Monday, April 14, 2014

The mammoth feast

Little Leaf watched the slow burning fire sticks come closer. She strained to hear words because if she could hear them talking she knew they were all right. If they were silent she knew they were not all coming back. Now she could hear the babbling and excitement as the hunters relived the attack. It would be a long night until all the stories had been told.
Tomorrow there would be feasting. They could live of mammoth meat for the winter. If the snows came early the meat would last all winter but not if the sun stayed too hot.
Morning came and they rushed to the edge of the cliff to look at the night’s work.
Three mammoth lay in a tangled mess at the bottom. They were scattered amongst the bones of the previous years kill’s.
One was dead and the other two were struggling to stay alive. It was better if they stayed alive, that way some of the meat would not go bad so quickly.
It had been a good hunt. The three were good healthy animals with lots of fat. They had fed well up north on the summer pastures. The skins would be useful for beds or a door for the cave.
They cut open the belly and soon Little Leaf was crawling around inside cutting off little bits of fat and eating. The first mammoth meat of the autumn always tasted the best.
Father had brought a fire stick and now they had a big fire blazing. The smell of cooking meat filled the air. They cooked and eat, cooked and ate.
It was time for Little Leaf and Rock Thrower to return to the home cave to bring everybody back. It was not too far only half a days walk. Mommy and Grandma would love the mammoth meat and the mammoth skins.


Article by © Peter Legrove 2014, at www.animalsdinosaursandbugs.com

**You have permission to reprint this article. Use it on your website, in your ezine or newsletter or in any printed form. The only requirement is to include the footnote at the base of the article and not change the wording**

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

The mammoth return to the valley

The mammoth came, big scraggy beasts that lumbered through the darkness of the moonless night. Their thudding footsteps, the only sound that echoed off the frozen landscape. Bouncing off the ice covered hills until the sound was lost amongst the sparse lifeless trees that stood short against the bleak and lonely landscape. 
The mammoth followed the same path they had followed from the beginning of time. Proud beasts that walked tall. There was not much to be afraid of when you are a huge walking giant that towers over all the other beasts of the plains. But there was one little beast the mammoths were very afraid off. And they were here. Mommy Mammoth following a path her mother had taught her. A pathway passed down from generation to generation.
At the back of the hill over looking the steep cliff the hunters waited. They could hear the giant beasts lumbering along in the darkness. And they could feel the ground shudder with every movement. The strong overpowering smell of unwashed fur, that was covered in years of sweat and dirt floated on the crisp night air. It mingled with the beautiful pungent smell of wood smoke that drifted around the blazing fire
Little Leaf and her younger brother Rock Thrower tended the fire. They had spent all afternoon gathering wood to burn, and long dry sticks to be used as fire sticks.
The mammoths were now walking along the cliff edge. It was time for the hunters to move. The mammoth were huge dangerous beasts that towered over the hunters. But the hunters had a secret weapon that the mammoth were afraid of. FIRE.
Stay here and keep the fire burning” Father said “and if anything comes wave the fire sticks at it.”
Then he and the hunters walked into the night.
Little Leaf and Rock Thrower watched the trail of flames walking towards the mammoth.
The mammoth could smell the smoke and hear the soft crackle of the fire and they knew.
Mommy Mammoth had been here many times. She knew the hunters would come as they always came. She trumpeted a warning and then charged, hoping her little daughter would follow.
The hunters rushed into the herd waving the fire sticks. Hoping the confusion would drive some of the huge hairy beasts over the cliff.
Little leaf and Rock Thrower heard the screams and knew the hunt had been a success.
Mommy Mammoth keep trumpeting and leading the way but in the confusion she lost her little calf. She had heard the screams and knew that when the sun came up there would be less in the herd.



Article by © Peter Legrove 2014, at www.animalsdinosaursandbugs.com

**You have permission to reprint this article. Use it on your website, in your ezine or newsletter or in any printed form. The only requirement is to include the footnote at the base of the article and not change the wording**

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Home was a beautiful place, around the cave everything was green

A long time ago before planes and trains and before buses and bicycles. Even before we rode horses. During a time when everybody walked, “Rock Thrower” and his older sister “Little Leaf” lived with their family in a cave. Their home was on the side of a hill overlooking their beautiful valley.
In their little family there was Grandpa and Grandma along with three uncles and two aunties. There were many little children with their own mothers and fathers. It was a big happy family all living together in the safety of the smoke blackened cave.
Rock Thrower and Little Leaf’s mother and father loved the cave and everybody in it and they somehow managed to keep everybody happy.
Home was a beautiful place, around the cave everything was green. The sky above was a deep rich blue and at night the whole sky was pinpointed with endless lights. It was beautiful to sit outside at night around the fire just looking up at the heavens.
Life was good, there was plenty of food but they had to find the berries and bird’s eggs. They followed the bees to the sweet juicy honey high in the tree. That was the easy part, now the fun part began. Only the grown-ups would get the honey. And then there was lots of laughter when somebody got stung and started jumping around the place. They all loved the honey, it was a welcome treat.
Life in the spring, summer and autumn was good. Especially autumn when there were many fruits and berries to eat. But the good days soon gave way to the cool days of late autumn. Then out came the old hides that were hung over the cave mouth to keep out the cold and now home was a cozy cave.

Article by © Peter Legrove 2006, at www.animalsdinosaursandbugs.com

**You have permission to reprint this article. Use it on your website, in your ezine or newsletter or in any printed form. The only requirement is to include the footnote at the base of the article and not change the wording**