waited until Robin and
Blackbird and Squaretoes had gone down to the river to hunt frogs, and
then we ran back into the woods." Robin and Blackbird and Squaretoes
were the other children of the clan.

Firefly could never stay quiet for very long and now she broke into the
story.

"Yes, and we found some roots, too," she said. "We were just eating
them when from a hazel bush right in front of us we heard a loud snort!
We didn't wait to dig any more roots, I tell you! There was a chestnut
tree nearby, and we grabbed a limb and swung ourselves up just in time.
It wasn't only one, it was _three_ wild boars that rushed out of the
bushes, and the biggest boar had tusks as long as this." Firefly held
up a stick about eight inches long, as she spoke.

"It's lucky we were up in the tree, for they were all hungry too, and
they looked as if they thought Firetop and I would taste very good," she
laughed. "Then Firetop teased them. He hung down from the limb and
tickled their noses with a long stick. My, but they were mad!"

"Yes," said Firetop, "they looked just as mad as you did, when we scared
you, Grannie."

"I wonder one look at you didn't scare them to death," said Grannie,
"because animals are so afraid of fire! I am used to the flames on your
heads, but if I were to come upon you for the first time I think I'd
climb a tree myself! Or else I should think the woods were on fire and
run away."

Grannie poked Firefly in the ribs and laughed at her own joke.

"Maybe our red hair helped some," said Firefly, "for pretty soon they
all three turned and ran grunting off through the woods."

"And then," said Firetop, "we thought we'd come back by the tree path.
We went out on the limb of the chestnut as far as we could go, and swung
into the big oak tree that stood next. There are a lot of oak trees
together there and we were going along from one to the other, when there
was a loud whirring noise and a big bird flew out of the top branches
right over our heads! We looked up and saw the nest. It was made of
sticks. I got the eggs and handed them down to Firefly, and then we
came home."

"You didn't come all the way by the tree path and carry the eggs, did
you?" cried Grannie admiringly.

"Oh, no," said Firefly. "The eggs were too big to carry in our mouths.
So Firetop dropped to the ground and I handed the eggs down to him.
Then we ran back home as fast as we could."

"You will be as great hunters as your f