THE MEASURING-WORM ROCK
WHEN Massea had finished his story, Docas said, “Tell us another, father!”
“Yes, tell us another!” cried all the children.
By this time every child in the rancheria had come to listen.
“Very well,” said Massea. “When I was over in the great mountains, I saw a valley, the Yosemite, with one rocky wall going up out of it a mile high. The Indians over there told me a story about that rock. There were once two little boys living in a valley. These boys went down to the river to swim, and after they had paddled about awhile, one said, ‘I am going on shore to take a sleep.’
“‘I am going with you. We will lie down in the sun on that rock,’ said the second boy.
“They both lay down on the rock and fell fast asleep. They slept so long that winter came andthen the next summer. Another summer and winter came, and still they slept on. Summer after summer went by, and still the children did not wake.
“Meanwhile the rock on which they lay was rising slowly into the air. Day after day, and night after night, it rose higher and higher, until soon they were up beyond the reach of their friends. Far up, far up they went until their faces scraped the moon, and still the children slept.
“At length all the animals came together, for they intended to get the boys down in some way.
“‘Suppose we all make a spring up the wall. Some of us will be sure to reach the top,’ said the lion.
“‘Agreed,’ said the others.
“One by one they began to jump. The little mouse jumped up a hand-breadth. The rat jumped two hand-breadths. The raccoon jumped a little higher; and so on.
“All the smaller animals had failed when the grizzly bear came to take his turn.
“‘I shall jump far higher than any of you. I shall get to the top,’ said the bear.
“He gave a tremendous leap, but he, too, failed.
“Last of all came the lion. ‘It is not strange that you have all failed. You are not lions. But I am the king of beasts. I shall bring the little boys down,’ said he.
“He stepped back from the wall, then he ran and jumped with all his might. He jumped higher than any of the others, but the top of the rock was still far above him, so he fell back and tumbled flat on his back.
“Without saying anything, a tiny little measuring-worm began to creep up the rock. It was so tiny that none of the animals noticed it. Little by little, it crept slowly upward. Presently it was above the bear’s jump, then it was far above the lion’s jump, then it was out of sight.”
“Please hurry up, father,” said Alachu. “I can scarcely wait to see if it got the little boys.”
Massea only smiled and went on. “So it crawled up, and up, and up, through many winters, and at last it reached the top.”
“Goody!” cried Alachu, clapping her hands. “Then what did it do?”
“Then the measuring-worm took the little boys and brought them down the way it went up.”