The children went on, and the birds flew from branch to branch, but not faster than the little ones could follow them. The children ate nuts and berries in the woods, drank water from the clear brooks, and slept at night on soft beds of moss. They seemed to be cared for in a most wonderful way. They always had enough to eat, and they always found a place where they could spend the night. They could not tell why, but whenever they saw the little birds, they said, "See, there are God's angels, who are helping us." And so they walked on.
But at last the little girl grew very tired from wandering about so long, and said to her brother, "When shall we begin to look for our birch?"
And he answered, "Not until we hear people speak the language which our father and mother spoke."
Again they walked towards the north and west. Summer was gone, the days in the forests began to grow cold and again the little sister asked about the birch, but her brother begged her to be patient.
The country through which they now wandered gradually began to change. The land which they had left and through which they had walked for weeks and months was a level land, now they had come into a country with mountains, rivers and lakes. The little sister asked, "Tell me brother how shall we get over the steep mountains?"
Her brother answered, "I shall carry you," and he carried her.
Again the little girl asked, "How shall we cross the rapid rivers and the great lakes?"
... and he rowed across the rivers and
lakes