he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he
couldn't read and he couldn't write and he didn't want to, and
except when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name was
Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, 'Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-
forward-in-a-hurry'; but we, O Best Beloved, will call him
Tegumai, for short. And his wife's name was Teshumai Tewindrow,
and that means, 'Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions'; but we, O
Best Beloved, will call her Teshumai, for short. And his little
girl-daughter's name was Taffimai Metallumai, and that means,
'Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked'; but
I'm going to call her Taffy. And she was Tegumai Bopsulai's Best
Beloved and her own Mummy's Best Beloved, and she was not spanked
half as much as was good for her; and they were all three very
happy. As soon as Taffy could run about she went everywhere with
her Daddy Tegumai, and sometimes they would not come home to the
Cave till they were hungry, and then Teshumai Tewindrow would
say, 'Where in the world have you two been to, to get so shocking
dirty? Really, my Tegumai, you're no better than my Taffy.'

Now attend and listen!

One day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-swamp to
the Wagai river to spear carp-fish for dinner, and Taffy went
too. Tegumai's spear was made of wood with shark's teeth at the
end, and before he had caught any fish at all he accidentally
broke it clean across by jabbing it down too hard on the bottom
of the river. They were miles and miles from home (of course they
had their lunch with them in a little bag), and Tegumai had
forgotten to bring any extra spears.