The Tree-Dwellers Part 17

_How People Learned to Hunt Large Animals_

For many days the men talked about One-Ear's narrow escape.

They acted the whole thing over again.

One man would show what One-Ear did.

Another would take the part of the cave-bear.

Then some one would play he was Bodo and rush up with a make-believe torch.

Others showed how the men came up to the spot and helped One-Ear home.

They played this over and over again.

They learned to work together.

They learned to play other plays as well.

They learned it in this way: They watched the wild animals all through the day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A leader_]

At night they showed what they had seen.

At last they made plans for hunting them.

They did it the way children make a new game.

First they chose a leader for the play.

Then the leader asked them all to help.

He showed them what to do.

They all did as the leader said.

They learned to play together.

This play was their hunting dance.

It helped the people to hunt together.

It helped the brave men to lead in the hunt.

It helped all the people to do their part.

Only brave men were given a chance to lead the hunting dance.

Each one led the best that he could.

The people always chose the man that they thought led the best.

This man led them all in the hunt the next day.

THINGS TO DO

_Let any one who would like to lead in a hunt, lead in a hunting dance._ _When all have led who wish to do so, let the cla.s.s choose the one who led the best._

x.x.x.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Why do you think the Tree-dwellers liked their brave men best?

How do you think they helped them to become more brave?

Can you think why people had not yet learned to wear clothing?

Why would they care more for ornaments at first?

Have you ever heard any one speak of "a feather in one's cap"?

Can you tell what is meant by it?

What kind of ornaments do you like to wear?

Do you know how to make them?

Can you make such ornaments as the Tree-dwellers wore?

_Why People Began to Wear Ornaments_

The fire clan played a hunting dance each night.

They hunted every day.

They began to attack the larger animals.

Brave men were needed to do this.

Men liked to show that they were brave.

So they kept trophies of their conflicts with the wild beasts.

These trophies were sometimes teeth and claws.

Sometimes they were beautiful skins and feathers.

When men found the time they worked upon them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A necklace of claws_]

They made them into curious ornaments.

It was hard work to bore holes through the teeth and claws.

But they learned to do it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_They strung them about their necks_"]

They strung them on sinews and hung them about their necks.

Sometimes they wore them on their arms and wrists.

Sometimes they wore them on their ankles and knees.

They made head-dresses of the feathers.

They covered their shoulders with the skins.

Men did not wear skins to keep themselves warm.

They wore them to show that they were brave.

Such trophies were worn by all the brave men.

These men were the leaders in time of danger.

When they were successful in the hunt, the people praised them.

When they failed, the people mocked them.

So they tried to do their work well.

They tried to find the best stones for tools and weapons.

They worked until they made them sharp and strong.

They studied the animals until they learned their ways.

They taught the people the hunting dance.

They kept the trophies of their brave deeds.

They were brave men.

All the people praised them.

THINGS TO DO

_Tell a story of how Bodo earned a trophy._ _Find ornaments that you think the leaders might have worn._ _Dress some dolls the way you think that the leaders dressed._ _Perhaps you would like to string seeds and make a necklace._