LONGTAILS 3 



beasts to make life exciting for the creatures 

 on which they fed. 



Hidden away in the forest there were 

 Httle animals, of reptile descent indeed, but 

 quite free from family pride. These con- 

 verted reptiles were filled with the first 

 divine quality which ever appeared in the 

 world, that mother-love which suckles the 

 young at the breast. We will call them 

 the Longtails. 



We humans often feel that there is not 

 enough food to go round. We find it hard to 

 make both ends meet. We have to defend 

 ourselves or run from our enemies. So it was 

 with the Longtails, who were always hungry, 

 hard up, and bound to fight or run. To put it 

 roughly, some tribes of the Longtails took to 

 hunting, and became the ancestors of all beasts 

 of prey, some took to the trees as a refuge and 

 feeding place, and so became the ancestors of 

 apes and men. But our business is with those 

 who took to a vegetarian diet and a habit of 

 hiding or running. These stood on tip toe 

 looking out for danger, or ran to escape being 

 eaten. For such purposes the five-toed foot 

 of the ancestral reptile, most useful on soft 

 ground, became somewhat clumsy and awk- 

 ward. For running they were better off 



