acquainted with the land and everything on it; then they were so
numerous and knew so much. It must have taken a tremendous length of
time to learn all about farming and dairy work, about building, and
weaving, and making things,--to have found out so much about the stars,
the coming and going of the moon, the years and months which it
makes,--to have so many set customs, and a religion with prayers and
worship,--and lastly, to have invented writing and no end of useful
arts, requiring skill and long practice.

There came a time when it was no longer a family, but a great many
families, which could not go on living so close together. So they began
to build separate homesteads, all around the old home, but farther and
farther away from it. They went on living exactly in the same way, only
each new homestead had its own head. The tie of blood was strong and the
separated families kept it sacred, even if they quarrelled now and then,
as neighbors and relatives will at times.

At last the valley became too crowded. There was no longer enough of
everything for all, so that quarrelling and even fighting grew almost
into a habit; the heads of families and the wise elders did their best
to keep the peace, but were not much listened to. At the same time the
younger people were beginning to wonder what there was on the other side
of the mountains. Once in a while a huntsman, in the excitement of
following his game, would climb to some high point, from which he would
look down into other valleys, with more mountains beyond. Then he would
take up some comrade with him, and they would stand there long, gazing
and wondering. Then some of the bolder, more curious boys and youths had
followed the river into the narrow passage it had broken for itself
through the mountains. The first who ventured had not gone very far.
They had felt dreadfully frightened and lonesome in that dark, wild