If she hadn't gone, there might not be any
Squirrels in this world right now. Yes, it
is lucky that she went home.

"For a minute or so OLD-man watched the
fire as it grew hotter, and then went down to
a creek where willows grew and made him-
self a great plate by weaving them together.
When he had finished making the plate, he
returned to the fire, and it had burned low
again. He laughed at his wicked work, and
a Raven, flying over just then, called him
'forked-tongue,' or liar, but he didn't mind
that at all. OLD-man cut a long stick and
began to dig out the Squirrel-people. One
by one he fished them out of the hot ashes;
and they were roasted fine and were ready to
eat. As he fished them out he counted them,
and laid them on the willow plate he had
made. When he had dug out the last one,
he took the plate to the creek and there sat
down to eat the Squirrels, for he was hungry,
as usual. OLD-man is a big eater, but he
couldn't eat all of the Squirrels at once, and
while eating he fell asleep with the great plate
in his lap.

"Nobody knows how long it was that he
slept, but when he waked his plate of Squirrels
was gone--gone completely. He looked be-