CHAPTER TWO 



HOW OUR NEEDS DIFFER FROM THOSE OF THE 

 FIRST MEN 



We have seen that the first men, Uke the other animals, 

 depended upon the food that Nature suppHed them, and 

 when this was lacking they went hungry. When men had 

 learned the use of fire they took the first step in making 

 Nature serve them better than she did the lower animals. 

 Today she works for us iii so many ways that we can hardly 

 name them all. 



After the use of fire the next thing that men learned was 

 to make better homes, to tame some of the wild animals, 

 and to raise a part of their food supplies, instead of depend- 

 ing entirely upon what they could pick up here and there. 



As the number of people increased, the question of secur- 

 ing food became more and more important. Would it not 

 seem pretty hard to have to go out and hunt for your break- 

 fast in the woods, or fields, or along the water ? If you were 

 alone you might find enough to eat, but if there were thou- 

 sands of other people doing the same thing, you would prob- 

 ably go hungry. For this reason' people began to cultivate 

 berries, fruits, roots,- and grains, and to take better care of 

 their herds. 



Living as they did, in those parts of the world where the 

 climate was warm, they usually found an abundance of 

 food. But when these places became too crowded, and 

 some of them had to move to ilew regions, they often found 

 less food and a climate not always comfortable. 



In this way people spread into the colder and drier parts 

 of the earth. The need for things which they did not have 



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