ALONG the orchard fence grew great broad leaved burdocks crowned with
purplish pink tipped burs, which early in the season were made into
all sorts of useful and beautiful objects—baskets, hanging baskets,
cradles, sofas, chairs, tables and many other things.
[Illustration]
In autumn, when the large acorns with fringed cups began to fall, the
children gathered them and made them into Eskimos. One acorn was used
for the body, and one for the head, with the point on the end for a
nose. Twigs of the oak served for arms and legs.
The warmest of fur overcoats was made of the ripened burdock burs,
while the furry fringed cup of the acorn made a cap that would have
delighted the heart of any Eskimo.
Then Eskimo huts or igloos were made of the burs or “furs” as the
children called them. Of course every one knows that real igloos are
made of blocks of ice or snow, not of fur, but ice was not to be had
at that season of the year and would not have been comfortable to work
with anyway.
As the bur Eskimo was in immediate need of a home the little Wests made
him the very best one they could of the materials at hand. A very neat
round hut was made of burs and that it might appear more real, both
it and the ground were covered with cotton snow, making a real arctic
landscape.
[Illustration: THE BUR ESKIMO]