water. Otherwise, there would have been grave 
danger that the occupants of the lodge might 
be frozen in, and unable to leave their home 
all winter. For that to happen meant that they 
must starve. 
The other tunnel opened out under the 
water of the canal, and was both short and 
straight. It was to be used only during that 
part of the year when the weather was mild, 
and the sap was in the trees. Then the beavers 
of the lodge would bring their foodsticks down 
the canal, and take them into the house through 
that entrance. When really cold weather had 
come, the canal would be frozen to its very 
bottom. Then, only the deep-water entrance 
could be used. 
As O-Go wasn’t allowed to take any part 
in the tunnel-digging, he hunted up Ilg and 
Ela, to see if they might have found any¬ 
thing interesting to do. Ela had done so, al¬ 
though her discovery had happened quite by 
accident. She had come upon a place where 
the bank of the canal had crumbled, making 
a slope, up which she was able to climb. 
Moved by curiosity, she had made her way 
to the top, while Ilg, who was not given to 
unnecessary effort, waited for her in the canal. 
As there was nothing in particular on the 
bank to arouse Ela’s interest, she turned to 
go back down the slope. The water, shed 
81 
