Part 3 (1/2)

What kind of a cradle does your baby brother or sister have?

What kind of a cradle do you think Sharptooth's baby had?

What kind of a lullaby would Sharptooth sing?

What lullaby can you sing?

_The First Weaver_

Sharptooth had climbed most of the trees on the wooded hills.

She had slept in many of them.

But she liked the old oak near the trail the best of all.

Its strong spreading branches were covered with vines.

Here was a place to lay the baby.

While he slept among the vines, she gathered wild foods.

But she never went far away, and she never stayed away long.

There were panthers and wild cats on the hills.

Sharptooth knew that they could climb the trees.

Many a time they had nearly caught her.

She was afraid that they would get the baby.

So she always stayed near him while he slept.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”_She made a safe place for the baby to sleep_”]

When she stayed in a tree that had no vines, there was no place to lay the baby.

So she wove the slender branches together.

She made a safe place for the baby to sleep.

She lulled him to sleep as he lay in her arms.

Then she gently laid him upon his bed.

She watched him a moment as he slept.

A moment more and she, too, was asleep.

THINGS TO DO

_Think of Sharptooth as she was laying the baby down among the vine-covered branches. Draw the picture._ _Find some vines or branches and make a cradle._

VII.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

There were a great many wild cattle when the Tree-dwellers lived.

They were not so gentle as our cattle.

They had wide-spreading horns.

The fierce flesh-eating animals were always lying in wait for them.

How could the wild cattle protect themselves from their enemies?

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”_There were a great many wild cattle when the Tree-dwellers lived_”]

Where would they stay during the day?

Where would they go at night?

Why did they stay in herds?

Where could they find water?

What kind of banks does a river have at the drinking-places?