Docas walked quietly along by Massea’s side, but Heema ran around so much, chasing squirrels, that he began to grow tired.
Suddenly Docas said, “There’s Apa.”
“He has come to meet us. We must be almost there,” said Heema, forgetting that he was tired, and running forward.
From the top of the next hill Heema could look down on the village where Apa lived. In a minute he came running back to Docas.
“Oh, there are so many people there! And they are making a big circle by sticking green boughs in the ground out in an open place,” exclaimed Heema. “Please hurry up, Docas, you are so slow.”
Docas laughed and said, “Not when I get started, Heema,” and he began running toward Apa. Docas could run fast, so he reached Apa long before Heema did.
“Why are the people putting grass down in a circle?” asked Heema, as the three boys walked into the village.
“That’s where they dance, and they want it to be soft so that they can lie down when they get tired,” answered Docas.
It was dark before all the invited people had come, so they all had supper and went to bed.
Next morning the dancing began. Massea stood on one side and stamped on a hollow log, while the women and the other men made one big circle, and swayed back and forth, singing as they danced. They kept time with their singing and dancing to Massea’s stamping.