History of California by Helen Elliott Bandini
page 32 of 259 (12%)
page 32 of 259 (12%)
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for their mother would be home and want them. When they returned, Macana
was warming herself by the fire where the men were sitting. "See our tule; is it not a great deal?" asked the children, showing their bundles. "Yes, but not enough," replied their mother. "You will have to go out another day." The women, who had been working all the morning gathering acorns, now squatted near the fire and began grinding up the nuts which had been already dried. "Gesnip," called her mother, "bring me the grinding stones." The girl went to the jacal and brought two stones, one a heavy bowlder with a hollow in its top, which had been made partly by stone axes, but more by use; the other stone fitted into this hollow. "Now bring me the basket of roasted grasshoppers," said the mother. Taking a handful of grasshoppers, Macana put them into the hollow in the larger stone, and with the smaller stone rubbed them to a coarse powder. This powder she put into a small basket which Gesnip brought her. "I am glad we caught the grasshoppers. They taste better than acorn meal mush," said Payuchi. "How many grasshoppers there are in the fall," said Gesnip, "and so many rabbits, too." "We had such a good time at the rabbit drive," said Payuchi. |
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