She answered in a sleepy voice, “Yes.”
“Are you sure?” Firetop called back; “because Father and Mother aren’t.”
“Aren’t what?” said Firefly, getting wider awake.
“Aren’t there,” Firetop answered.
Firefly lifted her head and tried to roll over. If she had not been tied she would have rolled out of bed. She looked down, too. The branches were certainly empty.
What would you do if you were to wake up in the morning and find yourself tied in bed and your father and mother gone and no breakfast ready? Well, they did just the same thing! They simply yelled. They had good strong lungs and they made a great deal of noise. When they stopped, they heard a distant shout that sounded like their own. “Ow, ow, ow.” It came back to them from two different directions.
“That’s not Father’s voice,” said Firetop.
“Nor Mother’s,” said Firefly.
“It’s somebody’s. It must be theirs. Let’s call again,” said Firetop.
They nearly split their throats that time. “Ow, ow, ow,” they screamed, and “Ow, ow, ow,” came back from the forest and the river.