'Now you will be able to walk,' remarked the porcupine, and they went on to the place where the tree was standing.
'Here we are!' said the porcupine, stopping beneath it.
'But what is the game?' asked the beaver.
'Oh, you have to climb this tree.'
'But I have never climbed a tree in my life,' replied the beaver anxiously. 'How do you begin?'
'I will go first, and you have only to watch me and see how I do it,' answered the porcupine, and he climbed and climbed till he reached the very top of the tree. Then he let go the branch he was on, and dropped straight to the ground.
'There, it is not very difficult,' he said to the beaver; 'but as you are not used to climbing I will take you up on my back, and you can come down by yourself. Be sure you cling tight round my neck.' And the beaver did—very tight indeed.
It took them some time to reach the top of the tree and then the porcupine put the beaver on to a branch. But the beaver was not much more comfortable than when he was crossing the ice, for his smooth hands could not dig into the bark like the porcupine's claws.
'Hold fast to the tree, and I will go down first,' said the porcupine, and as he spoke he let the branch go, and fell down to the earth. Then he got up, and ran about at the foot of the tree, watching the beaver who was still on his branch, too frightened to move.