing aid to the men._
_Find a picture of a snowshoe, and tell how you think it was made._
_Find something which you can use for making snowshoes. Make a
pair, and use them when you have a chance._
_See if you can find out why the snowshoe keeps one from sinking in
the snow._