CHAPTER V

 “Come, Teni,” said the little boy, “I will show you my home.”

 

Teni was glad to see this strange house, for he had never been in one so large before.

 

They climbed about from room to room.

 

There were so many that Teni could not count them.

 

After a while the little boy said, “Let us go into this store-room.”

 

So they climbed the notched¹ pole and lifted the stone from the hole which led into the largest granary.

 

Teni said, “There is only one granary in our house. How many have you?”

 

“Five,” said the little boy, “but this is the largest one.”

 

“See how much food we have!”

 

Teni’s eyes opened wide with wonder. He had never seen a storeroom so well filled. There were piles and piles of skin boxes filled with powdered buffalo’s meat. There were large baskets filled with grain and beans.

 

In one corner was a box of wheat, and hanging from the pegs² in the wall were the skin clothes and skin leggings ready for winter’s wear.

 

The boys climbed up some of the pegs and looked over the wall into the large reservoir.

 

There was only a little water in it, because it had not rained for many months.

 

One of the stone jars on the wall had some water in it, and Teni took a long drink.

 

Then they crept carefully along the wall till they came to a part of the cliff which hung over the reservoir.

 

The boys stood here a few moments and looked down at the water.

 

“This reservoir is nearly empty,” said Teni.

 

“Have you another?”

 

“Yes,” said the boy, “but we pray for rain every day, because the other reservoir is nearly empty also.”

 

Just then Teni thought of Mavo, so they started back.

 

On the way they stopped at a round room which was in the center of this queer house.

 

“What is this room?” said Teni.

 

 

“The kiva,” said the boy. “All the men of this cliff village sleep here on the skins which you see scattered³ about.”

 

On a shelf in one part of the kiva was a curious-looking doll baby with a painted face, long hair, and bright-colored clothes.

 

41This doll was an idol⁴, so the children stopped to put some red corn at its feet, touching⁵ its dress very gently.

 

“Let us light the fire,” said Teni.

 

They walked to a hole in the center of the floor and sat down beside it.

 

Then they rubbed two pieces of flint together to make a spark.

 

They lighted the cedar⁶ wood that was in the hole, and watched the flames grow brighter and brighter.

 

“Hush!” said Teni, “we must be very quiet. I can hear the spirits talking in the fire.”

 

“The spirits say that Mavo and I will soon be at home with father and mother and we shall be glad, too.”

 

By and by the boys went quietly from the still room.

1 notched   

a.有凹口的，有缺口的

参考例句：

• Torino notched up a 2-1 win at Lazio. 都灵队以2 比1 赢了拉齐奧队。
• He notched up ten points in the first five minutes of the game. 他在比赛开始后的五分钟里得了十分。

2 pegs   

n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
• The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句

3 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。