of the clan stayed near the cave under the watchful
eye of the old woman, while their fathers and mothers went hunting.

"Now, don't be cross, old Grannie-sit-by-the-fire!" cried the girl. At
least, I think it was the girl, but the Twins looked so exactly alike I
can't be quite sure. "We'll pick up your nuts for you. And if you'll
put your stick down, we'll give you something we brought for you."

The old woman's face softened. You might almost have thought there was
the beginning of a smile in the corners of her mouth, but she only said,
"I know your tricks, worthless ones! You have brought me nothing but a
fright and a tumble in the ashes."

The girl poured the acorns she had gathered into the piece of birch-bark
which served the old woman as a plate, and danced over to the mouth of
the cave. She saucily took the stick out of Grannie's hand and flung it
on the fire, and then led her back to the stone seat.

"Go along and get it, Firetop," she called. I know it was the girl who
said this, because it was the boy who was called Firetop, on account of
his red hair. The girl's hair was just as red, but they called her
Firefly.

Firetop sprang up the rocks down which he had climbed so carefully only
a few moments before, and came down again slowly, carrying something in
each hand. He stood before the old woman with his hands behind him.

"Guess, Grannie, guess!" cried Firefly.

By this time, the smile had got out of the corners of Grannie's mouth
and had spread all over her face.

"Roots," she said.

"Wrong," shouted the children. "Guess again."

"Spruce gum."

"Wrong again," laughed the Twins.

Grannie thought a while this time. Then she said, "Snails."

"No, no, no," the Twins said both together; and then Firetop slowly
brought his hands round in front of him and showed the old woman four
large bird's eggs.

You should have seen Grannie's face then! It was all wreathed in
smiles, and when she smiled she wasn't so bad to look at after all.
Almost nobody is for that matter.

She took the eggs from Firetop's hands and covered them carefully in the
ashes.

"We'll roast them," she said. "I've had nothing to eat but acorns for
three days past. Now, tell me where you have been, and how you found
the eggs."

"We were hungry," explained Firetop, "and all the big people had gone
off hunting, and we thought we'd go too. We thought we knew where we
could find some roots. So we hid ourselves and