Chapter 3

Perhaps you have seen the zebra. If you have, you must have noticed its stripes. The first horse-like creatures were probably striped in much the same way. These animals never ate hay and oats; and, at first, they did not eat much grass. There was little, if any, grass at that time. These horse-like creatures lived on marshes and in swamps bordering streams and lakes. They probably ate stems and leaves of plants that grew on the marshy lands. They did not run as horses do to-day, but they plodded along on the soft ground. They spread out their toes as they walked along, so as to keep from sinking. When the dry land began to be covered with grass, little by little they left the marshes. They went to the grassy highlands to live, and became more and more like horses. Some of the cat-like creatures went to the highlands, but they did not go for the grass. They were becoming more and more like tigers, and they went to hunt the wild horses. The timid horses ran when their enemies came, for there was no place in which to hide. When they ran they stepped on the tips of their toes. They used the third toe so much more than the others that it became larger and larger. Its hoof became hard and strong. The first and fifth toes were used so little that after thousands of years they disappeared. Meanwhile the horses had learned to run fast. When a pack of wolves chased them, they galloped away. They found rich grass on the highlands. Colts grew to be larger than their mothers. By the time they were as large as ponies they used only the third toe. Two side toes hung like the dew-claws of a dog, but they did not reach the ground. When the Tree-dwellers lived, little bones beneath the skin were all that was left to show where the side toes had been. The hoof had become round and hard. The wild horses ran very fast. They outran all other creatures. When surprised, they struck hard blows with their hoofs, and they bit with their sharp teeth. But if there was a chance to get away, they always ran when they were attacked.

THINGS TO DO

_Name all the animals you know that can climb trees. What kind of feet do they have?_ _Name all the animals you know that have hoofs. Tell all you can about these hoofs._ _Notice the foot of a horse, a cow, a dog, or a cat, and model it in clay._ _What pet do you have that is like a wolf?_

XVIII.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What tools do you know how to use? What do you use them for? How do you think that people did their work before they had tools? What tools do you think the Tree-dwellers needed? How do you think they learned to make them?

_How Bodo Learned to Make Tools and Weapons_

Bodo did not have any tools or weapons. Nobody knew how to make them. But he had learned to use his hands. He used them to catch small animals. He knew how to creep up softly. He knew how to wait patiently. He knew just when to grasp the animal. Bodo used his hands to gather berries and nuts. He used them to pull up roots. He used them to rake the acorns together.

He used them to scoop small things up from the ground. Bodo knew how to strike with his fists. He knew how to kick with his feet. Sometimes he threw stones. Sometimes he threw sticks. Sometimes he struck with a stick in his hand. He could strike harder blows with a stick than he could when he struck with his fist. Sometimes it hurt him when he struck with his fist. It did not hurt him when he struck with a club. Bodo had many enemies. He had to take care of himself. He felt safer when he had a club in his hand.

THINGS TO DO

_Show what Bodo used for a rake._ _Show what he used for a scoop._ _Show how he caught wild animals._ _Draw a picture of Bodo catching a squirrel._

XIX.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Have you ever used a hammer? What are our hammers made of? How do you think people learned to make hammers? Why did Bodo need a hammer? What do you do with your knife? How many kinds of knives have you seen? How do you think people cut their food before they had knives? What do you think they used for their first knives?

_Bodo's Hammer and Knife_

Bodo had never had a warm dinner. He had no fire to cook his food. Much of his food was hard and tough. He had not learned to soften it with fire. He had not learned to crush or grind it with stones. His teeth did all of this work. The teeth of all the Tree-dwellers were large and strong. They were fitted to cut and grind tough food. They were fitted to crack the shells of nuts. Bodo often cracked nuts with his teeth. But sometimes he found nuts that he could not crack. He had never seen or heard of a hammer, so he threw a hard nut against a rock. The nut did not crack. So he kept on trying different ways. At last he struck the nut with a stone. Its hard shell broke. How glad Bodo was! He ate the kernel and then cracked some more nuts with the stone. This stone was his first hammer. Sometimes he used a rough stone. Its rough edges hurt his hand, so he hunted for a smooth stone. At other times he wrapped one end of a rough stone in grass. The grass protected his hand. This was the first handle to his hammer. Bodo liked to use this hammer. He liked to use smooth hammer-stones. But sometimes the smooth stone slipped or bounded back and jarred his hand.

One day he found a smooth stone that had a little pit on either side. He put his thumb and finger into the pits and cracked a hard nut with the stone. This was just what he needed. It neither slipped nor jarred his hand. Some of the other Tree-dwellers tried it. They wanted one like it, so they began to hunt for pitted stones. They could not always find such stones, but they never thought of making the pits. People lived many years before they learned to do that. Tree-dwellers simply used things that they found on the spot.

They seldom changed their shape. We have only a few weapons that we know they made. They were found years ago deep down in some gravel. They had lain there many long years. Here is a picture of one. It is only a chipped pebble. Such a weapon is used nowadays only in play, but then it was used in real work. For a long time the Tree-dwellers did not have even this. They used their teeth and nails instead.

Some animals had larger and sharper teeth. The Tree-dwellers found such teeth in the sand. They found sharp claws there, too. They often found sharp bones and horns. They used such things for cutting for many long years, but at last they made a knife. It happened when Bodo was cracking a bone. In some way he broke his hammer. He picked up the pieces and looked at them. They were sharp enough to cut with, but the edges hurt his hand. So he found a smooth pebble and chipped flakes from one end. Before long he had a sharp point. He never hafted it; but he left one end smooth, so that it would not hurt his hand. It was such a weapon as this that was found in the gravel. You can see that it is something like a spear-head. Bodo used it when he hunted small animals. He used it to skin them and to hack off strips of flesh. Many things had been used as knives before, but this was the first knife that we know man made.

THINGS TO DO

_Hunt for some smooth hammer-stones. If you can find one with pits on either side, try both kinds and find out which one works the better._ _See if you can find a good stone for a knife._ _Strike the edge to see if it crumbles._ _Find one that will not crumble._ _Do you know whether stones have names?_ _What stones have you that you would like named?_

XX.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Have you ever seen wild animals protect their little ones? How do they do it? When the mother goes away, in what kind of a place does she leave them? Do you know whether the young animals mind their mothers?

_What Bodo and One-Ear Found in the Alders_

Bodo grew to be a large boy. He made many friends among the Tree-dwellers, but he liked One-Ear best of all. The boys liked to hunt together. When they had enough to eat they liked to play. One night as they were watching a herd of wild cattle, a young cow caught their eye. She was running down toward the marsh. The boys wondered why she was going. They chased her down the trail. When the cow saw what the boys were doing she started off through the underbrush. It was no longer safe to follow, so the boys gave up the chase. Darkness came on. The boys dropped their clubs and climbed a tree, where they spent the night. They slept until the break of day. As they were rubbing their sleepy eyes, they heard a queer sound close by. "What is that?" said Bodo. The boys listened. All was still. But they were sure that some animal was near. There was a clump of alders within a stone's throw. Perhaps a bear was hiding there. The boys were eager to find out, but they knew better than to rush into danger. So they waited and listened. All was quiet. Bodo threw a stick.

Not a sound could be heard. He called out. Still there was no sound. The boys slipped down the tree and picked up their clubs. They crept up softly and peeped into the alders. "There's nothing there," said One-Ear. Bodo knew better. He noticed a hump among the leaves. He reached out his hand and touched it. It was a little calf that had been hid there by its mother. It scarcely moved as Bodo touched it. Its mother had taught it to lie still. Many people might have passed it by. But Bodo had sharp eyes, and besides he was very hungry. So the boys killed the calf and began to eat the raw flesh. They ate until they were satisfied. Then they played among the trees.

THINGS TO DO

_Choose somebody to be Bodo and somebody to be One-Ear, and let them show how the boys found the calf._ _Model a calf in clay._

XXI.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Why were all of the animals afraid of the rhinoceros? How could the little hyenas hunt the big-nosed rhinoceros? What could the Tree-dwellers learn by watching the wild animals hunt?

_How the Hyenas Hunted_

One day Bodo and One-Ear climbed a fir tree near the edge of a cliff. They were watching a big-nosed rhinoceros. It had just rooted up an oak tree with its twin-tusked snout. Now it was tearing the trunk into strips as we tear a stalk of celery. The boys watched it grinding the wood with its great teeth.

They were glad that they were safe in the fir tree. They watched the creature in silence. Suddenly Bodo gave One-Ear a nudge. One-Ear looked up. Bodo put his finger on his lips, then pointed toward the underbrush. One-Ear stared with open mouth. A whole pack of hyenas was on the cliff. They were sneaking along toward the rhinoceros. What hungry-looking creatures they were! How their eyes gleamed! The boys wondered what the hyenas would do. They watched to see. The big-nosed rhinoceros went stupidly browsing along the edge of the cliff. He did not see the hyenas. The hyenas had learned that the rhinoceros could not see far away, and now they were taking advantage of this. They were too cowardly to risk a fair fight. Even the mammoth and sabre-tooth did not like to encounter the big-nosed rhinoceros. Even they could not pierce his thick, heavy skin. Even they feared his twin-tusked snout. The hyenas crept softly from bush to bush. They kept their eyes fastened upon the rhinoceros. As he stepped on the very edge of the cliff they sprang out and began to growl. The rhinoceros turned fiercely upon them. He tossed one of the hyenas over the cliff. As he did this he lost his footing. The huge creature stumbled and fell.

He rolled down the steep cliff and was dashed upon the rocks. The hyenas were no longer afraid. They feasted upon the carcass. They dragged the bones to their caves. They gnawed them until they left the marks of their teeth. The bones stayed in the caves for many years. Not long ago some one found them there. He sent them to a museum, where they may be seen to-day. Perhaps you will go to the museum some time. If you do, be sure and look at these bones. Perhaps you will be able to help your friends read the story they tell.

THINGS TO DO

_Think of the rhinoceros as he was rooting up the tree._ _Think of him as he was tearing the wood into strips._ _Draw one of the pictures._ _Think of the high cliff with the caves at its foot._ _Model the cliff and caves in your sand box._

XXII.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Can you think how a fire might have been started before people knew how to make it? What did the Tree-dwellers think the fire was? Why did they fear it? What else did they fear?

_Frightened by Fire_

One day there was a great storm on the wooded hills. The lightning struck a tree in the forest. It set it on fire. At once the flames spread to the neighboring trees. The Tree-dwellers were driven to the ground. They had never been so frightened before. They were afraid of thunder and lightning. They were afraid of beasts of prey. Only when they were up in a tree did they feel that they were safe. But now the trees were on fire. They thought that the fire was a wild animal. They thought that it was an animal that ate wood. They had seen the rhinoceros and the mammoth eat parts of trees, but this creature devoured all the trees in its path.

* * *

Several years passed by. Once again a fire broke out on the wooded hills. Once again the wild animals ran. The Tree-dwellers ran, for they still were afraid. Bodo ran; for he, too, was afraid. But he soon stopped and looked at the fire.

He was almost full grown now. He was learning every day. He was curious about many things, and now he wanted to see what the red monster was doing. So he stood and watched it a moment. It seemed to be chasing him. So he ran to find a hiding-place. He ran around through the underbrush until at last he found a safe place. The fire ran away from him now. He stood and gazed at the red flames. The wind blew. The fire monster spread its great red wings and leaped from tree to tree. The branches groaned, and cracked, and fell. Bodo was filled with terror. He did not know what to do. After a little it began to rain. The fire monster became smaller and smaller. In a few moments it was gone. Bodo wondered where it went.

THINGS TO DO

_Think of the Tree-dwellers and the animals running away from the forest fire._ _Draw the picture._ _Show how Bodo tried to find out more about the fire._ _Draw a picture of him as he was watching the fire._

XXIII.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Why would the Tree-dwellers want to use fire? How would they learn to take care of it? Why could they live in a better way after they had fire?

_How People Got Their First Homes_

The Tree-dwellers still thought that the fire was alive. The red monster still frightened them. Whenever they saw it they ran away. Bodo, too, was afraid of the fire. So he tried to be good to it and thus make it his friend. He gave it wood to eat. He learned to go near it without getting hurt. He learned to carry a burning branch. Once he carried a firebrand to the old oak. He put it in the hollow of the tree. Then he gave it dry sticks that he found close by, and he watched it while it ate them. As he stood looking at the fire, the sound of footsteps fell upon his ear. He looked up to see who was passing. It was Sharptooth. She was coming to the old oak tree. As soon as she saw the fire, she ran. Bodo called to her. He asked her to come back. Sharptooth was trembling, so that she could scarcely walk. Bodo took her by the hand. He led her to the fire. He told her how he had made friends with it. She listened to what he said, but she still seemed afraid. Bodo wished to show that he was not afraid. He looked puzzled a moment and then he said, "I am not going to sleep in the trees any more." For a moment Sharptooth was speechless. At length she opened her lips and spoke. "The cave-bears will get you," was what she said. But Bodo had thought of the bears. "I am not afraid of the bears," he said. "They run when they see me with fire. I am going to sleep at the foot of this tree." Then Sharptooth was troubled. She was anxious about Bodo. She had taught him the best that she could. But now he seemed to be risking his life. She wondered how he could do it. As it grew dark she climbed into a neighboring tree. She was afraid to sleep in the old oak that night. Bodo stayed on the ground beside the fire. Sharptooth did not close her eyes. She kept watch from a branch of the tree. She knew the wild animals were out of their dens. She saw their shadows among the trees. When they saw the fire they turned and ran. But Bodo stayed by the fire. He was a brave boy, yet he could not sleep. As long as he was awake he felt safe. But he was afraid of what might happen if he went to sleep. So he kept awake and fed the fire. Sharptooth still kept watch from the tree. At last she came down. "Let me feed the fire, Bodo, while you sleep," she said. Bodo had been yawning for some time. He was glad to have a chance to rest. So he slept while Sharptooth took his place. She watched the fire cautiously at first. Then she fed it and found that it did not hurt her.

She liked the warmth that it gave. She enjoyed the pleasant firelight. She saw that it was their friend. After that Sharptooth and Bodo did not sleep in trees. They lived by the fire at the foot of a tree. Sometimes their home was by the old oak. Sometimes it was in other places. But it was always where they carried the fire.

THINGS TO DO

_Tell how to make a fire._ _What does a fire need in order to burn?_ _Put a tumbler over a lighted candle and watch to see what happens._ _Why does the light go out?_ _Light the candle again and see if you can find out what it is that burns._

XXIV.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What do you think the other Tree-dwellers did when they heard of the fire Sharptooth and Bodo had? Does fire ever do any harm nowadays? Why do we need to be careful in using fire?

_How the Tree-dwellers Formed a Clan_

The next night One-Ear stayed with Sharptooth and Bodo at the foot of the old oak. Then other Tree-dwellers came. At first they were afraid just as Sharptooth had been. But they, too, soon learned that the fire was their friend. So they sat around the fire each evening. They talked about the wild animals they had seen. As long as they sat by the fire, they felt safe. So they came to the fireplace each night. They began to live together. They formed a clan. Their clan was the fire clan. The women with babies stayed near the fire. All the others went farther away. Each one hunted for his own food. Each ate what he found on the spot. But all came back to the fireplace at night.

All were tired and needed to rest. Since they had no chairs they squatted on the ground. They talked and they played in the firelight. When they got drowsy they fell asleep. But Sharptooth kept watch of the fire. Her sisters helped, but she was the clan mother. It was she who took charge of the fire. She knew how the fire became their friend. She knew that it needed care. She knew that it gave them their first home. So she taught the people to worship the fire.

THINGS TO DO

_Play that you are Tree-dwellers just beginning to form a clan._ _Plan how you will divide your work._ _Choose sides and let those on one side tell a story of the Tree-dwellers before they had fire. Let those on the other side tell a story of the Tree-dwellers after they had fire._ _Look at the picture on page 100 and tell such a story about it as you think the tree-dwellers would tell after they had seen such a fight._

XXV.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

How were the Tree-dwellers sheltered from the wind and rain? How did they keep warm after they used fire? How did they find shelter from the rain? What trees offer the best shelter from the rain? Where is the rain that falls on those trees carried? Do you know what kind of roots those trees have? What trees do not give a good shelter from the rain? Why? What trees would give the best shelter in the winter? Why? How did the fire clan find shelter from the cold winds? If they were living in places that were not well sheltered, what kind of a shelter do you think they might make?

_How the Women Made a Shelter_

When people slept in trees, they did not need to make a shelter. They were sheltered by the trees. Long after they began to sleep on the ground, the trees still sheltered them. The leaves of the trees kept off the rain. The thick underbrush kept off the cold winds. When the fire clan moved to a new place, it was always Sharptooth who chose the spot for the fire. She knew the best sheltered places. Sometimes she chose a spot near an oak or a birch. Their tops were well thatched with leaves. They shed rain almost as well as a roof. But when the oak and the birch trees dropped their leaves, Sharptooth carried her fire to a fir or a spruce. These evergreen trees had needle-like leaves. They gave some protection from the rain and the snow. But sometimes a drizzling rain kept up for many days. Sometimes the cold winds blew. Then the fire clan shivered with the wet and the cold. Mothers were anxious about their children. They wanted to keep them safe from harm. So they tried to keep off the cold wind and the rain. They had not yet learned many ways of working, but they long had known how to weave cradles of vines. So the women now tried to weave a shelter. They broke off large armfuls of evergreens. They carried them to some saplings that grew near the fire. Then they bent down the tops of the small growing saplings. They tied them together and began to weave. They wove branches of evergreens among them. They piled larger branches against the wall. At last the shelter was done. It was the first shelter that they had made. There was not one like it on the wooded hills.

THINGS TO DO

_Make a playhouse that will shelter you from the wind and the rain._ _Find trees that give a good shelter from the sun and the rain._

_Notice trees that do not give good shelter. See if you can find out why some trees give a better shelter than others._ _When do oaks and birches drop their leaves?_ _Do evergreen trees ever drop their leaves?_ _Find out why we call them evergreen trees._

XXVI.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT