CHAPTER X

 The father and mother had been looking far and near for their little boy and girl.

 

They had no one to help in the search, because they did not live near any other cliff¹ people.

 

In their house there was room for only one family.

 

There was no way of calling the people together, because the cliff-dwellers had no chief, as some of the Indians had.

 

At last the tired parents had gone into the kiva to pray to the gods to lead their children safely home.

 

They threw themselves down and scattered² handfuls³ of sacred⁴ corn before the bear, which they thought they saw in the fire.

 

These cliff people worshiped⁵ the bear because they took their name from it.

 

The deer family worshiped the deer, and the snake family the snake.

 

When they were hunting they were very careful never to kill the animal from which they took their name.

 

“Hush,” said the mother, “the spirits tell me our children are coming.”

 

The father also listened for the voice of the spirits.

 

The voices seemed to say that the children were safe and would soon be at home again.

 

The father and mother sat about the fire for a long time, then rose quietly, and after throwing more corn to the flames, walked out of the kiva.

 

They went on the cliff, and looked about them for some sign of their children.

 

“The moon is clear to-night,” said the father. “There are no clouds to hide her light. She will guide Teni and Mavo home.”

 

“Where can they have been all day?”

 

“If only we knew that they were safe!”

 

The mother and father could not see the pony⁶ as it neared the cliff.

 

Mavo had fallen asleep in Teni’s arms, and Demino walked on, thinking how glad the parents would be to see their children.

 

Teni did not say a word, but kept looking toward⁷ his home.

 

The father and mother were looking anxiously into the valley.

 

While they were watching, they saw shadows in the distance.

 

“Look!” said the mother. “I see something. Can it be our children?”

 

They waited a moment, then the father climbed down the cliff and ran quickly toward Demino.

 

The children clung⁸ to their father while Demino tried to tell the story.

 

The father did not wait to hear very much, for he wished to get back to the mother.

 

How happy he was to find that the fierce⁹ Indians had not harmed his children! and he thanked Demino again and again.

 

As they came nearer the cliff they saw their mother watching.

 

She waved her hand and called to them, but they could not hear her, they were so far below.

 

Then she raised her arms to the moon above, and called aloud her thanks for the safe return of her children.

 

The little boy and girl were soon clinging¹⁰ to their mother and trying to tell her all about what had happened.

 

That night their dreams were happy, for they were safe in their own home.

1 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。

2 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。

3 handfuls   

一把（的量）( handful的名词复数 )； 用手抓起的数量； 少数人（或事物）； 难以控制的人（或动物）

参考例句：

• We shall take part in it as handfuls of dust and splinters of bone. 我们将是作为一撮尘土，几根枯骨参加将来的生活。 来自英汉文学
• He reached gloomily into one of his trees and picked handfuls of fruit. 他闷闷不乐地把手伸到一棵树上，摘下一把水果来。

4 sacred   

adj.神圣的，上帝的，庄严的，祭祀的

参考例句：

• A church is a sacred building.教堂是神圣的建筑物。
• The cow is a sacred animal to Hindus.对印度人来说，牛是一种神圣的动物。

5 worshiped   

v.崇拜，尊崇( worship的过去式和过去分词 )；做礼拜；热爱；爱慕

参考例句：

• Venus was a goddess worshiped by the Romans. 维纳斯是罗马人所崇拜的女神。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Aphrodite was worshiped chiefly as the goddess of human love. 阿芙罗狄蒂主要是作为人类的爱神而受到膜拜的。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821

6 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

7 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

8 Clung   

v.附着于( cling的过去式和过去分词 )；抓紧或抱住；坚持；依恋，依附于

参考例句：

• The Prime Minister clung to his job like a limpet, despite calls for him to resign. 首相不顾有人要求他辞职，死赖在他的职位上不下台。
• She clung to the hope that her son was not dead. 她抱定儿子并没有死的希望不放。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fierce   

adj.凶猛的，残忍的；狂热的，强烈的

参考例句：

• The soldiers got ready for a fierce battle.战士们准备进行一场恶战。
• What he said met with fierce opposition.他的话语遭到激烈反对。

10 clinging   

adj.执着的；有黏性的；紧靠着的；紧贴着的v.附着于( cling的现在分词 )；抓紧或抱住；坚持；依恋，依附于

参考例句：

• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
• I was very frightened and clinging on like mad. 我很害怕，拼命地向上爬。 来自《简明英汉词典》