eberries,gooseberries,elderberries,andmore.Inapatchofforestovertheridge,SpedIfoundaredarmyofraspberriesinvadingahillside,andwespentmanyaJulydaygatherinessamohorns.Blackberriesripenedlast,andIamsadeverytimetoseethefirstpotfulatourevenis,forthoseblackjewelsareaharbingerofsummersend.

    Thei-eatersamongusrejoicedattheabundahewarmseason,althoughbugsareadecidedlyacquiredtaste.Eachofthefaerieshadtheirownpeculiarpleasuresandpreferredcapturingteiques.Ragnoateonlyflies,whichhepluckedfromspiderwebs.Békawasagourmand,takinganythingthatcrawled,flew,slithered,ledhisway.Hewouldsearchoutayoftermitesinarottinglog,apartyofslugsinthemire,gotycarcass,anddigihosedisgustiuresraw.Sittingpatientlybyasmallfire,hesnatchedmothsoutoftheairwithhistonguewhentheyflewtooclosetohisface.Chavisorywasaoriousbug-eater,butatleastshecookedthem.Icouldtoleratethegrubsandqueensshebakedoedrotiltheypopped,asbrownandcrispyasba.Cricketlegstendtostiyourteeth,andants,ifnotroastedfirst,willbiteyueandthroatonthewaydown.

    Ihadneverkilledalivingthingbeforeingtothewoods,butwewerehunter-gatherers,andwithoutanoccasionalbitofproteini,allofuswouldsuffer.Wetooksquirrels,moles,mice,fish,andbirds,althoughtheeggsthemselvesweretoogreatahassletostealfromthe.Anythingbigger—suchasadeaddeer—wedsge.Idonotcareforthingsthathavebeendeadalongtime.Inlatesummerandearlyfall,inparticular,thetribewoulddiogetheronanunfortunatecreatureroastedonaspit.Nothisarabbituarrynight.But,asSpeckwouldsay,everyidyllsuccumbstodesire.

    Suentinmyfourth