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    The men spoke together. Then two of them stayed to finish digging out the juiceroot, while the other two led the children away. The one who was holding Suth kept a grip on his wrist and pushed him on ahead. He felt numb and stupid and helpless, the way he felt on the journey through Dry Hills. His mouth was sour with the taste of failure.

Oldtale
    THE CHILDREN OF AMMU
    Ammu grew very fat .
    She said to An, “I must have meat. Go and hunt.”
    While An was hunting, Ammu gave birth .
    Six and six and six children she had at that first birth .
    First she bore three soft eggs. When they opened, Ammu found a boy and a girl in each .
    Next she bore three hard eggs. When they opened, Ammu found a boy and a girl in each .
    Last she bore six that came from the womb not in eggs, but as the animals that have hair are born. They came from her two and two and two, a boy and a girl together .
    Ammu looked at her six and six and six children, and wept .
    â€œHow do I feed all these?” she said. “I have only two breasts, and the breasts of An are small, and have no milk.”
    Now, Black Antelope was far away, grazing on the plains, when Ammu gave birth. But Monkey watched and listened, for he was always curious about people, and all they did. When he heard what Ammu said, he ran to the others of the First Ones and said, “Ammu gave birth to six and six and six children. She cannot feed them all. She has only two breasts .”
    The First Ones spoke among themselves. They said, “Let us take two each of Ammu’s children and care for them, or they die.”
    â€œBut what when Black Antelope returns?” said Little Bat. “Then there are none left for him to care for.”
    â€œHe is the strongest,” said Snake. “He gives his strength to those he cares for. Then they rule all the rest. That is not good.”
    So they agreed .
    They put Ammu into a sleep, and then they drew lots over who should choose first which children they should care for. Monkey was clever with his fingers, and he saw to it that he should choose last .
    Snake and Crocodile and the Ant Mother chose children who had hatched from soft eggs, and took them from Ammu while she slept .
    Weaver and Parrot and Moonhawk chose children who had hatched from hard eggs, and took them from Ammu while she slept .
    Little Bat and Fat Pig took children who had been born as the animals that have hair are born, and took them from Ammu while she slept .
    Thus only two children were left .
    Then Monkey said, “We cannot leave Ammu with no children. Then she weeps worse than before. Two are due to me. Let Ammu raise these. Each of you must give me a gift. This makes up for my loss.”
    They agreed to that, and it was done .
    When An returned from his hunting, Ammu showed him the two fine children who were born to them, and they rejoiced .
    Ammu said, “While I slept, a strong dream came to me. In my dream I gave birth to ten children, and eight more. I could not feed so many from my breasts. I wept for this. But great animals heard my weeping and came. They took all but these two from me.”
    An said, “It is only a dream,” and they laughed together .
    When Black Antelope returned and learned what the others had done, he too laughed .
    â€œMonkey has tricked you,” he said. “Soon you find this. It is trouble to care for the children of people.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Suth was careful not to struggle or resist, and after a while the man who held him relaxed his grip a little. He still couldn’t see what was happening to the others. He heard one faint whimper from Otan, but small ones learned very early to stay silent in times of danger.
    Their narrow path wound through the bushes. Suth’s captor moved warily, like a hunter in strange country, pausing often and peering for dangers.
    No one spoke. The bare hills were silent. Insects clicked and whirred in the scrub. And all the time birds whistled and