sometime before the cave people discovered the use of the bow and arrow, they had learned to make clay pots or bowls. for many years the tribe lived in the tropical lands where the bread fruit ripened nearly the whole year round, and where nuts were plentiful and tubers and sweet yams were often to be found; where there were more nests than there were trees in the forests, filled with treasures of fresh eggs; and there were fowl and fish. as much as the horde loved to eat the wild duck or the cocoanut, or even the wild honey, one and all knew that when the hot sun beat down upon bare brown skins in the heat of the day during the summer there was nothing in all the valley so sweet as a drink of water.
one could go without food for many suns, but if one day passed without fresh water for the members of the group, fevers came upon them, the 124strange fevers that caused them to do many foolish things.
at first no member of the tribe willingly journeyed far from the source of fresh water, for they had nothing with which to carry water from one place to another. then they used cocoanut shells, and sometimes the shells that lay upon the banks of the great river. but these held little and were easily upset.
then some one discovered that the hollow joints of the giant bamboo were more easy to carry and held more water, and these became the first water jugs of the clan.
later, when it became the fashion for men and women to decorate themselves with the skins of the animals they had slain, they found that there are many uses which hides may serve.
the cave people wore no clothes, but bound over their shoulders they bore great weights of skins and hides, of heads and tails, of bones and teeth, as a mark of their skill and bravery in the hunt. great teeth cunningly fastened together made necklaces that spoke every day more loudly than a man’s voice of what that man had done.
but as pride grew in these emblems of prowess, little by little the people of the tribe began to use these hides for other things. they found that, with holes punched along the edges, through which a thong might be drawn, as a gathering string about a handbag, these skins made water 125bags that one could carry on a far journey, taking with him drink for a whole day. but it was only when the sun beat down like the flames of the fire that they thought much on these things. then thoughts of water and the milk of the cocoanut were never long absent.
it was at the time of the year when the scorching rays of the summer sun had licked dry all the little brooks and most of the springs that laughing boy and web toe, he who could outswim the fastest fishes, planned an excursion over the hills in search of wild honey.
they were 14 years old and stood straight and brown and almost as tall as the men of the tribe, but they had not yet learned to have care for all the dangers that lurked in the unknown ways, as older men.
they were proud of the wild skins that lay hot and heavy on their shoulders and the teeth that made chains about their throats. they were never done showing the trophies they had gathered in the hunt to their young companions. and they boasted much, for they were more strong than the other boys of the clan.
laughing boy was proud of his water bag which, when the thong was tightly drawn and the bag was filled with water, spilled scarcely a single drop, while web toe beat much of the time upon his drum or tom-tom which he believed made the most beautiful music in the world. this tom-tom 126he had made by stretching the soft skin of some small animal over a willow branch bent and fastened in a circle.
the older members of the tribe were stretched in the cooling shade near the river bank, or sleeping the sleep that comes from much eating in the cool of the caves. but the children and the youths romped about, vyeing with each other in games of sport and in feats of strength. among these web toe and laughing boy were easily the victors, throwing their boomerangs and their stone weapons further and with greater accuracy than any of the others.
laughing boy had now smeared his whole chest with the deep vermilion juice of “the make brave” plant and web toe had gouged holes in both ears, from which hung half a dozen shells and cougar teeth and they strutted about in the glory of their strength and budding manhood.
but at last they stole away from the others and softly made their way through the thicket and on up and over the hill to the high places, where the dry grass crackled and rustled beneath their scurrying feet. laughing and chattering they ran, flinging care and caution to the winds, racing to see which would be the quicker to reach this point or that, and again speeding on to make the giant banyan trees.
here they paused to rest and to laugh softly, and the cunning of all wood creatures came back 127to their straggling senses and they proceeded cautiously, chattering more softly and laughing more quietly.
laughing boy carried his stone weapon and his water bag, which bulged with ample fullness, while web foot brandished his tom-tom in one hand and his stone sling in the other. only now he made not a sound with his beloved music box. it was a time to avoid the creatures of the forest, though all were sleepy and lazy from abundant food and the warmth of the sun.
they jabbered of the “sweet, sweet,” meaning wild honey, which they meant to take back to the tribe and with which they intended to show the other youths how much more clever and courageous they were than the other boys in the clan.
with every gay and confident step as they advanced up the small plateau the land grew more parched. laughing boy, who saw things that escaped the eyes of web toe pointed to little hollows now and then which had been dried by the sun, and when web toe, soon grown thirsty, sought to take his bag for a drink, laughing boy shook his head. “no,” he said, and pointed to the sun high overhead. he meant to save the water for the journey caveward.
berries they ate and nuts gathered hastily on the way, and when they neared the tall cocoanut palms both boys, forgetting the dangers that might beset them, dashed their heavy weapons to 128the ground and rushed forward. in a few moments both were encircling the straight, tall trunks of the trees with their arms and, climbing up them in a sort of walk, their toes pressed close and almost clinging to the bark. soon the great nuts were tumbling to the ground and the boys slid back to refresh themselves with the sweet of cocoanut milk.
but the thicket parted and an angry and suspicious black she-bear lumbered toward them with two curious, tumbling black cubs at her heels. it was no time to dispute for the possession of their weapons. it was not the time to pause for a drink of cocoanut milk, and so, with a pretense at nonchalance, as though they had seen nothing and had no concern in the two rollicking cubs, laughing boy and web toe glided toward the thicket. they knew that females of every species are eager to contest the right of all ways when accompanied by their young. and their courage lay with their stone weapons.
the black bear sniffed angrily and slowly followed the boys. her little red eyes rolled wickedly. the two curious cubs dashed on ahead to learn what manner of beast these new animals were. and mother bruin quickened her pace.
her heart was running over with fears for her young and she considered that particular part of the woods her own domain. a deep humming filled the ears of the boys as they broke into a run 129and laughing boy cried softly, “sweet, sweet,” for he smelled wild honey.
the cubs ran still faster for they remembered the feasts they had enjoyed when, guided by their mother, they had last visited the wood. with the old bear close behind, laughing boy flung himself out and upward, grasping the tough vines of the “oo-oee” in his hands and pulling himself up on a large stone slab, where he lay panting for breath.
web toe scrambled up a slim pine and wedged himself between two slender forked limbs. there he huddled, peering about in fear of new dangers. but he saw nothing and, presently, grown bolder he looked down at the bear which stood on hind legs gazing angrily up at him. now and then she would run away and dash back, jolting the tree and setting the branches aquiver.
web toe forgot all caution and jeered down at the enemy. he pulled his tom-tom around and 130over his shoulder and beat it triumphantly with his fists while the black bear tried to climb the tree and failed, because it was slender of trunk.
laughing boy lay on the smooth boulder, flat upon his belly, making no sound. not a muscle betrayed him. only his eyes moved following the movements of the black bear. apparently she had forgotten all about him.
he wanted to call out to web toe to be silent. web toe seemed to think the matter was a joke, but laughing boy knew better. it was true he and web toe were at the moment safely out of reach of the enemy’s claws, but if she remained on watch how would they get down to earth again?
all that afternoon web toe was compelled to cling to the fork of the pine tree. soon he grew quiet, for he remembered that safety lies in silence. he folded his arms about a branch and made himself as flat and inconspicuous as he could.
the cubs curled themselves up at their mother’s feet and went to sleep and, at length, close to the pine tree, she also seemed to doze.
it might have been possible for laughing boy to slide down the opposite side of the boulder and steal away unnoticed. who can say? it may have been a fear of the long journey back to the cave people alone that deterred him. anyway, he clung to the rock and waited. a long drink from his water bag relieved his thirst and he, too, 131fell asleep. but there was no drinking for poor web toe. he had only his marvelous tom-tom in place of a water bag, and his lips grew parched and he longed to scream from fear and thirst.
after a long time darkness came and at last the moon arose, and still the two boys neither moved nor spoke. the cubs awoke and stretched themselves and moved about, and at last the black bear arose also and led them away to some hidden spring known only to herself.
then, very cautiously, web toe slid to the ground and called to laughing boy, who joined him, and together, with great fear in their hearts, they turned their faces homeward.
and all that fearful, weary way web toe thought of new dangers and of cool springs and laughing boy’s emptied water bag. never again would he go honey-hunting or any other sort of hunting in the dry season without water at his side. and when at last they reached the dwelling place of the tribe web toe ran to the spring and threw himself into the water and drank until he was near water-logged.
and so web toe became the great waterman of the tribe—another great waterman, who spoke always words of warning of the terrible things that may befall boys and girls and men and women, who journey far from the spring without a bag of water.
stories he told the people of the tribe on his return 132with laughing boy of how, sick of thirst, he had faced the black bear and driven her before him. but he had nothing to prove his words, for laughing boy returned also empty-handed.
it was adventures like this that taught the cave people and all the other tribes to travel close to the water’s edge. and so it was that when the foolish one made the first clay pot, the people praised him and called him wise.
the clay pot was the accident of a fool. many great discoveries have been the accidents of other fools. for wise people do always everything as nearly as possible as their fathers have done and new things are only learned through departures into new ways.
the foolish one had discovered the use of fire by playing with a burning branch ignited by the lightning in the forest. a fool bestrode the first wild horse and rode upon its back. nearly always it was the fools who did things first. wise men were too wise—they had seen too many fools die of their folly.
the fingers of the foolish one were never idle. he made many things and he pulled as many to pieces again. the people of the tribe had grown very skillful in weaving baskets from tough grasses. they even made hats to keep out the sun and later they wove willows into rude roofs, which they patched with clay from the river banks to keep out the rain.
133the baskets which they made were almost water-tight and the foolish one made many baskets. each time he worked harder and wove these baskets more tightly, but they all leaked when he filled them with water from the spring.
one day he made a basket shaped like a bowl and lined it with clay; then he wove the grasses upward like the neck of a large bottle, dipping his fingers inside to plaster it with more clay, for he wanted to surprise the folk with a basket that would carry water without leaking. but when all was done he forgot his plans and went swimming in a pool, and when next he saw the basket he tossed it into the fire, so sure was he that it would leak as all baskets leaked.
and there, in the red flames, beheld by all the members of the tribe, lay the marvelous basket with its clay lining. and soon the grasses of the basket burned away and when the fire died down the foolish one saw the clay lining lying among the coals. it was round and firm and almost perfect in shape. he peered into it and running to the river, filled it with water. and, marvel of marvels! the clay had grown hard in the fire and the first jug the tribe had ever made or seen or dreamed of, held water, from which there leaked not one single drop.
for a long time the cave people made their jugs by lining baskets with clay and burning off the grasses, leaving the jugs unmarred, till they learned newer and better ways of making pottery.
