people," he said to himself. "They tried to kill me. The man who
lives in the wind is angry, too. Hear him roar!

"I do not like shadow people," he thought as he walked on. "They live
in trees and wind and rivers and fire and stones and everything, but
you cannot see them. They will hurt you if you make them angry. I am
afraid of them. I wish I had a torch to scare them off. All the other
shadow people are afraid of the fire man."

Then to keep up his heart he sang in a loud gruff voice:

"O why did the water put out the fire?
O why did the water put out the fire?"


Strongarm gave a loud call as he came up to Hickory's cave. The old
man came to the door and asked what the trouble was.

"Trouble enough," growled Strongarm. "My fire is out. I came for
coals."

Old Hickory gave a great roaring laugh. His wife laughed, too, as she
pushed the children aside and raked out coals. These she put into a
hollow branch that Strongarm handed her.

"They will keep alive in there," he said, "even if it rains."

Then with a good pine torch and his branch full of coals, he hurried
home.