THE SUGAR MOON 



T is time for the maples to wake up," 

 said Nokomis, the earth-mother. 



They were still drowsy atop, though 

 down in the ground the sleepless root- 

 lets, thinking the snow all gone, were wide 

 awake and very thirsty. So the trees drew up 

 soil-water through their cells, and the sugar 

 stored away last year in the form of starch, 

 now sweetened the flowing sap ready for the 

 first spring food of the awakening buds. 



^^The sap stirs," said Farmer Brier, ^^and 

 it's time to sugar off." 



Many, many years ago — so the Indians tell 

 — Nokomis, the earth-mother, made maple 

 sugar. One day she cut small holes in the 

 trees, put a little piece of wood into each hole, 

 and placed a vessel under it. Then her grand- 

 son, the hero Manabush, looking into the ves- 



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