= & as € if } V¥b gee. po< res wet (Ns > ! > bo \K \ V7 ~€ ? > ae, D> oS If Ve “aS Ware — = > > ee) 7 Now * >> THE UNIVERSITY GF ILLINOIS LIBRARY ove D'72e Digitized by the Internet Archive In 2011 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/earlyherdsmen0Odopp THE FARITY MicRIDSMIEN Jndustrial and Soctal History Series Ry KATHARINE ELIZABETH DOPP, Ph. D. f The Place of Industries in Elementary Education Book I. THE TREE-DWELLERS. THE AGE OF FEAR. Illustrated with a map, 14 full-page and 46 text drawings in half-tone by Howarp V. Brown. Cloth. Square 12mo._ 158 pages. hor the primary grades. Book Il. THE EARLY CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF COMBAT. Illustrated with a map, 16 full-page and 71 text drawings in half-tone by Howarp V. Brown. Cloth. Square 1r2mo,_ 183 pages. for the primary grades. Book II]. THE LATER CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF THE CHASE. Illustrated with 27 full-page and 87 text drawings in half-tone by Howarp V. Brown, Cloth. Square 12mo. 197 pages. for the primary grades. Book IV. THE EARLY SEA PEOPLE. FIRST STEPS IN THE CON- QUEST OF THE WATERS. Illustrated with 21 full-page and 110 text drawings in half-tone by Howarp V. Brown and Kyouer InuKar. Cloth. Square 12m0. 224 pages. for the intermediate grades. Book V. THE EARLY HERDSMEN. FIRST STEPS IN TAMING THE GRASS-EATING ANIMALS. Illustrated with 24 full-page and 74 text drawings in half-tone by Howarp V. Brown and Louts JENSEN. Cloth. Square 12mo. 232 pages. For the intermediate grades. ae Then he led the men and hoys out on the high table-land and captured a flock of wild sheep i ers aN rv Form ABEW I DOPP erly Instructor and Lecturer the Extension Division of the University of Chicago Aa Etay WA Bik ( Apel NEW YORI LQ Copyright, 1923, by KATHARINE ELIZABETH Dopp E-ntered at Stationers’ Hail Made in U.S.A. HIS volume, the fifth number of the ‘‘Industrial and Social History Series,”’ is intended to portray the life of man when he took the first steps in taming the sheep, the cow, and the goat. That these steps were not taken without the pressure of hunger is undoubted. Tradition is rich in allusions to hunger, famine, scarcity of game, floods, pestilence, and other conditions which cause crises 1n social life. Any one of such crises is bound to have a profound effect upon the life of a people. The weaker clans, under such conditions, lag behind and possibly disappear, while the stronger, braver, and more intelligent clans are better able to grapple with a new situation and invent ways of meeting its difficulties. Heretofore inventions had taken the form of the conquest of fire and the discovery of its uses to mankind, new and improved weapons and devices for hunting and trapping wild game, improved tools with which to fashion weapons of unshaped mate- rials, devices for travel and transportation by land and by sea. Invention, too, had been expressed in the division of labor between the sexes and in elementary forms of codperation in industrial activities as well as in the chase. The inventions which characterize the period with which this volume deals were of such great social significance as to mark a new epoch in social progress. For, when man devised the ways 17 5SBOS7L 8 The Preface and means of taming grass-eating animals, he marked out the path which left savagery behind him; he led the way to the pastoral stage, or the period of barbarism. Like all epoch-making inventions, those which ushered in the epoch of barbarism were a gradual growth from small beginnings, the significance of which was not realized by the people of the age. Each step was important, however, for each was a necessary part of one great whole. It is because these steps were of the utmost importance, and because until recently there has been no demand that they have a place in our educational curriculums, that they are given special emphasis in this volume. The established life of man as a herdsman will be treated in the next volume. Here the purpose is to portray the conditions which forced man to emerge from savagery and establish friendly relations with the grass-eating animals, giving them care and protection in exchange for a regular supply of milk and an occasional supply of meat. In the early stages of human progress, as well as in more recent times, we find man more specialized in his occupations than woman. This in part accounts for the fact that in many instances it is woman who takes the first steps in finding the way to a new epoch, and that man does not take over the work until the foundation is well laid. Not until this is accomplished does man take charge of the occupation and develop its technique. It is doubtless true that wherever grass-eating animals are pres- ent, they are brought under domestication in the course of time. The purpose of the ‘“‘ Industrial and Social History Series,’’ however, is to give the generalized history of the progress of our own race. The question thus arises as to when and where our ancestors first domesticated the grass-eating animals. Many answers have been given to this question. The older ethnologists pointed to Asia as the cradle land of the people who developed the Aryan language, and stated that the migrations for the most part were to the west The Preface 9 and north. More recently well-known authorities, among whom Daniel Brinton, an American, and Canon Isaac Taylor, an English ethnologist, may be cited, have answered the question quite differ- ently. They state that Europe was the home of the undivided Aryans at the time when they passed from the period of savagery to the pastoral stage. They claim that the ancestors of modern Europeans did not come from Asia with their flocks and herds, but that they belonged originally to the Continent of Europe and domesticated the grass-eating animals they found on their own hunting grounds. It matters little to the child of today whether he knows the precise spot on our planet where our ancestors lived when they made the transition from savagery to barbarism. It matters little that he know whether the migrations of the undivided Aryans from their cradleland were to the west and north or to the east and south. It matters still less that he know the skull formation of the various types. But it matters a great deal that he know the foundations laid by our ancestors in establishing a higher form of culture. It is well for the child of the present age to know some- thing of his debt to the past. It is well for him to know the social significance of epoch-making inventions. It is well for him to feel a spirit of kinship with those peoples of the past that have so largely contributed to the well-being of all succeeding ages. According to Isaac Taylor there were four racial types in Europe during the Neolithic age. In addition to the ancestors of the Scandinavians, treated in earlier volumes, there were the Iberians, a short, dark people with long, narrow heads; the Ligurians, a short, dark people with broad and round heads; and a tall, light, brachy- cephalic people, the Celts of philology, who occupied the greater part of Central Europe, the valleys of the Danube and its tribu- taries, and the great steppes of Russia. It is this last type, desig- nated by well-known ethnologists as the undivided Aryan, which 10 The Preface is chosen as the subject of this volume. It was this people who developed the prehistoric Aryan speech during the Neolithic period. This primitive language became widely extended through migra- tions as well as by conquests. “They said it was | a warning,’ rephed Gray-wolf. ‘Did: try mother say this?’’ asked Tether-peg. ‘She did,’ answered Gray-wolf. ‘What was the look on her face as_ she spoke?”’ asked the wise woman. a ae “The look on her face?’’ repeated Gray-wolf. “The look on her face was a look of dread.”’ THINGS TO DO Make a list of the birds that stay tn your netghborhood all winter. What do they have for food? \Where do they find shelter ? Find out whether there are any birds that seek shelter among the rocks in winter. Find out all you can about the bean geese. Dramatize thts story. Draw a picture of a flock of wild geese. Model in clay some bird you know. How the People Lived in Their Winter Home 101 XX THINGS TO THINK ABOUT During which part of the winter would the people be likely to have most food? Why? What plant foods could they find in winter? What animals could the men hunt? Why did people say that in winter the trees were dressed in tatters and rags? If snow rested upon the trees, what do you think the people would say? What do you think the people would say about the god and goddess of the woodlands in winter? In summer? Which can stand the cold weather the better, wild horses or cattle? How can wild animals find food when the ground is covered with snow? flow the People Lived in Their Venter [Lome All went well in early winter. The men hunted wild horses and cattle. They hunted red deer in the woodlands. They set traps for wolves and bears. They tried to protect the herds. The women worked about the camp; they tended the fires and cooking pits and made skin garments. They looked after the tethered creatures and milked the cow and goat. At first the dogs did not take kindly to the tethered crea- tures. All their lives they had hunted wild cattle, and so had wild dogs before them. . From the earliest times wild dogs had lived by the chase. But you know that the dog loves his master. He soon learns to obey. So all the dogs, little by little, made friends with the tethered creatures. When wolves prowled about at night, all the dogs sprang up to defend them. 102 The Early Herdsmen The cow still limped when she walked, but she picked her own food when given a long tether. The calf, too, picked his own food. He was kept out of reach of his mother. The calf was so wild the children were told to keep away from him. But they played with the kid and sometimes were able to pet the goat. There was little snow in early winter. So the women went out to the woodlands in search of acorns and nuts. They did not find many, for the crop had been light. But they gathered all they could find. One day when the children were out with their mothers, they passed an ash tree where the rooks nested. The leaves of the tree had all fallen. The nests were in plain sight. “Caw! caw! caw!’ cried Little-bear. ‘‘That’s what the rook says.” All the children flapped their arms and played they were rooks flying to and from their nests. Every day the children learned something about animals and birds. For in pleasant weather they were out in the woodlands, and in stormy weather they ustened to the men talk about the chase. “T’ll be glad to have a little snow,” said Big-crow one day when they were talking about wolves. ‘Wolves are prowling about the camp. Snow will show up their tracks.”’ When the people came out of their pits the next morning, the ground was covered with snow. So men and dogs at once set out to track the wolves to their dens. “Earth has put on a beautiful winter garment,’ said Spin-a-thread as she looked up and down the valley now covered with snow. How the People Lived ‘““Look at the trees!’ cried Little-bear. ‘‘ Look at the firs and oaks!”’ “They have put on white garments,’ said Birdikin. “Why don’t all the trees wear white gar- ments?’’ asked Day’s- eye. “They have dropped their leaves,” replied Tether-peg. ‘“‘ They can- not hold up as much — snow as the firs and | oaks,”’ “The oaks hold fast to their sere brown leaves,”’ thread. sood shelter-tor the herds.”’ “Tf it turns cold they | will need a good shelter,”’ said Root-digger. “The snow has covered | the feeding grounds,”’ added Drag-a-load. ** The cattle will have poor feed- ing while the snow lasts.”’ added Spin-a- i “They make a> in Their Winter Home The children flapped their arms and played they were rooks 103 104 The Early Herdsmen ’ ‘There is some tall grass standing above the snow,”’ said Spin-a-thread. “The cattle can eat the moss on the trees,’”’ said Root- digger. ‘‘They can eat young branches.”’ » “ Horses paw the snow from the grass,” said Little-bear. “T’ve seen them do it.” ‘Horses can stand the cold very well,”’ said Tether-peg. “Cattle will do well in this weather, but if 1t should turn very cold, it will be hard for them.”’ “The tethered creatures need our help now,” added Spin-a-thread. ‘“Let’s go and brush away the snow so they can get to the grass.”’ The women and children took birch branties and swept the snow from the spots where the animals were tethered. They brought wisps of dry grass to the cow and they gave her They swept the snow from the spots where the animals : were tethered some turnip tops. How the People Lived in Their Winter Home 105 In this way women and children took the first steps in taming the herds. No one knew at that time what a great work they were doing. They did not know it themselves. They were simply doing the work of the day. They were being kind to the dumb creatures they had brought to their homes. THINGS TO DO Notice what trees drop their leaves first. What trees hold fast their leaves longest? What trees give the best shelter in winter? Why? Name several birds that belong to the crow family. Find something about each of these birds. What animals do you know by their tracks? Learn what you can about the brooms people had before they learned to make the kind we have. Tell a story of something you have today that you could not have unless the grass-eating animals had been tamed. Dramatize part of this story. Illustrate one of these lines: ““All the children flapped their arms and played they were rooks.”’ “* They have put on white garments.’” XXI THINGS TO THINK ABOUT At what time of the year are the days longest? At what time are they shortest? When are the nights longest? When shortest? Why are not the days and nights the same length all the year? At what season is the sun highest at noon? When lowest? Can you think why the sun seems to be higher at one season than at another? Do you think people have always known why? What stories do you think the people might tell to explain why the sun was low in the sky at noon? 106 The Early Herdsmen Tlow the People Explained the Dark Days of Winter Soon the nights were as long as a summer day, and the days as short as a summer night. Some days dark clouds hid the sun all day long. When the sun had not shone for several days, Root-digger said, “‘No longer does Sun look down upon us. No longer does he light up the earth.” ‘He is no longer our friend,’’ added Drag-a-load. “Speak not thus of kind Sun,’’ said Tether-peg. ‘He is still our friend.” “Why doesn’t he show himself?’ asked Root-digger. ““Why doesn’t he watch over us as he used to do?” ‘He is weary,” replied Tether-peg. ‘‘Winter is waging war upon him. Winter is waging a cruel war upon all the gods of light. For many days the dark monster has been trying to swallow Sun.”’ When the sun did come out from behind gray clouds, it appeared lower down in the sky than in summer. None of the people understood why, but they did their best to explain it. ‘What is the matter with Sun?”’ asked Big-crow one day when the sun came out from behind dark clouds. “It is midday, yet see where he is!” “Sun is lame,’’ answered Many-dogs. ‘‘He can’t climb very high.”’ “Did the dark monster hurt him?’’ asked Big-crow. ‘“Yes,’’ answered Many-dogs. ‘‘The monster is fighting him day and night.”’ How the People Explained the Dark Days of Winter 107 “Kill him!” cried Little-bear. ‘Kill the dark monster! Make him let go of Sun!” Many-dogs smiled. Then he said to the child, ‘‘No man that lives can kill this monster. It is the work of a god.”’ “It is Sky’s work,”’ added Tether-peg. ‘‘None but Sky is mighty enough to kill the dark monster.” “T fear Sky cannot do it,”’ said Big-crow. ‘See, even now the dark monster has hidden Sky’s bright tent.”’ “Why does the dark monster make war?” asked Day’s- eye. “Why does he try to swallow Sun?” “He loves darkness,’’ replied Tether-peg. ‘‘The dark monster hates light.” ‘““Dawn' loves light,’”’ said Day’s-eye. ‘Every morning she brings us light.”’ “Yes, child,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘Dawn is our friend. She chases Darkness away from the earth. She brings Sun back to Sky.” “Does Sky have many friends?’’ asked Pick-a-tree. ‘““Moon is his friend,”’ said Drag-a-load. ‘The stars are his friends,’’ added Root-digger. “Everything that brings light is his friend,”’ said Tether-peg. ‘Ts fire his friend?’’ asked Little-bear. “Yes, child,” replied Tether-peg. ‘Just as fire lights up our dwellings, so Sky and his friends light up the big tent that covers all the earth.” “Darkness makes war on them all,” said Many-dogs. “Sometimes I fear Sun will never again travel over his path in the sky.” “So do I,” added Gray-wolf. ‘And I’m afraid Moon will never come back to light up the dark night.” They were happy in trying to make the sun shine and fill the earth with light How the People Explained the Dark Days of Winter 109 “Ts Darkness stronger than Sky?” asked Little-bear. ‘“‘Does he have as many friends as Sky?” “Darkness has many friends,’ answered Tether-peg. ‘““Wherever they are, they always wage war upon the friends of Sky.” ‘“‘Have they been fighting long?”’ asked Pick-a-tree. “Since time began,’ replied the wise woman. “This fight cannot go on forever,’ added Many-dogs. “There will come a day when one will win.” As he spoke, the people shuddered. They feared the day when the sky would fall and darkness would cover the earth. “Let us help Sky,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘Let us do all we can to fill earth and sky with a clear light.”’ So again they kindled the sacred fire and made offerings to the great god Sky. And for a time they lost their fears. They were happy in trying to make the sun shine and fill the earth with light. THINGS TO DO Notice what time the sun rises. Notice what time it sets. Tell how long the day 1s. How long 1s the night? Dramatize this story. Illustrate one of these lines: ““What ts the matter with Sun?’ asked Big-crow.”’ “Let us do all we can to fill earth and sky with a clear light.’”’ AA THINGS TO THINK ABOUT What do you think wild animals would do in a hard storm? How could the people keep the tethered animals from freezing? Why can a herd of animals keep warm better than one or two? 110 The Early Herdsmen flow the People Protected the Tethered Creatures during a Storm Soon a big storm set in. The air was filled with blinding snow. The north wind blew fierce blasts and piled up great drifts. The herds sought shelter in the woods, and the people wh The creatures shivered wiih the cold went into their pits. When ‘Tether-peg saw the storm com- ing, she tethered the animals in a thicket not far from the camp. But the cold winds blew through the thicket and the creatures shivered with the cold. In a lull in the storm the women went out and brought the animals to the fire. They feared the tethered crea- tures would die un- ~ less they could find shelter. Now Tether-peg knew there were ‘those in the camp who wished to kill How the People Protected the Tethered Creatures 111 the tethered creatures. But the wise woman wished to save them until a time of greater need. Calling all the people together, the wise woman said: “The gods have spoken. They command us to care for the creatures tethered in our camp. No one shall harm these creatures on pain of death.” Now the people knew what this meant. No one dared disobey what Tether-peg said was the will of the gods. Yet many of them believed that cruel Winter would kill the tethered creatures. ‘““Let’s make a warm shelter for the creatures,”’ said Tether- peg. ‘‘Bring branches of fir. Let us build a warm shelter here by the fire.” So the women brought branches from the fir trees and they made a warm shelter near the fire. They littered the ground with a nice bedding of rushes and dry grass. All went well for a day or two. Then Tether-peg found that the calf was sucking all the cow’s milk. Calling her sisters, she said to them, ‘‘ Bring more branches from the fir trees. Make a shelter for the calf on the other side of the fire.”’ The women did this, and, while they worked, some of them spoke about the calf. “It’s an ugly creature,” said Root-digger. “It’s a bull calf,’’ said Drag-a-load. ‘‘Why does Tether-peg want to keep it?” “Hush!”’ said Spin-a-thread. ‘‘Remember, it’s the will of the gods.” One very cold night Root-digger said, ‘“I’ll take the big jumper into my pit.” ’ 112 The Early Herdsmen “T will take her,’ said Drag-a-load. Many of the women were eager to take her. They wanted the goat’s milk for their children. But Tether-peg knew it was best for the clan to give every child a share. “Let the big jumper stay by the cow,” said Tether-peg. “Tt is the will of the gods. As long as these creatures give milk, each child shall have a share.”’ THINGS TO DO Watch a storm and tell what happens. Draw a picture of it. Dramatize thts story. Illustrate this line: ‘The women brought branches from the fir trees.” XXIII THINGS TO THINK ABOUT If the storm lasted many days, how could the people get food? Could the men hunt when it was very cold and stormy? Do cows give much milk when they are very cold? When Famine Came to the Land As the days passed, Winter ruled with a hard hand. Ever thicker and thicker grew the ice on the river. Ever deeper and deeper fell the snow on hills and woodlands and grassy plains. Ever colder and colder blew the fierce winds from the land of the North. The winds were very fierce that winter. Sometimes they whistled through the trees, swaying every bough. Sometimes When Famine Came to the Land 113 they came down the valley howling like a pack of wolves. And sometimes they roared and bellowed like raging bulls. They filled the hollows and gullies with snow. They piled the ravines with drifts. The animals had a hard time. At the beginning of the storm some escaped by going farther south. Those that remained suffered from hunger. Many perished from the cold. Those that took shelter in the ravines were buried in the snow. It was not easy for the women to keep the tethered crea- tures alive. Had it not been for the warm camp fire, they would have perished from the cold. Each day the women fed them, and each day the cow and the goat gave the women a little milk. During the first few days of the storm the cattle could be heard in the woodlands. At such times the people won- dered how the poor creatures fared. “Listen!’’ said Spin-a-thread. ‘‘The cattle are bawling.”’ The people listened to the plaintive bawling coming from the woodlands. “They are freezing,’ said Drag-a-load. “They are starving,” said Root-digger. “Winter is devouring everything in the land,’’ added Spin-a-thread. Again the plaintive bawling was heard, but this time the sound was fainter and fainter. “The cattle can’t stand this fierce wind,” said Many- dogs. “It’s worse than a pack of hungry wolves.” As the man spoke, he looked sad. All his life he had taken great pride in protecting the flocks and herds. Now 114 The Early Herdsmen Winter had come to devour them. The man knew not what to do. When the very coldest days had passed, the men went out to the woodlands. But they found no tracks of big game, and the cutting winds stiffened their fingers and sent them home numb and cold. Every day the dogs hunted. Sometimes they brought in small game; but many times they returned with a lean and hungry look. Day after day the men went out, but they found no trace of the herds. They found a few deer and small game along the river bottoms, but when these were all killed or driven away, the people began to starve. Sometimes the children cried for food. Their mothers gave them all - they could, but that was Pnot very much. The hazelnuts were gone. The acorns were nearly gone. Only afew wild roots were left in the winter stores. - ues . Each day the cow and Making a shelter far the calf the goat gave less milk. Xe. “It's worse than a pack of hungry wolves” 116 The Early Herdsmen Time and again hungry eyes were turned toward the The raven looked down from the tree and cawed tethered creatures. But no one dared touch them. Tether-peg saw these hungry looks. She, too, was troubled. Several times she asked herself, “Has the time come when we may kill the creatures tethered in our camp?” The third time the ques- tion came, she noticed a raven in an oak tree. ‘“‘T’ll ask the raven,’’ she said. ‘‘The raven can tell me the will of the gods.”’ Wrapping herself in a warm skin garment, she went to the oak where the raven perched. ‘Tellme, wise bird,’’ said Tether- peg, ‘has the time come for us to kill and eat the creatures tethered in the camp?” The raven looked down from the tree and cawed. Tether-peg thought the raven said,‘‘No! No! No!” When Famine Came to the Land 117 ‘““My people are hungry,” said Tether-peg. ‘The children are crying for food. May we not kill one of these animals? If so, which shall it be?”’ The raven looked very wise and cawed. ‘This time Tether-peg thought it said, ‘Calf! Calf! Calf!” ‘‘Answer once more,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘When may we kill the calf?” Again the raven cawed from the tree. Tether-peg, lsten- ing, heard it say, ‘‘Now! Now! Now!’’ At once she called the people together and told them the will of the gods. That very day the calf was killed, and although each person had only a small piece of meat, all were happier than they had been for a long time. A few days later the wise woman again talked with the raven. When she had finished, she told the people they might kill the kid. But as long as the cow and the goat gave milk, they were protected by the will of the gods. Three times each day the women milked the cow. Three times each day they milked the goat. Each child had his share of milk once every day. When the goat gave only a few drops of milk, Tether-peg said, ‘‘We may kill her.” The goat was killed, and once again the people had a taste of meat. A few days later the cow gave no milk. Then Tether-peg said, ‘‘We may kill the cow.” The cow was killed that very day, and the people again had meat. When the meat was all gone, the men did their best to bring home game from the woodlands. But the gods 118 The Early Herdsmen of the woodlands seemed unfriendly. They gave them no game. At the last Many-dogs, in despair, prayed to the great god of the woodlands: ‘‘Hear our prayer, O god of the wood- lands! Send game to our hunting grounds! The herds are gone! Useless are our arrows! Help us or we die!” THINGS TO DO Listen to the winds on a stormy day and tell what sounds you hear. Model a raven in clay. Can you tell why it ts called a wise bird? Dramatize part of this story. Illustrate one of these lines: “They returned with a lean and hungry look.”’ ‘ Tether-peg, listening, heard it say, ‘Now! Now! Now!’” XXIV THINGS TO THINK ABOUT If the people trusted in magic and it failed, how would they feel? Can you think what people sometimes eat during a famine? Why did the people complain of the gods when they had little food? Why the People Uttered Complaints Now for many years the people had believed they could change the seasons by magic. They believed they could hasten the coming of Summer and stay her going. Every year they used magical arts to keep Summer with them. Every year they used magical arts to bring her back again. Many times during this long cold winter they had used magical arts. They had built great fires to make the sun shine and hasten the coming of Summer. They had used Why the People Uttered Complaints 119 charms and sung songs. They believed these charms and songs would help them to bring back the herds. They believed they could clothe the trees by their magic and cause the earth to put forth her fruits. But, in spite of all their magical arts, Winter still ruled the land. The earth remained bleak and cold. The trees were still bare. And nowhere was there a single sign of any of the herds. It is not strange that the people were sad. They were hungry and had little food. They were gloomy, and the bleak earth gave them no cheer. Much of the time they were ill-tempered. Sometimes they were as cross as bears. Tether-peg did all she could to arouse the people to courage and cheer. She urged them to go out in search of food. Day after day she went with her sisters in search of acorns and tender sapwood. “Let us go to the firs and the aspens,’”’ said Tether-peg. “Bring your chisels. Let us strip off the soft, tender sap- wood.”’ The women took their bone chisels and went with Tether- peg over the drifts. They went to the fir trees and the aspens and stripped off the soft, tender sapwood. They carried loads of it to the camp and made it into a coarse bread. When eating this bread, the people complained. ‘“May Winter never have better food than he gives to us this day,’”’ said Root-digger. “He is stingy,’ said Big-crow. “He gives us nothing to grease our knives,’’ added Gray- wolf, who was hungry for a taste of fat. meat. 120 The Early Herdsmen “Hush!” said Tether-peg. ‘“‘That which hath wings may hear your words and bear them to the ear of Winter.” And A two-pointed stone chisel with these words she left the camp and went out over the snowdrifts. She feared to provoke the anger of Winter. She still hoped to find a way to appease the wrath of the gods. The starving people were too miserable to heed the wise woman’s warning. Bitter words came to their lips. They could not hold them back. “The aspens tried to cut me today when I stripped off their sapwood,” said Drag-a-load. “The fir trees are ugly, too,’ added spin-a-thread. ‘They frowned and swished their dark plumes whenever we came near.”’ “The gods of the woodlands are ill-tempered,”’ said Gray- wolf. ‘‘They send us no game.” “They are not looking after the herds,’’ added Many-dogs. “They neglect their work.” “South Wind used to look after the herds,” digger. ‘‘Where is she now? I have n’t seen her for many moons.”’ said Root- An earthen food tray “North Wind drove her away,’ rephed Spin-a-thread. “He drove her away when Winter came.”’ “Tt’s time she came back,’’ growled Big-crow. ‘‘It’s time she came back with the herds.”’ Why the People Uttered Complaints 121 “Why don’t the daughters of the woodlands help us?”’ asked Spin-a-thread. ‘‘They used to take care of the herds. They used to be our friends.” “The daughters of the woodlands!”’ growled Many-dogs. “Last summer they were beautiful. They were kind. Now they are horrible creatures.” “They are lazy,’ added Big-crow. ‘They have given the herds to the wolves.”’ ‘““Why are they so careless?”’ asked Spin-a-thread. ‘Why are the gods of the woodlands so cruel?”’ “Winter has cast a spell upon them,” replied Many-dogs. "They won’t do a thing to help us.” ““That’s true,’ added Big-crow. ‘Every time I go into the woods some tree pricks me with her thorns.”’ “Prick!”’ shouted Gray-wolf. ‘“‘They pierce! They tear! They rend!” ‘““Even the bushes are angry,” added Drag-a-load. ‘‘ They try to stop us on our way. They seize us whenever we try to pass.”’ “The gods of the woodlands are ill-tempered,” said Big- crow. ‘‘They are as cross as bears.”’ ‘Winter is to blame for all this,’ cried Many-dogs. “Winter is cruel,’ moaned Spin-a-thread. ‘‘He has stripped the trees. He has frozen the ground. He has covered the earth with snow.” “This land was once a land of plenty,’’ wailed Drag-a-load. “Now it’s a land of want and woe.” “Tt is worse,’ moaned Root-digger. “It is a land of death.” “T wish Sky would help us,” said Spin-a-thread. = They cried out. They uttered pitiful complaints Why the People Uttered Complaints 123 “T wish Sun would shine,” wailed Drag-a-load. “Sun is lame,’’ replied Many-dogs. ‘‘Sun is sick.’’ “Sun is a weary bird,” said Tether-peg, who now had returned from the woodlands. ‘‘But, even so, Sun is our friend.” The wise woman tried to comfort the people the best she knew how. But the more she tried to comfort them, the more they lamented. So at length she, too, became dis- couraged. She, too, began to lament. Then it was that it seemed to the people they could not bear their sufferings. They lifted their voices. They cried out. They uttered pitiful complaints. Little by little the loud wailing ceased. Then the sound the people sent forth was like the moaning of the wind. And after a little this sound was hushed. Their troubles were lost in sleep. THINGS TO DO What animals have teeth something like chisels? See if you can make a bone chisel. Make one of stone. What does the south wind seem like to you? The north wind? Dramatize this story. Illustrate this line: ‘Their troubles were lost in sleep.” XXV THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Have you ever heard of people telling their troubles to trees and rocks? People used to do it. Can you tell why? Can you tell why they thought the trees answered them? 124 The Early Herdsmen Why did people once call trees ‘‘daughters of the woodlands’? Are there any such creatures as fairies?’ Can you think why people once thought there were? Are there such creatures as demons? Why did people think there were? Have you ever heard stories about a sleeping beauty or a sleeping princess? How was she awakened from her sleep? What do you think such a story means? 7 ether-pee Tells Her Woes to the Zvees and Rocks Although Tether-peg lamented with the people, she did not lose all hope. Many times, 1n the years that had passed, the winter had been long and cold. But the summer had always come. Many times the people had suffered from famine, but a season of plenty had always followed. So Tether-peg hoped a way might be found to bring back gentle Summer. Now you know that the seasons come in order. We do not have to bring them. ‘The seasons come and the seasons go in their proper time. But in those days people believed they could hasten the coming of Summer. And since their magic had failed to bring her, Tether-peg went out to the woodlands to tell her woes to the gods. As the wise woman looked over the woodlands, her heart was filled with sorrow. ‘Trees that were beautiful in summer now seemed to her unsightly. The oaks were still clothed in their sere brown leaves; the pines and fir trees kept their green garments. But the elms were bare, the ash trees were bare, the aspens were bare, and the birch trees were ragged and tattered. Tether-peg Tells Her Woes to the Trees and Rocks 125 “Winter has cast a spell upon them,” said Tether-peg under her breath. ‘‘No longer are the daughters of the woodlands beautiful. No longer are they kind.” Seeing big rocks close at hand, Tether-peg went up to them and poured forth her woes: ‘“O rocks, strong ones, mothers of many children! Listen to the woes of my people! Hearken to our pitiful tale!” Tether-peg paused as if to learn whether the rocks listened. Then she told the rocks the story of the long, cold winter. She told how Famine had come to the land and how the people were starving. As she talked, the woman felt that the rocks heard what she said. “None of the gods gives us aid,’’ she moaned. ‘Winter has cast a spell upon them. The goddess of all living things sleeps while the people starve. Her daughters are idle. They neglect their work. The earth is barren and cold.” When she had finished, Tether-peg rested beside the big rocks. She was weak from hunger. Many times she had given her food to the children. Now it seemed that help must come or all the people would starve. While she sat beside the rocks, it seemed that they gave her strength. So she arose and turned to the trees. For a moment she gazed at their untidy clothing. Then her thoughts went back to the beautiful garments they wore during the summer. The pines and fir trees still wore their green dresses, so at first she turned to them. ‘‘O daughters of the woodlands!”’ Tether-peg said. “‘Many times, in the days that have passed, you have comforted my people. Now they have need of your aid. Come and comfort them.”’ 126 The Early Herdsmen ‘Too long have you withheld your fruits from a barren land” When she paused, the pine trees hummed and soothed the sorrowful woman. And the fir trees swished their stiff branches as if they would like to help. Tether-peg then turned to the trees that were bare. They seemed to frown upon her. But the wise woman asked them questions; she pleaded with them, hoping to break Winter’s spell. Tether-peg Tells Her Woes to the Trees and Rocks 127 ‘Why do you idle away your time?”’ asked the wise woman. ‘““Why do you lounge about in the forest when you should be putting on new garments? Why do you cut and rend my sisters when they seek a morsel of food?”’ The aspens would not listen to her. So Tether-peg turned to the elm and ash and other trees that were bare. She chided them for their careless ways and then she turned to the oaks. Standing beneath a lofty oak, Tether-peg thus spoke: “Mighty oak! Greatest of all the trees in the forest! What ails you? Why do you cling to those tattered garments? Why do you not put on a new dress? Too long have you been under the spell of a cruel master. Too long have you withheld your fruits from a barren land.” The dry leaves rustled as she spoke. Thinking this was a good sign, the wise woman continued: “‘Wake up! Wake up! Wake up from your slumbers! Remember who you are! Have you forgotten that you are the favorite of the | great god Sky? He is our friend. Surely you will help us! Wake up! Put on a new garment! Give us of your fruit!” Again the dry leaves rustled. And this time a few sere leaves fluttered to the ground. Seeing them drop, the wise woman said, ‘The oak 1s waking from her long sleep.” Tether-peg now looked about for the great god and goddess of the woodlands. She beheved they were the master and mistress of all living things. For a long time she searched for them. She searched through the dense woodlands and looked out on the place that had been the feeding ground of the herds. She looked up and down the valley and away to the distant hills. But 128 The Early Herdsmen nowhere could she find ‘a trace of the god and goddess of the woodlands. “Winter has put them ~to sleep,” said Tether- peg. ‘He knows they are our friends. Surely there is some one who can rouse them! I’ll ask the daughters of the wood- lands to do it.” So Tether-peg again turned to the trees. First she went to the rowan tree, for she knew it would be glad to help. But Winter, too, knew this. The story goes that he held the rowan tree captive by lying at its roots. Tether-peg must have heard this story, for she left the rowan tree, believing that Winter held “Play, daughters of the woodlands!” it a captive. cried Tether- peg Turning now to other trees, she asked them to help her. She tried to charm the trees with songs: ‘‘O daughters of the woodlands, gracious friends!” sang the wise woman. ‘Too long has your mother been sleeping! Too long have you been kept under Tether-peg Tells Her Woes to the Trees and Rocks 129 Winter’s spell! Too long have you appeared in unsightly garments!”’ Pausing a moment, she looked about. Then again she sang to the trees: ‘‘Sweet singers of the woodlands! Let me hear your beautiful songs! Let the woods ring with your glad music! Sing and waken the master and mistress from their long sleep!”’ Again Tether-peg paused. The pine trees hummed over her head. The oaks rustled their dry leaves. And amoment later a flute-lke tone was heard among the branches. “Play, daughters of the woodlands!”’ cried Tether-peg when she heard the sweet sound. ‘‘Let your sweet tones waken the mother of all living things.” Again the flute-like tone was heard. ‘The spell has been broken,”’ said the wise woman. ‘The gracious goddess will awake.”’ THINGS TO DO Why did Tether-peg think Winter had cast a spell on the trees and plants? Dramatize this story, showing how the trees answered Tether-peg when she spoke to them. XXVI THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Where do bears stay in the winter? When they come out of their dens, are they lean or fat? People used to think that if they killed a bear he would tell other bears and they would come and make war upon them. Since they believed this, how do you think they would try to keep the bear from telling he had been killed? When dogs are first harnessed to a load, do you think they pull together, or first one and then another? Which is the better way? 130 The Early Herdsmen Why the People Rejzowced When Tether-peg returned, the people were sleeping. None of them knew when she came back. None of them awoke until the next morning, when they kindled their fires. Then the wise woman told the people what had happened in the woodlands. “Did you see the daughters of the woodlands?”’ asked Spin-a-thread. “Yes,’’ replied Tether-peg. “Did you hear them?”’ asked Drag-a-load. “T heard them hum and sing,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘And I heard them playing their magic flutes.”’ Op ‘Did you see the i goddess of the woodlands?”’ asked (\ , Many-dogs. | . she as. s4i11 sleeping, replied | Tether-pes. "But PEC 1 (ad are ce tec guile, are calling her. Bay They are waking ae ei her from her lon ' g sleep with their hanced, " magic flutes.”’ : ; “Gat ne aa them,’’ said Day’s-eye. “‘They are up there.’’ And the child pointed up toward the sky. The people listened. i \| b] Why the People Rejoiced 131 “It’s a swan!”’ cried Tether-peg. ‘It’s a hooper swan. Its cry is the sign of a thaw.” “Hoop! hoop! hoop!”’ cried the people. ‘‘The swan says there will be a thaw.’”’ And for some time men, women, and- children ‘cried. out for joy. “Let’s go to the woodlands,” said Many-dogs. ‘The bears may be coming out of their dens.”’ “Come, Cubby! Come, Bushy-tail! Come, Barker! Come, Biter!’’ cried Big-crow. The dogs came at his call. A few moments later men and dogs were on their way to the woodlands. While Many-dogs and Bushy-tail were hunting together, the dog pricked up her ears. “What is it, Bushy?”’ asked Many-dogs. Bushy-tail growled. Her hair stood on end. A big bear was waking from his long sleep in a big hol- low tree. He was crawling out. Many-dogs saw him and whistled for the dogs. “Be quiet, Bushy-tail,’’ he said. ‘‘Wait until the pack comes.” At the call the dogs came bounding over the snowdrifts straight to the master they loved. They scented the bear. Quick as a flash the whole pack pounced upon him. “Seize him! Hold him!” cried Many-dogs. ‘‘Hold him fast)” | The dogs obeyed the word of their master. They held the bear fast. A hard blow from Many-dogs’ axe now put an end to the struggle. 132 The Early Herdsmen “Well done! Well done, my good dogs!” said the man as he patted first one and then another of the dogs on the head. Each dog had a word of praise from the brave man. The tussle with the bear was over before the other men arrived. “T’ll fetch the dog harness,’”’ said Big-crow when he had seen the bear. Big-crow was not gone long. When he returned, Howler and Growler and Barker and Biter were hitched to the carcass of the bear. ‘‘Pyll, Howler! Pull, Growler! Pull, Barker! Pull, Biter!” cried Many-dogs. First Howler pulled, then Growler pulled, and then Barker and Biter followed in turn. The carcass of the bear did not move, for one dog could not start it. “Pull, my good dogs! Pull together!” Why the People Rejoiced 133 “Now pull!’’ cried Many-dogs. ‘‘Pull, my good dogs! Pull together!” This time the four dogs pulled together. The carcass moved slowly out of the drifts and down to the well-trodden trail. There was joy in the camp when the bear was brought in. The bear was lean, to be sure. But hungry people prefer lean meat to no meat at all. They leaped and danced around the bear. They uttered cries of joy. When the men started to skin the bear, Big-crow asked, “Will the bear tell his brothers?” “T fear he will,’’ replied Gray-wolf. “Tf he does, all the bears will be angry,” said Drag-a-load. ‘‘They will le in wait; they will pounce upon us.” “Set him on his haunches,”’ said Tether-peg. ‘Treat him as an honored guest.” So they set the bear on his haunches. They pretended to give him food. They spoke to the bear as toa friend. They treated him as a guest. ‘‘Now he is pleased,’ said Tether-peg. ‘‘ Now he will tell the bears we are friends.”’ When the men were skinning the bear, Little-bear asked if he could have the heart. “The heart 1s yours,’’ said the wise woman. Many-dogs nodded his head. He remembered his promise many moons before to the boy who wished to be brave. The heart of the bear was given to Little-bear. Many- dogs kept the skin. Each person had a share of the meat, and each dog had a bone. 134 The Early Herdsmen THINGS TO DO Make a list of all the signs you know that tell of the coming of summer. Do you know more than one kind of swan? Does the kind you know have a cry? If so, what is 1t? Notice a dog when he is hunting. Tell how he acts. Draw a picture of him. Model in bas-relief the dogs drawing the carcass of a bear. Dramatize part of this story. Illustrate one of these lines: “A big bear was waking from his long sleep.” “The dogs came bounding over the snowdrifts.” ‘They set the bear on his haunches.” XXVITI THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Does spring usually come at once, or does it come slowly? What is a magpie? Can vou think why people once thought it was a witch? What the People Did on a Dark Night The next day a thaw set in. The snow became soft and wet, and the ice on the river melted. Then suddenly it became cold. The snow and ice no longer melted. Day after day the sky was dark. They had no meat. There was little, if any, game in sight, so again the people were troubled. Something else was troubling Tether-peg during these days. A magpie had come to the camp. Day after day it stayed in the trees, flitting about among the branches and chattering noisily. What the People Did on a Dark Night 135 Nobody liked to have the bird near. Everybody thought it was a bad sign. Some thought it was not a magpie, but a witch in a magpie’s form. “Tt is not a bird,” said Many-dogs when he heard it chattering in the trees, mimicking everything it heard. ‘‘It foray Watch | ‘You are right,’ said Bie-croOw.. kts. a4 2 witch that has come: | tO-spy UpOneus. “The dark one has sent it,’ said Tether- peg, and by that she — meant the dark mon- ster, Winter. “Tt has no business ime Our camp, ~ said Many-dogs. “Don’t kilbit,” said Tether-peg. “‘It might get us into trouble.” ‘You are right,’’ said Many-dogs. ‘But I wish the foul creature and its master would leave the land at once.”’ Many-dogs spoke bitterly. But he spoke as the people felt. They had thought that Winter was going. But he was still in the land. They had hoped the herds would come back. But Famine was still with them. One day the magpie was very noisy. It chattered, it jab- bered, it scolded, all the day long. It flitted about from tree to tree. It played tricks. It was never quiet. A magpie had come to the camp 136 The Early Herdsmen That night Tether-peg did not sleep. She felt that trouble was near. While she was thinking, an owl came and screeched from a tree near her pit. Three times the owl screeched and each time she thought it said that trouble was close at hand. The brave woman crept out of the pit. She peered into the night. Darkness covered the face of the earth. The sky was inky black. Tether-peg drew back for the darkness seemed to press upon her. Again the owl screeched. “Bird of Night!’ cried the brave woman, “Come not to our dwell- ings. Bring not hither the demons of darkness. Away! away! away!” All was silent. The darkness seemed to grow blacker. The wise wo- }man feared it would swallow the earth. A sound like the chattering of many Ses -magpies suddenly arose “Bird of Night! Come not to our dwellings!” from the dark night. What the People Did on a Dark Night 137 Tether-peg shuddered. She called the people. She roused them from their sleep. “Up! up! The witches are here,” cried Tether-peg. “Demons of darkness fill the air. Build fires! Drive them away!” The startled people crept out of the pits very cautiously. They piled fresh branches on the fire. They lighted torches. They waved them to and fro until the camp was as lght as day. “Darkness is a hungry beast,”’ said Many-dogs as he looked out into the black night. ‘‘I fear he has come to swallow the earth.” “Keep the fires burning,’ said Tether-peg. ‘Light torches. Bring Sun back to light up the day.” The people then marched with lighted torches around a sacred oak. They marched as the sun moves in its daily path, for they thought this would help the sun. When this was done, Tether-peg told the people of the chattering of the magpies. “They are demons,” said Big-crow. “They are witches!’’ cried Drag-a-load. “Let’s scare them,’’ said Many-dogs. ‘“‘Let’s blow horns.” So the people got out their biggest horns and they blew blast after blast. The hills echoed the wild music; the air was filled with weird sounds. “T wonder how they lke that,’’ said Big-crow as he blew a loud blast on his big horn. “They can’t stand that,’”’ said Many-dogs. ‘They will be glad to fly away.” 138 The Early Herdsmen A faint glimmer of light was now seen in the eastern sky. The people rejoiced when they caught the first gleam. For a moment they faced the dawning day. Then they bowed their heads while Tether-peg prayed to the rising sun. THINGS TO DO Can you tell why the owl ts called the bird of night? Learn what you can about owls. Model an owl tn clav. Illustrate one of these lines: “Tt flitted about from tree to tree.”’ ““Bird of Night!’ cried the brave woman. ‘Come not to our dwell- ings.” “They marched as the sun moves tn tts datly path.” xX XV Tl THINGS TO THINK ABOUT When animals are lost in the snow, in what kind of a place are they most likely to be? How do you think the nuthatch got its name? What the Men Found in a Ravine When the people lifted their heads, they heard the cheer- ful song of a little blue tit. During the day other birds were heard. Little nuthatches began to whistle. Several wrens came out of their holes and began to whistle and sing. “Perhaps the herds have come,’ said Many-dogs when he heard birds that had long been silent whistle and chirp and sing. ‘‘Let’s go to the woodlands and look for game.” The men first went to a high bank from which they could look up and down the valley. While there, Big-crow saw a dark spot near the head of a ravine. What the Men Found in a Ravine 139 ‘Look!’ he cried. ‘‘Look at that spot at the head of the ravine! What is it?”’ “It’s an animal,”’ said Gray-wolf. “Tt’s a cow!” cried Many-dogs, who knew at once that the creature had been buried in the snow. ‘Let’s go and dig her out.” The men hastened down the bank; they soon reached the ravine. Many-dogs was right. There in the snow was the frozen body of a cow. While digging the snow away from the carcass, Many- dogs found another dead cow. A moment later, Big-crow found another. Soon the men dug from the snow -« the carcasses of several _ cows and calves. For a moment the men were speechless. All their lives they had been careful not to harm mother cows and their calves. And here at their feet were the bodies of many cows and calves. ‘This is Winter’s work,” said Many-dogs, and as he spoke he clenched his fist. ‘He sent North Wind to heap up the snow and hide them away from us,’’ added Gray-wolf. Little nuthatches began to whistle 140 The Early Herdsmen “Sun has shown up their work,” said Big-crow. “Tf it thaws much more, the water will carry the bodies down the river,” said Gray-wolf. ‘‘Let’s haul them out,” said Many-dogs. ‘‘Let’s tie thongs about them and hitch the dogs to the load.”’ So the men tied thongs about one carcass and hitched the dogs to the load. When this was hauled out, they hauled out another and then another and another. Every dog in the pack was put into harness. All helped in dragging the carcasses of the cows to the camp. Women and children saw the long line coming down the trail. And, although they were sorry the cattle had been killed, they were all glad to have meat enough to last many days. “Are all the cattle buried in the ravine?”’ Drag-a-load asked when she was roasting a piece of frozen meat. Every dog in the pack was put into harness Why the People Welcomed the First Swallow 141 “T hope not,’’ replied Many-dogs. ‘‘ But, to make sure, we will search through all the ravines.”’ “Sun will help us,’’ said Big-crow. ‘If Winter has played any more mean tricks, Sun will show up his work.” THINGS TO DO Notice whether the birds that stay all the year chirp and sing as much an winter as they doin summer. See tf you can chirp and sing as the birds do. If you have a chance to see a ravine, look at it carefully. Tell how you think it was made. Model a ravine in the sand box. Dramatize part of this story. Illustrate one of these lines: “Every dog tn the pack was put into harness.” ““Women and children saw the long line coming down the trail.” XXIX THINGS TO THINK ABOUT When the sun reached a higher point in the sky at midday, how do you think the people would explain it?) How do you explain it? Where does the swallow spend the winter? Where does it like to build its nest? Why the People \Velcomed the First Swallow Once again a thaw set in. The snow became soft and wet and the ice on the river melted. Hollows became ponds of water, ravines and gullies became roaring streams, and the river overflowed its banks and flooded the bottom lands. When the women stood watching the running water, they noticed brown spots of earth peeping out from the bed of snow. 142 The Early Herdsmen “Sun is at last taking away Winter’s blanket,” said Spin-a-thread. ‘‘He is taking Winter’s blanket from the great Mother’s bed.”’ ‘“Sun is kind,’’ said Root-digger. ‘‘He knows it is time for the goddess to awake.” “Will the Mother of the woodlands awake now?”’ asked Day’s-eye. “She will,’ replied Tether-peg. ‘‘She has heard her daughters calling. She is stirring in her great bed.” The women listened. _To their keen ears 1t seemed new life was astir in the earth. ‘“Hasten, kind Mother, hasten!’’ cried Spin-a-thread. “Come and bring forth the fruits of the earth.’ “She will come,’ said Tether-peg. ‘‘ The eagle has carried a message to Sky. Have you not noticed that Sun is gain- ing strength?” ‘““T have,” replied Spin-a-thread. ‘‘He climbs higher than he did,” While the women talked, the children were watching a nuthatch as it ran up and down a tree. While they were watching, the nuthatch whistled and a green woodpecker burst into a loud laugh. ‘ Pick-a-tree likes this bright day,”’ said Drag-a-load, when she heard the green woodpecker. “So he does,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘He likes to rouse the woodlands. He likes to bring good news.”’ “The swallow brings us good news,” added Spin-a-thread. “We will dance and sing when she comes.” “That is right,’ said Tether-peg. ‘‘Let us greet the first swallow with song and dance.” Why the People Welcomed the First Swallow 143 That very day Tether-peg heard the sweet song of a swallow. ‘“‘Sheishere! She is here!”’ cried the wise woman. “The swallow! The swallow is here!” “There she is!’’ cried Spin-a-thread, pointing to a bird skimming through the air above a high bank of the river. The people ran out to the high bank. They leaped, they danced for joy. All sang heartily to welcome the forerunner of summer. “Summer is coming! Summer is coming!’’ cried Many- dogs when the people paused to rest. At this, again the people danced to welcome the first swallow. That evening as they sat around the fire, Pick-a-tree asked, ‘‘ Where has the swallow been?” “She has been hiding from Win- ter,’ repled Tether- peg. “‘She has been hiding in the clefts of the rocks.” For a long time the people talked about the swallow. Then they guessed i Ba riddles. The They leaped, they danc ae ed for joy : 144 The Early Herdsmen children, too, tried to make riddles, and all tried to guess them. “T’m thinking of something,’’ said Day’s-eye. “OW et. ee asked Little-bear. “You must guess it,’ replied Day’s- eye. “I’m thinking of something that hasatwittering song.” “T know what it is,”" ‘6ard: .Pick-q- tree, "1h has oa breast of snow.’ “The swallow ts here!” For Pick-a-tree guessed from the first that Day’s-eye was making a riddle about the swallow. Again Day’s-eye began, and this time she nearly finished the riddle: ‘Twittering song, Breast of snow, Jetty back—”’ ‘“As black as a crow,’’ added Little-bear. ‘‘ The swallow’s back is as black as a crow.” Why the People Welcomed the First Swallow 145 ‘“Now let me say it all,’’ said Day’s-eye. And the child repeated the riddle they had made: “Twittering song, Breast of snow, Jetty back As black as a crow.” “The swallow! The swallow!” cried the children. Then they turned to their fathers and mothers and asked them to guess it. Day’s-eye repeated the riddle, and the people clapped their hands. ‘The swallow!’’ they cried. Then all joined in a song to the swallow. THINGS TO DO When the snow melts see if you can find ponds, streams, waterfalls, and rapids in places which are usually dry ground. Name the birds you have heard whistle. Name those you have heard chirp. Name those you have heard sing. Make a song about some bird you know. Dramatize this story. Illustrate one of these lines: *“ ‘She ts here! She ts here!’ ’ “The people danced to welcome the first swallow.” XXX THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Why were the people so anxious to have summer come?’ If they thought they could do anything to make the green things grow, do you think they ought to do it? If they had done their best and failed, how would they feel’ 146 The Early Herdsmen Why the People Feared the arth Would IV athhold Fler Fruits The swallow came and it flew away. The very next day a stork was seen. The big white bird came flapping its wings and alighted in a tree near the pits. But the friendly stork, too, flew away and left sad faces behind. That very day a hard storm set in. The air was filled with snow and sleet. The winds howled. They tossed the snow. They pelted the people with hail. “Winter is angry,’’ said Many-dogs when he came in from the driving storm. ‘He is pelting us with snow and sleet and hail.” “He is fierce,’ said Big-crow. ‘‘He = snarls and growls.” &\ “T think he saw Sum- \ mer’s forerunners,” said ‘La Many-dogs. “I think ? _.» he has called the North J & “ _& Wind and the snow to \ ; drive them away.” ri “You are right,’ said - Tether-peg. ‘“‘Winter saw the swallow and the stork. He heard the cry of the swan. He is afraid they will bring 27: The big white bird came flapping ifs wings Summer. People Feared the Earth Would Withhold Her Fruits 147 ‘“Winter’s friends are helping him today,” said Big-crow. “Tf they keep up such a fight as this, Summer won't be able to get here,’’ added Gray-wolf. ‘“We must help her,’ said Tether-peg. ‘‘We must drive the dark monster and his friends from the land.” So every few days the people built fires to help Sun and Sky. They lighted torches and waved them in the air to drive Darkness away. They blew horns. They made a big clatter. They thought this would frighten Winter and free the earth from his spell. But, in spite of all the clatter and noise, the days were rough and stormy. In spite of all the big fires, the sky was overcast with dark clouds. Many of the people began to complain. They said that Summer would never come. For, in spite of all their magical arts, Winter still ruled the land. Tether-peg heard the complaints of the people, but she did not lose hope. What if a storm raged through the land? She had heard the cry of a swan. What if the earth was bleak and bare? She had heard the song of a swallow. And what if the herds had not come back? A stork had come to the camp. So the wise woman kept up hope and tried to encourage the people. But many of them still complained. Their hearts were filled with dread. “Why does the kind goddess sleep so long?”’ asked Day’s- ST eye one day when the people were sad. ‘Why does n’t she wake up and help us?”’ “T fear she will never awake,” said Spin-a-thread. ‘‘ Many moons have the god and goddess been sleeping. Many moons has the earth withheld her fruits.”’ z They blew horns. They made a big clatter They lighted torches. People Feared the Earth Would Withhold Her Fruits 149 “T fear the trees will never again put forth their fruits,”’ said Drag-a-load. “TI fear we shall never see carrots and turnips again,”’ said Root-digger. “T fear the earth will never again be clothed with green grass,’ said Gray-wolf. “The herds must have grass,” said Big-crow. “If the great Mother withholds the grass, the cattle will die.’’ “Tf she does not send forth the green shoots and roots, we shall starve,’ added Root-digger. “Our magic has failed,” said Drag-a-load. ‘All the signs have failed.” ‘““And we shall never see the green plants again,’’ moaned Spin-a-thread. Many-dogs had lstened to all the complaints. His heart was filled with dread. When Spin-a-thread finished, he said to the people, “‘If the plants perish, we perish.” THINGS TO DO Tell why people think the stork ts a friend. Dramatize thts story. Illustrate one of these lines: “The winds howled. They tossed the snow.”’ “The big white bird came flapping its wings and alighted in a tree near the pits.” XXXI THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Can you think why we call the first day of April, April Fool’s Day? Who or what was fooled at that time? 150 The Early Herdsmen When the earth begins to put forth green buds and leaves, what do you think the people will say about the god and goddess of the woodlands? Have you ever noticed March winds? If so, what are they like? How Cruel Winter Was Fooled Though the days were cold, the sun mounted higher and higher each day. Though the winds were rough, each day the sun seemed to give more heat. Though the earth was Pussies peeped out from the stems of the willows bare, there were signs of new life. The alders and hazels hung out their tassels, and pussies peeped out from the stems of the willows. Tether-peg was first to see these signs. At the sight, she cried out to the people, “*‘The goddess of the woodlands is awake. She is hanging tassels on the alders and hazels.”’ The people hastened to the woodlands and welcomed the god- dess with songs. They thanked her for hanging tassels on the bushes. They thanked her for the pussies that peeped out from the willows. They asked her to clothe the naked trees and cover the earth with grass. And they called to the god of the woodlands and asked him to bring back the herds. How Cruel Winter Was Fooled 151 “How did it happen?”’ asked Spin-a-thread as she touched the soft pussies on the willows. “The eagle took a message to Sun,” answered Tether-peg. “When Sun heard what Winter was doing, he sent down warm rays and awoke the gods that have charge of all living things.” “Are the god and goddess of the woodlands awake?” asked Big-crow. “Both the god and the goddess are awake,’ she replied. “They are calling to the birds and the trees. They are calling to the earth to put forth her fruits. They are calling their helpers, the winds.”’ “The winds!” cried Gray-wolf. ‘‘The winds are working for Winter.” “So it seems,’ replied Tether-peg. ‘‘And Winter thinks they are helping him, but this time he is mistaken.”’ “Are you sure?’’ asked Many-dogs. ‘‘The winds are rough and cold. ‘They rush over the woodlands and plains; they push and pull the daughters of the woodlands; they tear off their garments.”’ “They toss and fling the dry leaves,”’ said Drag-a-load. “They tumble and toss and fling and hurl everything in their way,’ added Spin-a-thread. “They wrench and rend the trees,’ added Gray-wolf. “They break down the branches.” “They wrestle with them. They topple them down,”’ added Big-crow. “They uproot trees,’’ added Many-dogs. “They do all these things,” answered Tether-peg. ‘That is why Winter thinks they are working for him.”’ ’ y ’ 152 The Early Herdsmen “Do you mean what you say?” asked Many-dogs. ‘Do you mean the winds are now at the beck and call of the god and goddess of the woodlands?” ‘‘Even so,”’ replied Tether-peg. ‘‘As soon as they awoke, they called the winds, and the winds came rushing out of their caverns whistling and blowing their horns.”’ “Why are they so rough?’’ asked Spin-a-thread. ‘‘Why do they topple down everything in their path?” ‘They are shaking the earth,’’ replied Tether-peg. ‘They are rousing her creatures from their long sleep. They are calling to the trees; they are calling to the grass; they are calling to the four-footed creatures.” “Tt is true,’ cried Spin-a-thread. ‘“‘See, the buds on the trees are beginning to swell.”’ ‘“And listen,’ cried Drag-a-load. ‘‘The birds that have been silent all winter are beginning to sing.”’ “Even so,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘The winds have roused them from Winter’s spell.” How Cruel Winter Was Fooled 153 ‘Will Summer’s birds come again?”’ asked Day’s-eye when she heard the chirping of the wrens and the cheerful song of the nuthatch. “The gracious goddess has called the birds,” replied Tether-peg. ‘‘They are coming one by one.” “The swan came,” said Drag-a-load, ‘‘and so did the swallow and the stork. But they flew away.” “They will come again,” replied Tether-peg. ‘All the birds will come very soon. The goddess of the woodlands is calling them with her sweet song.”’ The people listened. Many sounds came from the wood- lands. When they heard a soft sweet note, they said, ‘‘The goddess is playing her flute.” And when they heard a loud sound like a horn, they said, ‘‘The god of the woodlands is calling.”’ On bright days the air was filled with the music of the winds and birds. The winds piped and whistled, they pounded, they howled, they shrieked and eroaned as they passed through the woods and over the pasture ae land. Flocks of wild geese agree 154 The Early Herdsmen Great flocks of wild geese and white cranes blew their trumpets as they passed on their way to the north. And the little birds that had stayed all winter set up a big racket. The wrens and the sparrows chirped, the nuthatches whistled, the blue tits sang a cheerful song, and the green woodpeckers laughed. Hearing these sounds, the children wondered what it all meant. “What are the birds doing?’’ asked Little-bear when he heard the great din and clatter they made. “They are driving Winter’s tribe away,’ replied Tether- A white crane peg. ‘‘They are bringing in Summer and her friends.” Seeing the winds wrest- ling with the trees, Pick- a-tree asked, ““What are the winds doing?”’ “They are stripping the leaves from the oaks,” said Tether-peg. ‘‘*Theyarework- ing for the great Mother that clothes the trees.” When Day’s-eye noticed the winds toss and fling the dry leaves, she asked, ‘‘What are the winds doing now?”’ ‘They are making a clean path for Summer,’ answered Tether-peg. “They are clearing old Winter’s grime away.” How Cruel Winter Was Fooled 155 All that long moon the winds blew over woodlands and plains. Sometimes it seemed they were helping Winter, then again they seemed to be Summer’s friends. But all of the time they made a big racket, whistling and shrieking and howling and groaning, laughing and shouting, filling the earth with their loud cries. No wonder it seemed many times they were working for Winter. Sometimes even Tether-peg feared this was true, for the birds that arrived from the summer land quickly flew away; others appeared and flew away. But at last a a day came when great flocks arrived and stayed in the land. Seeing this, the people were sure that the noisy winds were their friends. They were sure that Summer was at their door. They were sure that Winter was fooled. And, although they did not say ‘“‘April Fool,” this was the beginning of what we call April Fool’s Day. It marked the time when Summer’s friends fooled Winter and his dark tribe. THINGS TO DO What bushes and trees do you know that have tassels in early spring? Listen to the winds and see tf you can imttate the sounds they make. Make the trumpet call of the wild geese; of the white cranes. Listen to the birds and find one that whistles; find one that makes a tone like a flute; like a lute. See if you can make music ltke that the people heard coming from the birds 1n the woodlands. Illustrate one of these lines: “Pussies peeped out from the stems of the willows.” ‘“‘ Birds came in great flocks.” “