trimmed the edges and brought it to Noreen. It made a beautifully clean and
polished pot, pale green outside, white within.

"There is your kettle and tea-pot," he said.

From a thinner part he cut off similarly two smaller vessels to serve as
cups.

"Now then for the water to fill the kettle," he said, looking around among
the creepers festooning the trees for the _pani bêl_. When he found the
plant he sought, he cut off a length and brought it to the girl, who had
never heard of it. Asking her to hold the bamboo pot he filled it with
water from the creeper, much to her astonishment.

"How wonderful!" she cried. "Is it really good to drink?"

"Perfectly."

"But how are you going to boil it?"

"In that bamboo pot."

"But surely that will burn?"

"No, the water will boil long before the green wood begins to be charred,"
replied Dermot, placing the pot over the first fire on the two lumps of
clay, so that the flames could reach it.

Then he opened the linen bag, which Noreen found to contain _atta_, or
native flour. Some of this he poured into the round aluminium dish and with