CHAPTER VI

 “Let us race back,” said Teni, “and I will tell Mavo what the spirits¹ in the fire said.”

 

Away they ran as fast as they could, and the race was soon over.

 

Teni was a good runner, but he did not win this time.

 

Mavo was awake and very glad to see her brother.

 

 

She jumped up to meet him and led him to a part of the room where two women stood over a fire.

 

Teni watched them as they mixed the ground corn² with water and poured³ this on a hot stone.

 

 

The women were very busy, so that they did not notice the children.

 

They had much piki to make, for the men would soon be home.

 

“May I have some?” said Mavo.

 

Then the women looked up and saw the three children standing⁴ near them.

 

They gave Mavo a piece of piki for herself and another for Teni.

 

The other little boy was not hungry, but sat down with the others while they ate.

 

47

Demino was just coming back from the store-room with some dried peaches and powdered buffalo’s meat.

 

He placed this food on the floor and heated another stone for the women, so that they could make more piki.

 

Just then Baby awoke and began to cry, so his mother gave him a warm drink of herbs⁵ and water.

 

 

Mavo said, “I will give the baby some of this piki;” but the mother shook her head and said, “No, Baby is too little.”

 

Teni took the beads⁶ from his sister’s neck and gave them to the little one.

 

Soon Baby was happy playing with the beads and pulling at Mavo’s loose⁷ skin dress.

 

 

Teni’s clothes were of skin too; even his little moccasins were made of soft skin.

 

In winter these cliff⁸ Indians wore heavier skin clothing, and long leggings which came up to their knees.

 

They never needed caps, for their hair was long and thick.

 

They loved to wear bright beads and bracelets⁹, and often painted their faces with gay¹⁰ colors.CHAPTER VII

1 spirits   

n.情绪；兴致；精灵；灵魂；精神( spirit的名词复数 )；情绪；灵魂；神灵

参考例句：

• He lost his spirits after the girl rejected his love. 那姑娘拒绝他的求爱后，他垂头丧气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt in excellent spirits when he arrived home. 他回到家里时情绪非常好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 corn   

n.(美)玉米，(英)小麦，谷物(中)包裹

参考例句：

• Corn was first grown in America.玉米最先在美国种植。
• Was the camel carrying corn?那头骆驼驮的是谷物吗？

3 poured   

涌出( pour的过去式和过去分词 )； 倾，倒； 涌流； 倾泻

参考例句：

• She poured the dark brown liquid down the sink. 她把深棕色的液体倒进了污水池。
• Scalding tears poured down her face. 滚烫的泪水从她脸上扑簌簌地流下来。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 herbs   

草本植物( herb的名词复数 )； 药草，香草

参考例句：

• the curative properties of herbs 药草治病的功效
• the therapeutic properties of herbs 草药的医疗效用

6 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

7 loose   

adj.松散的，宽松的

参考例句：

• It will loose if you don't bind it fast.你不把它系紧它会松的。
• Will you nail down that loose board in the floor?请把那块松动的地板钉牢好吗？

8 cliff   

n.悬崖，峭壁

参考例句：

• The cliff edge is dangerous and should be railed.崖边危险，应该用栏杆围起来。
• He took the measure of the cliff before he climbed it.他把悬崖的高度估量一下后再攀登。

9 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 gay   

adj.同性恋的；色彩鲜艳的；n.(男)同性恋者

参考例句：

• I don't know he was a gay person.我不知道他是同性恋者。
• Spring comes round to the earth again and everything looks fresh and gay.春回大地，万象更新。