When Spring came (Dum Tales 26)

                                 Where Dum found the hollow stones

The relations between the cave people and those that lived in huts was friendly as they visited each other and exchanged their individual knowledge on how to survive. Throughout the winter the cave people coped very well continuing to hunt animals and fish share them with the others.

So it was in spring that Dum and Yum saw how the others fed themselves by growing food close to them without having to search for it from afar. They dug for tubers under the ground and were constantly keeping watch on their plants to prevent hungry animals coming to steal the food from under their noses.

Yum established her own garden with the help of Dong but realised that it would be better to be in a larger community where there was someone on watch all the time.

Dum however now that it was safe to travel through their neighbours land followed the coast far from their home sometimes with Grunt but really preferring to go by himself. Grunt in his mind could not see as well as he could and this was illustrated when some hours from the cave they rounded a headland and came to a pile of granite rocks worn into shapes by the elements over thousands of years.

Dum rested there while Grunt fidgeted not seeing what Dum could. Dum remembered the grinding stone that he had made for Yum to powder the seeds they gathered and looking at these huge rocks his mind started imagining what else could be achieved.

He found a small hollowed rock that fitted into his basket that he slung over his back and took it home with him. There he toyed with the stone with pieces of wood and twine until he had fastened them together. He then fixed two wooden shafts to the spindle he had made that went through the hole in the stone. He found that he could place a very heavy weight on the shafts and lift them and push them along on the stone wheel because he was not carrying much of the load because the wheel was.

While he was wondering how to make it more secure, as it wobbled with a heavy load, Yum came along with the children. She went up to him and touched him in affection. She was smiling as she looked at him and pointed to the crude barrow he had made. “I am glad I am your wife Dum”.

Dum looked back at her nodding with agreement. She smoothed her hand over her tummy; “There will soon be an extra mouth to feed. You do your work and I do mine.”  She paused and then said “I think we should move to the village where Song lives. There are more of them and I will feel safer inside one of the huts there. Song told me that she advised the men there that you would be useful to them. I think they wanted this all along when they learned what you had done.”

                     Dum's wheel and ax (image found at www.johnlund.com)