Model a large river valley with many little valleys in it. Show where the small herds were. Model the cliffs along the river and show the flat sandy banks on one side, and the narrow valley with steep sides on the other.Find rocks and make the reindeer pass. Make the trail from the ford through the narrow valley to the pass.Play the story this lesson tells.Draw one of these pictures:—The reindeer stretched their slender necks and ate moss from the trees.The reindeer sniffed the warm wind and knew it was time to go.Fleetfoot pulled his grandmother’s hand and started up the cliff.The cave-bears and hyenas hide in the thickets.Hunting at the reindeer pass.Show how Eagle-eye loaded a reindeer upon her back. Model Eagle-eye in clay so as to show how she carried the reindeer.IITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTIf you have read the story of “The Early Cave-men,” tell how the cave that was flooded was made.Can you think of any other way in which a cave might be made?If you have ever seen a shallow hole in a cliff, see if you can find out how it was made. If such a hole was made in a very soft rockwhat would happen to it? What would happen to a hole made in a hard rock?See if you can find a piece of limestone. What do we use limestone for?If we wanted a house of limestone, what would we do to get it? When the Cave-men wanted a limestone house, what did they do?Chew-chewChew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave at the Fork of the River. She was not as strong as she once had been; but she was still able to lead the women in their work. Her sons’ wives carried the heaviest burdens, but Chew-chew still carried heavy loads.Chew-chew was the wisest woman in the cave. When the other women did not know what to do, they always asked Chew-chew. The bravest men were always glad to get Chew-chew’s advice. The children thought nobody could tell such stories as Chew-chew told.Chew-chew and all of her children belonged to the Horse clan. All the children in those days took the clan name of their mother. Chew-chew’s sons had captured wives from the Reindeer clan. And so the children in Chew-chew’s cave belonged to the Reindeer clan. It thus happened that in every cave there were people of different clans. But since Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave, we shall call the people at the Fork of the River by the name of the Horse clan.Chew-chew telling stories to Fleetfoot.Chew-chew often told the children about her first home. She told them about the cave near the River of Snow, which was much like the cave which shelteredthem. She told them about the wide shelving rocks which were like the ones above their cave. And she told how frightened her people were the day a rock fell near the mouth of their cave.No one knew at the time what made the rock fall. No one knew there was no need of being afraid. Some one said that the god of the cliff was angry and that he had pushed the rock down. Everybody believed the story. So nobody dared go near the cave.But the Cave-men needed a shelter. So they offered gifts to the god of the cliffs. When they thought he was satisfied, they all went back to the cave. And after a while they used the big rock as a table for their work.Chew-chew wanted the children to grow to be brave and wise. So she told them stories of the bravest and wisest people of her clan. She told them stories about their grandfathers who were the heroes of the olden times. And Fleetfoot never grew tired of hearing about the wonderful things which his grandfathers did.And so Chew-chew taught the children all she thought they ought to know. And they looked into her eyes and listened to all that she said.THINGS TO DOIf there are cliffs or shelving rocks near by, go and see them. Find places where you think caves may form. Find out why it is that the rocks shelve. Why does a shelving rock sometimes break and fall to the ground?Model the cliffs which you find. Model a cave which is formed in a cliff.Tell a story which you think Chew-chew might have told to the children.Play one of these plays:—Chew-chew telling stories to the children.What the people did when the rock fell near the mouth of the cave.Draw a picture of something which you have played.IIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhy did Chew-chew tell the children stories about their forefathers?Why do we like to hear such stories?Do you think that the later Cave-men will hunt in just the same way that the early Cave-men did?What change took place in the animals while the Cave-men were learning to be good hunters? What change did the Cave-men have to make in their hunting on account of this?Of all the animals you know, which are the fastest runners? Can you think how they became fast runners?Fleetfoot’s LessonsWhen the men were at home, Fleetfoot liked to stay with them. He liked to watch them make spears; he liked to watch them run races; he liked to listen to the stories they told about the wild animals.A stone ax.When the men went out to hunt, Fleetfoot wanted to go with them. But he was a little boy, and had to stay at home. Sometimes he went with his mother when she went to dig roots; sometimes he went with her to gather twigs for baskets. But the safest place for little children was not far from the fire. So Fleetfoot stayed at home nearly all the time.While the children played near the cave, Chew-chew broke fagots with a stone ax. When she was ready to sit down, they all gathered around her.They knew that that was one of the times when Chew-chew told them stories.This time Chew-chew began with a story of the early Cave-men. She told of animals that stood their ground and fought instead of running away. She told about the strong spears and axes made to conquer the wild beasts. She told of brave and daring deeds of the heroes of olden times.None of the animals feared man before he had fire. And for a long time afterward none of them feared him without a torch. But the early Cave-men made strong weapons after they had fire. They struck hard blows with their stone axes, which the animals learned to fear.Grass-eating animals feared beasts of prey long before the Tree-dwellers lived. Wild horses learned to run fast by trying to escape from packs of wolves. They learned to keep sentinels to watch while the herd fed. All the grass-eating animals learned to do this. The sentinels signaled at a sign of danger, and then the herd ran; and so their enemies learned to hunt by following the chase.When Chew-chew was tired of telling stories, she marked out a path for a race. Then she showed the children how to get a fair start, by standing abreast and holding a stick.The children learned to keep in step until they reached the real starting place. Then they dropped the stick and ran. And they all clapped their hands and cheered the one who won the race.Then Scarface threw, and all the horses took fright.After the children had raced a long time, they came back to Chew-chew for another story. And this time she told them stories about the men of their own clan. They often chased the animals from early morn until noon. At first they got very tired when they went on a long chase. But the more they practiced running, the better they hunted in the real chase.When the story was ended, the children climbed the cliff. Chew-chew went with them and they all looked at the wild horses going up the trail.The horses had been to the river to drink and now they were going away. They were following their leader up the trail which led to the grassy plains.Chew-chew knew where the men were lying in wait and she pointed out the spot. The children looked just in time to see Straightshaft throw his spear. Then Scarface threw, and all the horses took fright.Up hill and down, through bushes and briars, the horses galloped away. The Cave-men followed the wounded ones, hurling their spears as they ran.The chase was long and weary, and some of the wounded horses escaped. But the men returned with many trophies and the women brought heavy loads of meat.The trophies the Cave-men prized the most were the heads of the wild horses. They kept these trophies near the cave, and they thought that they were charms. The Cave-men thought that the horses’ heads would bring more horses to the hunting grounds.THINGS TO DOTell a story about the age of combat. Tell a story about the age of the chase. Draw a picture to illustrate each story.Show on your sand-map where the men were lying in wait for the horses. Model the trail which the horses followed.What chasing game do you know how to play? Can you think how some of these games first started?Why do people not try to run as fast in a long race as in a short one?Model in clay something which you might name “The Age of Combat.”IVTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTHow do you feel after you have had a long, hard chase?What does your mother tell you to do when you come in dripping with sweat?How do you think the Cave-men learned to take care of themselves?When they were lame and stiff, do you think they would know what made them so? Think of as many things as you can that they might do to make themselves feel better.After the ChaseWhen the long, hard chase was over, the Cave-men were tired and dripping with sweat. All but Scarface threw themselves upon the cold ground to rest.It was Scarface who blew the whistle which called the women to the spot. It was he who guarded the carcasses until the women came. And while the women skinned the horses he sat on a log to rest.It was sunset when they reached the cave. All joined in a feast upon horse flesh, then they slept untilbreak of day. It was then that the men groaned with pain. Their muscles ached, and they were so lame that they could scarcely move. Scarface alone of all the men was not suffering with pain.Perhaps you can tell what made the men lame. None of the Cave-men knew. Everybody thought that an angry god was trying to punish them.And so the men tried to drive the god away by raising fearful shouts. Then they asked Chew-chew’s advice, and Chew-chew took her basket and started up the dry ravine. There she found bitter roots which she gathered and carried home.No one knew at that time how to steep roots, for people had not learned how to boil. So Chew-chew chopped the roots with a stone chopper and laid them upon hot stones. And while the men breathed the bitter fumes, Chew-chew threatened the angry god and commanded him to go away.In a few days the men were well and it was almost time to go hunting again. Straightshaft feared the angry god. He talked with the men and they wondered why it was that Scarface escaped. They looked at his deep scar which a tiger’s claw had made. And then they looked at the trophies of Scarface which he wore about his neck.Every Cave-man admired the deep scar of the bravest man in the clan. Every man wished that he, too, could show such a scar as that. And the men began to wonder if the scar was a kind of a charm.Chew-chew took her basket and started up the dry ravine.The more the men talked about the scar, the morethey wanted scars. They talked with Chew-chew about it, and at last decided to let her make scars.So Chew-chew muttered prayers to the gods, and asked them not to hurt the Cave-men. Then she took a flint point and scratched the men’s arms until she made big scars.Years afterward, when people made scars, they stained them with all sorts of things. Sometimes they stained the scars with juices of plants, and sometimes they colored them with paints.The Cave-men thought they could protect themselves by scars, and by all sorts of charms. So they kept on making scars, and they hunted for all sorts of charms.But no matter how many charms they wore, they often were lame and stiff. Some one must have noticed that they were more apt to be lame after sitting on the cold ground while they were warm. For after a while the custom grew of never sitting on the bare ground while they were warm.THINGS TO DODraw or paint a pattern which you think the Cave-men might have tattooed upon their arms. Where do we put the pictures which we make?Find and name as many roots and herbs as you can that are used as medicines.What animals have you seen eating herbs?What mistakes did the Cave-men make when they tried to cure themselves?“She took a flint point and scratched the men’s arms until she made big scars.”VTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhat way can you use a spear besides thrusting it with one or both hands?What changes do you think the Cave-men made in their spearheads when they began to throw spears? What changes do you think they made in the shafts?How do you think the Cave-men made straight shafts for their spears? What do we do with wood when we wish to bend it?Why the Cave-men made Changes in their WeaponsA stone knife.While the Cave-men were resting from the hunt, they did a great many things. They practiced running; they hunted for stuff to make new weapons; they worked upon their weapons and trophies; they learned new hunting dances. No matter what they did, they always asked their gods to help.(l) A laurel leaf. (r) Laurel leaf-shaped spear point.All the later Cave-men learned to make light spears and javelins. The clumsy spear which served Strongarm so well was not what Scarface needed. But in the days of the early Cave-men the heavy spear was a good weapon. Strongarm cared as much for his spear as you do for your dog. It was like a friend in time of need. Few animals could withstand Strongarm’s blow when he grasped his spear in one or both hands and lungedforward with all his might. His spear was a powerful weapon. But Strongarm lived in the age of combat when people fought animals at close range.The later Cave-men did not make light spears and javelins all at once. They began by throwing heavy spears. Chew-chew could tell of many a hunter who lost his life throwing a spear. Sometimes it was because the spear was too heavy to throw with enough force. Sometimes it was because the shaft was crooked and the spear did not go to the right spot.When the Cave-men practiced throwing, they did not stand still and throw. They took aim and threw as they ran. That was the kind of practice they needed for the real chase.The mark, too, was a moving mark. It was made of a bundle of branches, or an old skin stuffed with leaves. While one man dragged it by a long cord, the others ran after it, throwing their spears.A Cave-man could wound an animal with a spear, but he could not give a deadly blow. There was always danger of the wounded animal turning upon the hunter. A skilled hunter with a good spear ran little risk in throwing it. But not all the Cave-men had enough skill. Not all of the Cave-men made good enough weapons to be thrown with a sure aim.And so the Cave-men learned new ways of making and using spears. Perhaps they did not want to do it. But they had to do it or die. So you see why the men and boys spent most of their time in learning to followthe chase. Even the women and girls learned to hunt and to make all sorts of weapons.Long before Scarface lived the Cave-men began to make lighter spears. The straighter they made the shaft, the easier it was to hit the mark. And so the Cave-men began to vie with one another in making the straightest and smoothest shafts.A stone scraper.When they cut the sticks for the shafts the Cave-men made gifts to the wood-gods, and asked for the straightest and toughest branches that grew on the trees. Then they cut the branches carefully and carried them home to the cave. There they peeled them from butt to tip and smoothed them with stone scrapers. Sometimes they rubbed them with fat and laid them away to dry. It was hard work to make a crooked stick straight. But the Cave-men tried many ways and at last they learned to make as beautiful shafts as ever have been made.A shaft-straightener.When the Cave-men pulled the shaft back and forth on the sandstone, they made deep grooves in it. We have found pieces of grooved sandstone that the later Cave-men used. Sometimes they would clamp a crooked stick between a grooved piece of sandstone and a flat bone. Then they would pull and twist, and pull and twist, and pull and twist that stick back and forth until the crooked place was made straight.When Scarface was very old he made a shaft-straightener of a piece of reindeer horn. He carvedthe head of the reindeer upon it, and made a hole for the shaft. Then he thrust the crooked stick through the hole and turned the shaft-straightener round and round as we turn a wrench, until he straightened the shaft.THINGS TO DOSee if you can find a good branch for a shaft. If you have a right to cut the branch, see if you can make it into a shaft.Find a stone which you can use for a scraper. What else can you use as a scraper?If you do not care to make a shaft, make something else out of the stick which you straighten.Name the things which you have at home or at school made of wood.Make a collection of the different kinds of wood which you know.Which of these are soft wood? What do we use soft wood for? Which are hard? What do we use hard wood for?VI.THINGS TO THINK ABOUTCan you think why the Cave-men used stone for their spear points and knives before they used bone or horn?What tools did the Cave-men need in making flint spear points?Why did the Cave-men have to learn to strike gentle blows in making their weapons? Can you think of any way of removing little pieces of flint besides striking them off?How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear PointsPerhaps you have seen very beautiful Indian arrows. Perhaps you have wished you could make such arrows yourself. The later Cave-men first made such weapons and no people since have ever been able to make more beautiful ones.The early Cave-men did not need such beautiful spear points. Rough points of flint and heavy stone axes were the weapons they needed most. It was not until the Age of the Chase that people shaped stone into beautiful forms.Scarface always used flakes of flint for the points of spears and javelins. But in earlier times, people did not know how to strike off flakes of flint. They put the flint on a hard rock and struck it with a heavy blow. They smashed the flint, for the hard rock did not yield. They had not learned to let the flint break in its own way.When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the hand yielded to the light blow. The flint broke in its own way. But the sharp edges cut the men’s hands. So they covered the palms of their hands with rawhide and kept from getting hurt. When they worked in this way, they had no trouble in striking off flakes for spear points and knives.When the men worked on their flint points, Fleetfoot liked to play near the workshop. Heliked to watch Straightshaft strike off flakes with a hammer-stone and punch. He liked to listen to the song that Scarface and Straightshaft sang.“When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the hand yielded to the light blow.”Scarface and Straightshaft always sang when they worked with the hammer-stone and punch. While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low tones. And when he was ready for Straightshaft to strike, he sang so as to let him know. Then Straightshaft took up the song and marked the time for each blow.“While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low tones.”The men always sang when they worked together. If one man stopped when it was his turn to sing, the other did not know what to do. Besides marking the time, the song helped the men to measure the force of each blow. It helped them to strike off tiny flakes so as not to break the point. So, at length, the Cave-men began to think that the song they sang was a charm.While the men struck off large flint flakes, Fleetfoot played not far away. He played while they hafted long narrow flakes for knives, but when they began to chip spearheads, he came and watched them at their work. He listened to the song of Scarface and Straightshaft, while they shaped a fine spearhead.At length the spearhead was ready for the finishing touches. So Straightshaft dropped his hammer-stone and picked up a queer little tool. He called it a flaker, and he used it to press off tiny flakes from the beautiful point.When Straightshaft had finished, he dropped the flaker and Fleetfoot picked it up. And he asked Straightshaft if he might use it to press off little flakes.Straightshaft using a flaker.Straightshaft let him try, but Fleetfoot was not strong enough to press off hard flint flakes. So he listened to the story that Scarface told of the young man who first made a flaker.Holding up a little bone flaker, Scarface turned to the men and said: “When I was a boy, no one pressed off flakes of flint. No one had a flaker. We hammered off flint flakes.“One summer when there were plenty of salmon, the neighboring clans had a great feast. Nimble-finger came. I saw him. I heard him speak. The third day of the feast I saw him flake flint.”A flaker.As Scarface went on he told how Nimble-finger invented the flaker. He did it one day when he was making a bone handle for a knife. When he was scraping a bone with a flint scraper he happened to press off a flint flake.Nimble-finger did not know how it happened. He tried again and again. At last he pressed off another flake; and this time he knew that he did it by pressing the point of the bone against one edge of the flint.Nimble-finger never finished that bone-handled hunting knife. But he showed the people how to make a flaker. He became an inventor; for he gave the world a tool it had never had before.When the people returned from the feast many forgot about the flaker. Others longed for delicate spear points like those Nimble-finger made. So, at length, they tried to make flakers of their own. Some tried to make them of wood; but the wood was too soft to break the stone. Others tried to make them of ivory; but ivory was too hard to get a hold. At length all the Cave-men made flakers of antler and bone, for they were hard enough to break the stone and soft enough to get a hold.When Scarface finished, Fleetfoot began to talk about Nimble-finger. He asked Scarface, “Where does Nimble-finger live? Does he always come to the great feasts?”To the child’s questions Scarface replied, “While Nimble-finger was still a young man he went far away.For many years he lived far north in a cave beside the River of Stones. But years have come and gone since then. If he still lives, he is an old man; but of that I know not.”THINGS TO DOIf you can find a piece of flint strike off a flake with a hammer-stone. Strike off a flake with an angular stone. Strike off a flake by using a hammer and punch.Sort out the flakes that are good for knives. Put handles on them. Sort out the flakes that are good for making into spearheads. See if you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.Find something which you can use as a flaker. When you have made one, see if you can use it.Make a collection of stones which you can chip or flake. Tell all you know about each of those stones.Think of Scarface as he was telling the story. Draw the picture.VIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhat do our horses and cattle eat? Where do we get their food? What do wild cattle and horses eat? See if you can find out whether wild cattle or horses have ever lived in a place where the ground is covered with snow part of the year.Did you ever see cattle pawing the ground? Did you ever see horses pawing the ground? Did you ever see them paw the snow?See if you can find out something about the great herds of bison that used to live in this country. What has become of them?Can you think why bison live in herds? What officers does a herd of bison have? Can you think how the officers of a herd of bison are chosen?The Return of the BisonEver since the reindeer went away the Cave-men had been looking for the return of the bison. Each summer the herds came up the valley to feed on green grass and tender shoots. Each winter they went to the forests of the lowlands where they found shelter from the cold.The snow was now gone from the wooded hills and the days were warm again. The dingy brown coats of the hillsides were changing to the palest green. The buds were beginning to swell. Everything seemed to say that summer was coming.Each day the Cave-men watched for signs of the coming of the great herd. Each night they danced the bison dance and tried to make the bison come.One morning Straightshaft climbed the cliff and looked far up and down the valley. Looking north he could see the River of Stones with high cliffs on one or both banks. He could see dense forests of evergreen that grew on the low banks. He could see hills and valleys beyond the cliffs where many wild animals lived.Looking south, near at hand, was the Fork of the River where Little River joined the River of Stones. Here the cliffs were not very high; farther down, they became lower, and at last there were no cliffs. The edge of the lowland forest where the bison wintered could be seen far away. Grassy lowlands near the forests stretched farther than the eye could see. It was here that the bison and cattle found the best winterpastures. It was in the lowland forests that they found shelter from the cold.“Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a sign to the men.”Straightshaft looked toward the lowlands, hoping to see a bison. Mammoths were feeding not far away, and beyond were woolly rhinoceroses. But there was not one bison.An ibex.As Straightshaft watched the second day, chamois and ibexes played on the hills. Herds of horses came from the grassy uplands and returned after drinking at the ford. But no sign of a bison yet appeared.The third day Straightshaft saw a black spot in the distance. It was far down on the river trail. As he watched, it became larger and larger. And then Straightshaft knew that it was a bison coming in advance of the great herd.The morning of the fourth day the great herd came. A powerful bison led the way. Strong sentinels guarded either side. The herd followed blindly, galloping eight or ten abreast.Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a sign to the men. Those who saw it passed it along, and soon all the people had seen the sign. Then everybody climbed up a hill or a high cliff and watched the coming of the bison.Nearer and nearer the great herd came, like a sea of tossing manes and horns. The earth trembled beneath their tread and the air was filled with their bellowing.When the bison reached the ford, the foremost creatures stopped to drink. But the solid mass, pressing on from the rear, crowded them up the river. Soon the ford was packed with struggling beasts. Some tried to escape by swimming up the river. Others swam down the stream. And still the solid mass from the rear kept crowding on and on.At length the herd divided. One part followed the river trail, while the other went up the narrow valley. Whenever a herd reached a branching valley, a big bison led off a small herd. This happened many a time. And at the close of the day there was not a little valley in the surrounding country that did not have a herd of two or three hundred bison.THINGS TO DOPlay you are a herd of bison, and show how the herd marched. Show how it divided. Show how you think it would come together again.Show in your sand-box where Straightshaft stood while he watched. Show the trails the bison followed.Think of the herd as it galloped up the river trail. Draw the picture.Make such a sign as you think Straightshaft made.Plan a bison dance.VIIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTIf you were to hunt bison, what would you want to know about them?In what ways can bison notice signs of danger? In what ways can they help one another?Watch animals, and see if they give signs to one another.What weapons do you think the Cave-men would take when they went to hunt the bison? How could the Cave-men help one another in hunting? How might one man hinder the others?“At the close of the day there was not a little valley in the surrounding country that did not have a herd of two or three hundred bison.”The First Bison Hunt of the SeasonAnd now the great herd of bison had come, and the Cave-men were eager to hunt them. While they were getting ready to start they kept up this merry song:—The bison have come;The bison have come;Now for the chase!Now for the chase!Bring axes and spears;Bring axes and spears;Now for the chase!Now for the chase!When Scarface climbed the cliff he saw three herds of bison. The first was feeding in an open space; the second was on a hillside, and the third was in a narrow valley close by a deep and hidden ravine. This was a place where the Cave-men liked to hunt. So they agreed to follow Scarface through the hidden ravine.Scarface led the way, and all the men followed. Not a leaf rustled beneath their tread. Not a twig broke as they crept up the side of the deep ravine and looked out at the herd.Everybody wanted to get the yearlings or young cows, for their flesh was tender and sweet. But the cows and young bison were in the center of the herd. They were guarded by the sentinels, whose flesh was hard and tough.And so the Cave-men wondered how to get a young bison. They wondered if the vigilant leader was morethan a match for them. They watched his signals, and saw fresh sentinels take the places of the hungry ones. They noticed how quickly the bison obeyed every signal the leader gave.“With a quick snort he turned and charged.”At last the Cave-men decided to attack the leader first. They waited till he was not more than a stone’s throw away. Then Scarface gave the signal and the men made a bold attack.Straightshaft hurled his spear with all his might, then turned to give place to the others. The leader was taken by surprise. The men had crept up so quietly that not till the spear whizzed through the air did he suspect danger.With a quick snort he turned and charged. Straightshaft ran, but the others met the charge. They hurled their spears and dealt heavy blows with their stone axes.Before the leader could give the alarm he lay stretched out on the ground. The sentinels looked for a signal. Meanwhile the cows and yearlings tried to make their escape.Then each of several sentinels tried to lead. But the frightened herd did not know which one to follow. Some of the bison rushed one way and some rushed another. Then there was a general stampede. They gored one another with their sharp horns. They trampled one another under their feet. They were too frightened to know what they were doing.It was then that the Cave-men singled out the young bison. When they had secured them for their prize, they started toward the cave, singing—To-day we went hunting.We crept up the ravine;We surprised the leader of the bison.He made a charge upon us—We have his horns for a headdress.We killed many a young bison;We have plenty of tender meat.Perhaps one of the sentinels became leader of the herd that very day. Perhaps several battles were fought to see which sentinel was the strongest. For bison never follow a leader that is not stronger and wiser than themselves.THINGS TO DOShow in your sand-box where each of the three herds was feeding.Make a plan for hunting the herd that was feeding in an open space.Draw one of these pictures:—The Cave-men creeping up the banks of the steep ravine.The charge of the leader.The stampede.Deciding which bison shall be leader of the herd.Make a song to sing in getting ready to hunt the way you have planned. Make a song to sing on your return.Model a large, strong bison.IXTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWatch water when it is boiling, and see if you can tell what happens.Why would it be harder for people to learn to boil than to roast?What kind of dishes did the Cave-men have? What would happen to them if they were put over the fire?What does your mother do, when she wants to find out whether the flatiron is hot enough to iron?When the Cave-men first learned to boil water, do you think they would think of boiling food? What might make them think of boiling food?What Happened when the Children Played with Hot StonesAgain the Cave-men went out to hunt. Again the women went out to gather roots and berries. Only Chew-chew and the children were left near the cave.Chew-chew was curing the skins which the women had brought home. Some of them were stretched out on the ground. Others were stretched on frames. Many of these were ready to be rolled up and put away.While the skins were drying, Chew-chew had time for other work. She wanted to finish her basket, and so the splints must be put to soak.At a sign from Chew-chew, Fleetfoot went to the river for a bag of water. While he was gone, Chew-chew began to make a place to put it. She dug a shallow hole in the ground and lined it with a skin.When Fleetfoot came back they patted down the skin. Then they poured the water into the skin-lined hole, and put the splints to soak.While Chew-chew worked at her basket, Fleetfoot played near at hand. Often he came to his grandmother’s side and talked about many things.At length Chew-chew, holding up a skin, turned toFleetfoot and said, “Do you know what animal wore this skin?”A bear’s tooth awl.“One of the reindeer we saw at the ford,” quickly responded Fleetfoot.“Where have all the reindeer gone?” was Chew-chew’s next question.“To the cave of the Big Bear of the mountains,” came the prompt answer.While Chew-chew and Fleetfoot talked the children played near the cave. Pigeon was playing with stones which she had gathered and tossed into the fire. In trying to get them out again she burned her fingers, and began to cry.When Chew-chew saw what had happened, she told Fleetfoot to play with Pigeon. And Fleetfoot played with Pigeon, and he showed her how to lift hot stones without getting burned.The children played and carried hot stones with tongs made of sticks. They ran back and forth between rows of skins until Pigeon dropped a hot stone into the hole.No sooner had Pigeon dropped the stone than she screamed, “A snake! a snake!” And she ran to her grandmother and sobbed, while she hid her face in her chubby arm.Chew-chew thought that a snake was crawling about. Fleetfoot helped her look under all the skins. They looked for some time, but they found no trace of a snake.Then Chew-chew asked Pigeon to tell her all about it. And Pigeon said, “A big snake hissed and made me drop the stone.”Just then Fleetfoot dropped a hot stone and something went “s-s-s-s-s-s.”Pigeon screamed again, but a hearty laugh from Chew-chew showed there was nothing to fear. Chew-chew knew that the hissing sound was not the hiss of a snake. It was the sizzling of the water when it touched the hot stone.And so Chew-chew tried to teach the children how to know the hissing sound. She picked up hot stones and dropped them into the water. Each time a stone was dropped, the hissing sound was heard; and the children learned to know the sound, and they were no longer afraid.As Chew-chew kept on dropping the hot stones, she did not notice all that happened. She thought only of teaching the children, so that they would not be afraid. But at last such a strange thing happened, that even Chew-chew was afraid.The water no longer was still. It kept moving like the angry water in the rapids of the river. A thin mist began to rise, and a strange voice came from the water, saying:—“Bubble, bubble, bubble;Bubble, bubble, bubble.”At the sound Chew-chew was filled with fear. She was afraid the gods were angry. She looked about for an offering, and found a piece of bison meat. Shedropped the meat into the water, hoping to appease the angry god.
Model a large river valley with many little valleys in it. Show where the small herds were. Model the cliffs along the river and show the flat sandy banks on one side, and the narrow valley with steep sides on the other.Find rocks and make the reindeer pass. Make the trail from the ford through the narrow valley to the pass.Play the story this lesson tells.Draw one of these pictures:—The reindeer stretched their slender necks and ate moss from the trees.The reindeer sniffed the warm wind and knew it was time to go.Fleetfoot pulled his grandmother’s hand and started up the cliff.The cave-bears and hyenas hide in the thickets.Hunting at the reindeer pass.Show how Eagle-eye loaded a reindeer upon her back. Model Eagle-eye in clay so as to show how she carried the reindeer.
Model a large river valley with many little valleys in it. Show where the small herds were. Model the cliffs along the river and show the flat sandy banks on one side, and the narrow valley with steep sides on the other.
Find rocks and make the reindeer pass. Make the trail from the ford through the narrow valley to the pass.
Play the story this lesson tells.
Draw one of these pictures:—The reindeer stretched their slender necks and ate moss from the trees.The reindeer sniffed the warm wind and knew it was time to go.Fleetfoot pulled his grandmother’s hand and started up the cliff.The cave-bears and hyenas hide in the thickets.Hunting at the reindeer pass.
Show how Eagle-eye loaded a reindeer upon her back. Model Eagle-eye in clay so as to show how she carried the reindeer.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If you have read the story of “The Early Cave-men,” tell how the cave that was flooded was made.Can you think of any other way in which a cave might be made?If you have ever seen a shallow hole in a cliff, see if you can find out how it was made. If such a hole was made in a very soft rockwhat would happen to it? What would happen to a hole made in a hard rock?See if you can find a piece of limestone. What do we use limestone for?If we wanted a house of limestone, what would we do to get it? When the Cave-men wanted a limestone house, what did they do?
If you have read the story of “The Early Cave-men,” tell how the cave that was flooded was made.
Can you think of any other way in which a cave might be made?
If you have ever seen a shallow hole in a cliff, see if you can find out how it was made. If such a hole was made in a very soft rockwhat would happen to it? What would happen to a hole made in a hard rock?
See if you can find a piece of limestone. What do we use limestone for?
If we wanted a house of limestone, what would we do to get it? When the Cave-men wanted a limestone house, what did they do?
Chew-chew
Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave at the Fork of the River. She was not as strong as she once had been; but she was still able to lead the women in their work. Her sons’ wives carried the heaviest burdens, but Chew-chew still carried heavy loads.
Chew-chew was the wisest woman in the cave. When the other women did not know what to do, they always asked Chew-chew. The bravest men were always glad to get Chew-chew’s advice. The children thought nobody could tell such stories as Chew-chew told.
Chew-chew and all of her children belonged to the Horse clan. All the children in those days took the clan name of their mother. Chew-chew’s sons had captured wives from the Reindeer clan. And so the children in Chew-chew’s cave belonged to the Reindeer clan. It thus happened that in every cave there were people of different clans. But since Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave, we shall call the people at the Fork of the River by the name of the Horse clan.
Chew-chew telling stories to Fleetfoot.
Chew-chew often told the children about her first home. She told them about the cave near the River of Snow, which was much like the cave which shelteredthem. She told them about the wide shelving rocks which were like the ones above their cave. And she told how frightened her people were the day a rock fell near the mouth of their cave.
No one knew at the time what made the rock fall. No one knew there was no need of being afraid. Some one said that the god of the cliff was angry and that he had pushed the rock down. Everybody believed the story. So nobody dared go near the cave.
But the Cave-men needed a shelter. So they offered gifts to the god of the cliffs. When they thought he was satisfied, they all went back to the cave. And after a while they used the big rock as a table for their work.
Chew-chew wanted the children to grow to be brave and wise. So she told them stories of the bravest and wisest people of her clan. She told them stories about their grandfathers who were the heroes of the olden times. And Fleetfoot never grew tired of hearing about the wonderful things which his grandfathers did.
And so Chew-chew taught the children all she thought they ought to know. And they looked into her eyes and listened to all that she said.
THINGS TO DO
If there are cliffs or shelving rocks near by, go and see them. Find places where you think caves may form. Find out why it is that the rocks shelve. Why does a shelving rock sometimes break and fall to the ground?Model the cliffs which you find. Model a cave which is formed in a cliff.Tell a story which you think Chew-chew might have told to the children.Play one of these plays:—Chew-chew telling stories to the children.What the people did when the rock fell near the mouth of the cave.Draw a picture of something which you have played.
If there are cliffs or shelving rocks near by, go and see them. Find places where you think caves may form. Find out why it is that the rocks shelve. Why does a shelving rock sometimes break and fall to the ground?
Model the cliffs which you find. Model a cave which is formed in a cliff.
Tell a story which you think Chew-chew might have told to the children.
Play one of these plays:—Chew-chew telling stories to the children.What the people did when the rock fell near the mouth of the cave.
Draw a picture of something which you have played.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why did Chew-chew tell the children stories about their forefathers?Why do we like to hear such stories?Do you think that the later Cave-men will hunt in just the same way that the early Cave-men did?What change took place in the animals while the Cave-men were learning to be good hunters? What change did the Cave-men have to make in their hunting on account of this?Of all the animals you know, which are the fastest runners? Can you think how they became fast runners?
Why did Chew-chew tell the children stories about their forefathers?
Why do we like to hear such stories?
Do you think that the later Cave-men will hunt in just the same way that the early Cave-men did?
What change took place in the animals while the Cave-men were learning to be good hunters? What change did the Cave-men have to make in their hunting on account of this?
Of all the animals you know, which are the fastest runners? Can you think how they became fast runners?
Fleetfoot’s Lessons
When the men were at home, Fleetfoot liked to stay with them. He liked to watch them make spears; he liked to watch them run races; he liked to listen to the stories they told about the wild animals.
A stone ax.
When the men went out to hunt, Fleetfoot wanted to go with them. But he was a little boy, and had to stay at home. Sometimes he went with his mother when she went to dig roots; sometimes he went with her to gather twigs for baskets. But the safest place for little children was not far from the fire. So Fleetfoot stayed at home nearly all the time.
While the children played near the cave, Chew-chew broke fagots with a stone ax. When she was ready to sit down, they all gathered around her.They knew that that was one of the times when Chew-chew told them stories.
This time Chew-chew began with a story of the early Cave-men. She told of animals that stood their ground and fought instead of running away. She told about the strong spears and axes made to conquer the wild beasts. She told of brave and daring deeds of the heroes of olden times.
None of the animals feared man before he had fire. And for a long time afterward none of them feared him without a torch. But the early Cave-men made strong weapons after they had fire. They struck hard blows with their stone axes, which the animals learned to fear.
Grass-eating animals feared beasts of prey long before the Tree-dwellers lived. Wild horses learned to run fast by trying to escape from packs of wolves. They learned to keep sentinels to watch while the herd fed. All the grass-eating animals learned to do this. The sentinels signaled at a sign of danger, and then the herd ran; and so their enemies learned to hunt by following the chase.
When Chew-chew was tired of telling stories, she marked out a path for a race. Then she showed the children how to get a fair start, by standing abreast and holding a stick.
The children learned to keep in step until they reached the real starting place. Then they dropped the stick and ran. And they all clapped their hands and cheered the one who won the race.
Then Scarface threw, and all the horses took fright.
After the children had raced a long time, they came back to Chew-chew for another story. And this time she told them stories about the men of their own clan. They often chased the animals from early morn until noon. At first they got very tired when they went on a long chase. But the more they practiced running, the better they hunted in the real chase.
When the story was ended, the children climbed the cliff. Chew-chew went with them and they all looked at the wild horses going up the trail.
The horses had been to the river to drink and now they were going away. They were following their leader up the trail which led to the grassy plains.
Chew-chew knew where the men were lying in wait and she pointed out the spot. The children looked just in time to see Straightshaft throw his spear. Then Scarface threw, and all the horses took fright.
Up hill and down, through bushes and briars, the horses galloped away. The Cave-men followed the wounded ones, hurling their spears as they ran.
The chase was long and weary, and some of the wounded horses escaped. But the men returned with many trophies and the women brought heavy loads of meat.
The trophies the Cave-men prized the most were the heads of the wild horses. They kept these trophies near the cave, and they thought that they were charms. The Cave-men thought that the horses’ heads would bring more horses to the hunting grounds.
THINGS TO DO
Tell a story about the age of combat. Tell a story about the age of the chase. Draw a picture to illustrate each story.Show on your sand-map where the men were lying in wait for the horses. Model the trail which the horses followed.What chasing game do you know how to play? Can you think how some of these games first started?Why do people not try to run as fast in a long race as in a short one?Model in clay something which you might name “The Age of Combat.”
Tell a story about the age of combat. Tell a story about the age of the chase. Draw a picture to illustrate each story.
Show on your sand-map where the men were lying in wait for the horses. Model the trail which the horses followed.
What chasing game do you know how to play? Can you think how some of these games first started?
Why do people not try to run as fast in a long race as in a short one?
Model in clay something which you might name “The Age of Combat.”
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How do you feel after you have had a long, hard chase?What does your mother tell you to do when you come in dripping with sweat?How do you think the Cave-men learned to take care of themselves?When they were lame and stiff, do you think they would know what made them so? Think of as many things as you can that they might do to make themselves feel better.
How do you feel after you have had a long, hard chase?
What does your mother tell you to do when you come in dripping with sweat?
How do you think the Cave-men learned to take care of themselves?
When they were lame and stiff, do you think they would know what made them so? Think of as many things as you can that they might do to make themselves feel better.
After the Chase
When the long, hard chase was over, the Cave-men were tired and dripping with sweat. All but Scarface threw themselves upon the cold ground to rest.
It was Scarface who blew the whistle which called the women to the spot. It was he who guarded the carcasses until the women came. And while the women skinned the horses he sat on a log to rest.
It was sunset when they reached the cave. All joined in a feast upon horse flesh, then they slept untilbreak of day. It was then that the men groaned with pain. Their muscles ached, and they were so lame that they could scarcely move. Scarface alone of all the men was not suffering with pain.
Perhaps you can tell what made the men lame. None of the Cave-men knew. Everybody thought that an angry god was trying to punish them.
And so the men tried to drive the god away by raising fearful shouts. Then they asked Chew-chew’s advice, and Chew-chew took her basket and started up the dry ravine. There she found bitter roots which she gathered and carried home.
No one knew at that time how to steep roots, for people had not learned how to boil. So Chew-chew chopped the roots with a stone chopper and laid them upon hot stones. And while the men breathed the bitter fumes, Chew-chew threatened the angry god and commanded him to go away.
In a few days the men were well and it was almost time to go hunting again. Straightshaft feared the angry god. He talked with the men and they wondered why it was that Scarface escaped. They looked at his deep scar which a tiger’s claw had made. And then they looked at the trophies of Scarface which he wore about his neck.
Every Cave-man admired the deep scar of the bravest man in the clan. Every man wished that he, too, could show such a scar as that. And the men began to wonder if the scar was a kind of a charm.
Chew-chew took her basket and started up the dry ravine.
The more the men talked about the scar, the morethey wanted scars. They talked with Chew-chew about it, and at last decided to let her make scars.
So Chew-chew muttered prayers to the gods, and asked them not to hurt the Cave-men. Then she took a flint point and scratched the men’s arms until she made big scars.
Years afterward, when people made scars, they stained them with all sorts of things. Sometimes they stained the scars with juices of plants, and sometimes they colored them with paints.
The Cave-men thought they could protect themselves by scars, and by all sorts of charms. So they kept on making scars, and they hunted for all sorts of charms.
But no matter how many charms they wore, they often were lame and stiff. Some one must have noticed that they were more apt to be lame after sitting on the cold ground while they were warm. For after a while the custom grew of never sitting on the bare ground while they were warm.
THINGS TO DO
Draw or paint a pattern which you think the Cave-men might have tattooed upon their arms. Where do we put the pictures which we make?Find and name as many roots and herbs as you can that are used as medicines.What animals have you seen eating herbs?What mistakes did the Cave-men make when they tried to cure themselves?
Draw or paint a pattern which you think the Cave-men might have tattooed upon their arms. Where do we put the pictures which we make?
Find and name as many roots and herbs as you can that are used as medicines.
What animals have you seen eating herbs?
What mistakes did the Cave-men make when they tried to cure themselves?
“She took a flint point and scratched the men’s arms until she made big scars.”
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What way can you use a spear besides thrusting it with one or both hands?What changes do you think the Cave-men made in their spearheads when they began to throw spears? What changes do you think they made in the shafts?How do you think the Cave-men made straight shafts for their spears? What do we do with wood when we wish to bend it?
What way can you use a spear besides thrusting it with one or both hands?
What changes do you think the Cave-men made in their spearheads when they began to throw spears? What changes do you think they made in the shafts?
How do you think the Cave-men made straight shafts for their spears? What do we do with wood when we wish to bend it?
Why the Cave-men made Changes in their Weapons
A stone knife.
While the Cave-men were resting from the hunt, they did a great many things. They practiced running; they hunted for stuff to make new weapons; they worked upon their weapons and trophies; they learned new hunting dances. No matter what they did, they always asked their gods to help.
(l) A laurel leaf. (r) Laurel leaf-shaped spear point.
All the later Cave-men learned to make light spears and javelins. The clumsy spear which served Strongarm so well was not what Scarface needed. But in the days of the early Cave-men the heavy spear was a good weapon. Strongarm cared as much for his spear as you do for your dog. It was like a friend in time of need. Few animals could withstand Strongarm’s blow when he grasped his spear in one or both hands and lungedforward with all his might. His spear was a powerful weapon. But Strongarm lived in the age of combat when people fought animals at close range.
The later Cave-men did not make light spears and javelins all at once. They began by throwing heavy spears. Chew-chew could tell of many a hunter who lost his life throwing a spear. Sometimes it was because the spear was too heavy to throw with enough force. Sometimes it was because the shaft was crooked and the spear did not go to the right spot.
When the Cave-men practiced throwing, they did not stand still and throw. They took aim and threw as they ran. That was the kind of practice they needed for the real chase.
The mark, too, was a moving mark. It was made of a bundle of branches, or an old skin stuffed with leaves. While one man dragged it by a long cord, the others ran after it, throwing their spears.
A Cave-man could wound an animal with a spear, but he could not give a deadly blow. There was always danger of the wounded animal turning upon the hunter. A skilled hunter with a good spear ran little risk in throwing it. But not all the Cave-men had enough skill. Not all of the Cave-men made good enough weapons to be thrown with a sure aim.
And so the Cave-men learned new ways of making and using spears. Perhaps they did not want to do it. But they had to do it or die. So you see why the men and boys spent most of their time in learning to followthe chase. Even the women and girls learned to hunt and to make all sorts of weapons.
Long before Scarface lived the Cave-men began to make lighter spears. The straighter they made the shaft, the easier it was to hit the mark. And so the Cave-men began to vie with one another in making the straightest and smoothest shafts.
A stone scraper.
When they cut the sticks for the shafts the Cave-men made gifts to the wood-gods, and asked for the straightest and toughest branches that grew on the trees. Then they cut the branches carefully and carried them home to the cave. There they peeled them from butt to tip and smoothed them with stone scrapers. Sometimes they rubbed them with fat and laid them away to dry. It was hard work to make a crooked stick straight. But the Cave-men tried many ways and at last they learned to make as beautiful shafts as ever have been made.
A shaft-straightener.
When the Cave-men pulled the shaft back and forth on the sandstone, they made deep grooves in it. We have found pieces of grooved sandstone that the later Cave-men used. Sometimes they would clamp a crooked stick between a grooved piece of sandstone and a flat bone. Then they would pull and twist, and pull and twist, and pull and twist that stick back and forth until the crooked place was made straight.
When Scarface was very old he made a shaft-straightener of a piece of reindeer horn. He carvedthe head of the reindeer upon it, and made a hole for the shaft. Then he thrust the crooked stick through the hole and turned the shaft-straightener round and round as we turn a wrench, until he straightened the shaft.
THINGS TO DO
See if you can find a good branch for a shaft. If you have a right to cut the branch, see if you can make it into a shaft.Find a stone which you can use for a scraper. What else can you use as a scraper?If you do not care to make a shaft, make something else out of the stick which you straighten.Name the things which you have at home or at school made of wood.Make a collection of the different kinds of wood which you know.Which of these are soft wood? What do we use soft wood for? Which are hard? What do we use hard wood for?
See if you can find a good branch for a shaft. If you have a right to cut the branch, see if you can make it into a shaft.
Find a stone which you can use for a scraper. What else can you use as a scraper?
If you do not care to make a shaft, make something else out of the stick which you straighten.
Name the things which you have at home or at school made of wood.
Make a collection of the different kinds of wood which you know.
Which of these are soft wood? What do we use soft wood for? Which are hard? What do we use hard wood for?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why the Cave-men used stone for their spear points and knives before they used bone or horn?What tools did the Cave-men need in making flint spear points?Why did the Cave-men have to learn to strike gentle blows in making their weapons? Can you think of any way of removing little pieces of flint besides striking them off?
Can you think why the Cave-men used stone for their spear points and knives before they used bone or horn?
What tools did the Cave-men need in making flint spear points?
Why did the Cave-men have to learn to strike gentle blows in making their weapons? Can you think of any way of removing little pieces of flint besides striking them off?
How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear Points
Perhaps you have seen very beautiful Indian arrows. Perhaps you have wished you could make such arrows yourself. The later Cave-men first made such weapons and no people since have ever been able to make more beautiful ones.
The early Cave-men did not need such beautiful spear points. Rough points of flint and heavy stone axes were the weapons they needed most. It was not until the Age of the Chase that people shaped stone into beautiful forms.
Scarface always used flakes of flint for the points of spears and javelins. But in earlier times, people did not know how to strike off flakes of flint. They put the flint on a hard rock and struck it with a heavy blow. They smashed the flint, for the hard rock did not yield. They had not learned to let the flint break in its own way.
When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the hand yielded to the light blow. The flint broke in its own way. But the sharp edges cut the men’s hands. So they covered the palms of their hands with rawhide and kept from getting hurt. When they worked in this way, they had no trouble in striking off flakes for spear points and knives.
When the men worked on their flint points, Fleetfoot liked to play near the workshop. Heliked to watch Straightshaft strike off flakes with a hammer-stone and punch. He liked to listen to the song that Scarface and Straightshaft sang.
“When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the hand yielded to the light blow.”
Scarface and Straightshaft always sang when they worked with the hammer-stone and punch. While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low tones. And when he was ready for Straightshaft to strike, he sang so as to let him know. Then Straightshaft took up the song and marked the time for each blow.
“While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low tones.”
The men always sang when they worked together. If one man stopped when it was his turn to sing, the other did not know what to do. Besides marking the time, the song helped the men to measure the force of each blow. It helped them to strike off tiny flakes so as not to break the point. So, at length, the Cave-men began to think that the song they sang was a charm.
While the men struck off large flint flakes, Fleetfoot played not far away. He played while they hafted long narrow flakes for knives, but when they began to chip spearheads, he came and watched them at their work. He listened to the song of Scarface and Straightshaft, while they shaped a fine spearhead.
At length the spearhead was ready for the finishing touches. So Straightshaft dropped his hammer-stone and picked up a queer little tool. He called it a flaker, and he used it to press off tiny flakes from the beautiful point.
When Straightshaft had finished, he dropped the flaker and Fleetfoot picked it up. And he asked Straightshaft if he might use it to press off little flakes.
Straightshaft using a flaker.
Straightshaft let him try, but Fleetfoot was not strong enough to press off hard flint flakes. So he listened to the story that Scarface told of the young man who first made a flaker.
Holding up a little bone flaker, Scarface turned to the men and said: “When I was a boy, no one pressed off flakes of flint. No one had a flaker. We hammered off flint flakes.
“One summer when there were plenty of salmon, the neighboring clans had a great feast. Nimble-finger came. I saw him. I heard him speak. The third day of the feast I saw him flake flint.”
A flaker.
As Scarface went on he told how Nimble-finger invented the flaker. He did it one day when he was making a bone handle for a knife. When he was scraping a bone with a flint scraper he happened to press off a flint flake.
Nimble-finger did not know how it happened. He tried again and again. At last he pressed off another flake; and this time he knew that he did it by pressing the point of the bone against one edge of the flint.
Nimble-finger never finished that bone-handled hunting knife. But he showed the people how to make a flaker. He became an inventor; for he gave the world a tool it had never had before.
When the people returned from the feast many forgot about the flaker. Others longed for delicate spear points like those Nimble-finger made. So, at length, they tried to make flakers of their own. Some tried to make them of wood; but the wood was too soft to break the stone. Others tried to make them of ivory; but ivory was too hard to get a hold. At length all the Cave-men made flakers of antler and bone, for they were hard enough to break the stone and soft enough to get a hold.
When Scarface finished, Fleetfoot began to talk about Nimble-finger. He asked Scarface, “Where does Nimble-finger live? Does he always come to the great feasts?”
To the child’s questions Scarface replied, “While Nimble-finger was still a young man he went far away.For many years he lived far north in a cave beside the River of Stones. But years have come and gone since then. If he still lives, he is an old man; but of that I know not.”
THINGS TO DO
If you can find a piece of flint strike off a flake with a hammer-stone. Strike off a flake with an angular stone. Strike off a flake by using a hammer and punch.Sort out the flakes that are good for knives. Put handles on them. Sort out the flakes that are good for making into spearheads. See if you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.Find something which you can use as a flaker. When you have made one, see if you can use it.Make a collection of stones which you can chip or flake. Tell all you know about each of those stones.Think of Scarface as he was telling the story. Draw the picture.
If you can find a piece of flint strike off a flake with a hammer-stone. Strike off a flake with an angular stone. Strike off a flake by using a hammer and punch.
Sort out the flakes that are good for knives. Put handles on them. Sort out the flakes that are good for making into spearheads. See if you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.
Find something which you can use as a flaker. When you have made one, see if you can use it.
Make a collection of stones which you can chip or flake. Tell all you know about each of those stones.
Think of Scarface as he was telling the story. Draw the picture.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do our horses and cattle eat? Where do we get their food? What do wild cattle and horses eat? See if you can find out whether wild cattle or horses have ever lived in a place where the ground is covered with snow part of the year.Did you ever see cattle pawing the ground? Did you ever see horses pawing the ground? Did you ever see them paw the snow?See if you can find out something about the great herds of bison that used to live in this country. What has become of them?Can you think why bison live in herds? What officers does a herd of bison have? Can you think how the officers of a herd of bison are chosen?
What do our horses and cattle eat? Where do we get their food? What do wild cattle and horses eat? See if you can find out whether wild cattle or horses have ever lived in a place where the ground is covered with snow part of the year.
Did you ever see cattle pawing the ground? Did you ever see horses pawing the ground? Did you ever see them paw the snow?
See if you can find out something about the great herds of bison that used to live in this country. What has become of them?
Can you think why bison live in herds? What officers does a herd of bison have? Can you think how the officers of a herd of bison are chosen?
The Return of the Bison
Ever since the reindeer went away the Cave-men had been looking for the return of the bison. Each summer the herds came up the valley to feed on green grass and tender shoots. Each winter they went to the forests of the lowlands where they found shelter from the cold.
The snow was now gone from the wooded hills and the days were warm again. The dingy brown coats of the hillsides were changing to the palest green. The buds were beginning to swell. Everything seemed to say that summer was coming.
Each day the Cave-men watched for signs of the coming of the great herd. Each night they danced the bison dance and tried to make the bison come.
One morning Straightshaft climbed the cliff and looked far up and down the valley. Looking north he could see the River of Stones with high cliffs on one or both banks. He could see dense forests of evergreen that grew on the low banks. He could see hills and valleys beyond the cliffs where many wild animals lived.
Looking south, near at hand, was the Fork of the River where Little River joined the River of Stones. Here the cliffs were not very high; farther down, they became lower, and at last there were no cliffs. The edge of the lowland forest where the bison wintered could be seen far away. Grassy lowlands near the forests stretched farther than the eye could see. It was here that the bison and cattle found the best winterpastures. It was in the lowland forests that they found shelter from the cold.
“Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a sign to the men.”
Straightshaft looked toward the lowlands, hoping to see a bison. Mammoths were feeding not far away, and beyond were woolly rhinoceroses. But there was not one bison.
An ibex.
As Straightshaft watched the second day, chamois and ibexes played on the hills. Herds of horses came from the grassy uplands and returned after drinking at the ford. But no sign of a bison yet appeared.
The third day Straightshaft saw a black spot in the distance. It was far down on the river trail. As he watched, it became larger and larger. And then Straightshaft knew that it was a bison coming in advance of the great herd.
The morning of the fourth day the great herd came. A powerful bison led the way. Strong sentinels guarded either side. The herd followed blindly, galloping eight or ten abreast.
Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a sign to the men. Those who saw it passed it along, and soon all the people had seen the sign. Then everybody climbed up a hill or a high cliff and watched the coming of the bison.
Nearer and nearer the great herd came, like a sea of tossing manes and horns. The earth trembled beneath their tread and the air was filled with their bellowing.
When the bison reached the ford, the foremost creatures stopped to drink. But the solid mass, pressing on from the rear, crowded them up the river. Soon the ford was packed with struggling beasts. Some tried to escape by swimming up the river. Others swam down the stream. And still the solid mass from the rear kept crowding on and on.
At length the herd divided. One part followed the river trail, while the other went up the narrow valley. Whenever a herd reached a branching valley, a big bison led off a small herd. This happened many a time. And at the close of the day there was not a little valley in the surrounding country that did not have a herd of two or three hundred bison.
THINGS TO DO
Play you are a herd of bison, and show how the herd marched. Show how it divided. Show how you think it would come together again.Show in your sand-box where Straightshaft stood while he watched. Show the trails the bison followed.Think of the herd as it galloped up the river trail. Draw the picture.Make such a sign as you think Straightshaft made.Plan a bison dance.
Play you are a herd of bison, and show how the herd marched. Show how it divided. Show how you think it would come together again.
Show in your sand-box where Straightshaft stood while he watched. Show the trails the bison followed.
Think of the herd as it galloped up the river trail. Draw the picture.
Make such a sign as you think Straightshaft made.
Plan a bison dance.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If you were to hunt bison, what would you want to know about them?In what ways can bison notice signs of danger? In what ways can they help one another?Watch animals, and see if they give signs to one another.What weapons do you think the Cave-men would take when they went to hunt the bison? How could the Cave-men help one another in hunting? How might one man hinder the others?
If you were to hunt bison, what would you want to know about them?
In what ways can bison notice signs of danger? In what ways can they help one another?
Watch animals, and see if they give signs to one another.
What weapons do you think the Cave-men would take when they went to hunt the bison? How could the Cave-men help one another in hunting? How might one man hinder the others?
“At the close of the day there was not a little valley in the surrounding country that did not have a herd of two or three hundred bison.”
The First Bison Hunt of the Season
And now the great herd of bison had come, and the Cave-men were eager to hunt them. While they were getting ready to start they kept up this merry song:—
The bison have come;The bison have come;Now for the chase!Now for the chase!Bring axes and spears;Bring axes and spears;Now for the chase!Now for the chase!
When Scarface climbed the cliff he saw three herds of bison. The first was feeding in an open space; the second was on a hillside, and the third was in a narrow valley close by a deep and hidden ravine. This was a place where the Cave-men liked to hunt. So they agreed to follow Scarface through the hidden ravine.
Scarface led the way, and all the men followed. Not a leaf rustled beneath their tread. Not a twig broke as they crept up the side of the deep ravine and looked out at the herd.
Everybody wanted to get the yearlings or young cows, for their flesh was tender and sweet. But the cows and young bison were in the center of the herd. They were guarded by the sentinels, whose flesh was hard and tough.
And so the Cave-men wondered how to get a young bison. They wondered if the vigilant leader was morethan a match for them. They watched his signals, and saw fresh sentinels take the places of the hungry ones. They noticed how quickly the bison obeyed every signal the leader gave.
“With a quick snort he turned and charged.”
At last the Cave-men decided to attack the leader first. They waited till he was not more than a stone’s throw away. Then Scarface gave the signal and the men made a bold attack.
Straightshaft hurled his spear with all his might, then turned to give place to the others. The leader was taken by surprise. The men had crept up so quietly that not till the spear whizzed through the air did he suspect danger.
With a quick snort he turned and charged. Straightshaft ran, but the others met the charge. They hurled their spears and dealt heavy blows with their stone axes.
Before the leader could give the alarm he lay stretched out on the ground. The sentinels looked for a signal. Meanwhile the cows and yearlings tried to make their escape.
Then each of several sentinels tried to lead. But the frightened herd did not know which one to follow. Some of the bison rushed one way and some rushed another. Then there was a general stampede. They gored one another with their sharp horns. They trampled one another under their feet. They were too frightened to know what they were doing.
It was then that the Cave-men singled out the young bison. When they had secured them for their prize, they started toward the cave, singing—
To-day we went hunting.We crept up the ravine;We surprised the leader of the bison.He made a charge upon us—We have his horns for a headdress.We killed many a young bison;We have plenty of tender meat.
Perhaps one of the sentinels became leader of the herd that very day. Perhaps several battles were fought to see which sentinel was the strongest. For bison never follow a leader that is not stronger and wiser than themselves.
THINGS TO DO
Show in your sand-box where each of the three herds was feeding.Make a plan for hunting the herd that was feeding in an open space.Draw one of these pictures:—The Cave-men creeping up the banks of the steep ravine.The charge of the leader.The stampede.Deciding which bison shall be leader of the herd.Make a song to sing in getting ready to hunt the way you have planned. Make a song to sing on your return.Model a large, strong bison.
Show in your sand-box where each of the three herds was feeding.
Make a plan for hunting the herd that was feeding in an open space.
Draw one of these pictures:—The Cave-men creeping up the banks of the steep ravine.The charge of the leader.The stampede.Deciding which bison shall be leader of the herd.
Make a song to sing in getting ready to hunt the way you have planned. Make a song to sing on your return.
Model a large, strong bison.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Watch water when it is boiling, and see if you can tell what happens.Why would it be harder for people to learn to boil than to roast?What kind of dishes did the Cave-men have? What would happen to them if they were put over the fire?What does your mother do, when she wants to find out whether the flatiron is hot enough to iron?When the Cave-men first learned to boil water, do you think they would think of boiling food? What might make them think of boiling food?
Watch water when it is boiling, and see if you can tell what happens.
Why would it be harder for people to learn to boil than to roast?
What kind of dishes did the Cave-men have? What would happen to them if they were put over the fire?
What does your mother do, when she wants to find out whether the flatiron is hot enough to iron?
When the Cave-men first learned to boil water, do you think they would think of boiling food? What might make them think of boiling food?
What Happened when the Children Played with Hot Stones
Again the Cave-men went out to hunt. Again the women went out to gather roots and berries. Only Chew-chew and the children were left near the cave.
Chew-chew was curing the skins which the women had brought home. Some of them were stretched out on the ground. Others were stretched on frames. Many of these were ready to be rolled up and put away.
While the skins were drying, Chew-chew had time for other work. She wanted to finish her basket, and so the splints must be put to soak.
At a sign from Chew-chew, Fleetfoot went to the river for a bag of water. While he was gone, Chew-chew began to make a place to put it. She dug a shallow hole in the ground and lined it with a skin.
When Fleetfoot came back they patted down the skin. Then they poured the water into the skin-lined hole, and put the splints to soak.
While Chew-chew worked at her basket, Fleetfoot played near at hand. Often he came to his grandmother’s side and talked about many things.
At length Chew-chew, holding up a skin, turned toFleetfoot and said, “Do you know what animal wore this skin?”
A bear’s tooth awl.
“One of the reindeer we saw at the ford,” quickly responded Fleetfoot.
“Where have all the reindeer gone?” was Chew-chew’s next question.
“To the cave of the Big Bear of the mountains,” came the prompt answer.
While Chew-chew and Fleetfoot talked the children played near the cave. Pigeon was playing with stones which she had gathered and tossed into the fire. In trying to get them out again she burned her fingers, and began to cry.
When Chew-chew saw what had happened, she told Fleetfoot to play with Pigeon. And Fleetfoot played with Pigeon, and he showed her how to lift hot stones without getting burned.
The children played and carried hot stones with tongs made of sticks. They ran back and forth between rows of skins until Pigeon dropped a hot stone into the hole.
No sooner had Pigeon dropped the stone than she screamed, “A snake! a snake!” And she ran to her grandmother and sobbed, while she hid her face in her chubby arm.
Chew-chew thought that a snake was crawling about. Fleetfoot helped her look under all the skins. They looked for some time, but they found no trace of a snake.
Then Chew-chew asked Pigeon to tell her all about it. And Pigeon said, “A big snake hissed and made me drop the stone.”
Just then Fleetfoot dropped a hot stone and something went “s-s-s-s-s-s.”
Pigeon screamed again, but a hearty laugh from Chew-chew showed there was nothing to fear. Chew-chew knew that the hissing sound was not the hiss of a snake. It was the sizzling of the water when it touched the hot stone.
And so Chew-chew tried to teach the children how to know the hissing sound. She picked up hot stones and dropped them into the water. Each time a stone was dropped, the hissing sound was heard; and the children learned to know the sound, and they were no longer afraid.
As Chew-chew kept on dropping the hot stones, she did not notice all that happened. She thought only of teaching the children, so that they would not be afraid. But at last such a strange thing happened, that even Chew-chew was afraid.
The water no longer was still. It kept moving like the angry water in the rapids of the river. A thin mist began to rise, and a strange voice came from the water, saying:—
“Bubble, bubble, bubble;Bubble, bubble, bubble.”
At the sound Chew-chew was filled with fear. She was afraid the gods were angry. She looked about for an offering, and found a piece of bison meat. Shedropped the meat into the water, hoping to appease the angry god.