80 



STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



truth, for she has seen whereof she tells," 

 said King Coal. " We have known each 

 other ever since I also stood in a mighty 

 forest jungle." 



"Did House People cut you down, 

 did the Winds play pranks and uproot 

 you, or did Wawa-sa-mo, the Light- 

 ning, rend you?" asked the Kindling 

 Wood. 



"House People cut me down? 

 There was none such in my day; 

 never did I see the face of Heart of 

 Man until, by a deep thunderous 

 noise, I was shaken from my earth 

 bed. When I was of the jungle, 

 Man and the animals nearest to 

 him were not yet made. 



" It would have seemed a 

 strange world to a Pino tree. 

 Gigantic Lizards and huge 

 Frogs swam in the waters, but 

 no birds sang among the tall 

 rank trees, or left their 

 tracks in the mud ; 

 ^^ none of the Beast 

 Brothers of the 

 woods had come. 



