Chapter X

           Afterwehadhadoutourlaugh,Lop-EarandIcurvedbackinourflightandgotbreakfastintheblueberryswamp.ItwasthesameswamptowhichIhadmademyfirstjourneysintheworld,yearsbefore,accompaniedbymymother.Ihadseenlittleofherintheinterveningtime.Usually,whenshevisitedthehordeatthecaves,Iwasawayintheforest.IhadonceortwicecaughtglimpsesoftheChattererintheopenspace,andhadhadthepleasureofmakingfacesathimandangeringhimfromthemouthofmycave.BeyondsuchamenitiesIhadleftmyfamilyseverelyalone.Iwasnotmuchinterestedinit,andanywayIwasdoingverywellbymyself.

           Aftereatingourfillofberries,withtwonestfulsofpartlyhatchedquail-eggsfordessert,Lop-EarandIwanderedcircumspectlyintothewoodstowardtheriver.Herewaswherestoodmyoldhome-tree,outofwhichIhadbeenthrownbytheChatterer.Itwasstilloccupied.Therehadbeenincreaseinthefamily.Clingingtighttomymotherwasalittlebaby.Also,therewasagirl,partlygrown,whocautiouslyregardedusfromoneofthelowerbranches.Shewasevidentlymysister,orhalf-sister,rather.

           Mymotherrecognizedme,butshewarnedmeawaywhenIstartedtoclimbintothetree.Lop-Ear,whowasmorecautiousbyfarthanI,beataretreat,norcouldIpersuadehimtoreturn.Laterintheday,however,mysistercamedowntotheground,andthereandinneighboringtreeswerompedandplayedallafternoon.Andthencametrouble.Shewasmysister,butthatdidnotpreventherfromtreatingmeabominably,forshehadinheritedalltheviciousnessoftheChatterer.